Sermon: “When Words Aren’t Enough: A Biblical Song of Hope”, Revelation 15 (November 27, 2022)

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Revelation may seem like a strange text for the first Sunday in Advent, but in many ways, it’s actually a perfect fit. As we stand here on the cusp of a new liturgical year, we exist in a sacred liminal space. This is where the fulfillment of centuries-old prophecies becomes imminent, where the ancient wisdom meets the new creation. We anticipate the coming of our long-awaited Messiah at the same time we acknowledge the fact that the wait isn’t quite over; we celebrate the redemption that we already know is ours while we wait for the one who’s given it to us to be born. And more than any other part of scripture, Revelation represents the “in-between-ness” that characterizes this time of year.

Liturgy: Swords Into Plowshares - Isaiah 1:10-20; 2:1-5 (November 20, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: A day will come when all nations will say,
People: “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s Mountain, so that he may teach us his ways.”

Sermon: “A War By Any Other Name”, Isaiah 1:10-20; 2:1-5 (November 20, 2022 - Reign of Christ Sunday)

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I’m going start today’s sermon with a confession and a story. The confession is that the scripture readings we just heard were mostly not what the Narrative Lectionary assigned for today. The bulk of today’s assigned readings (which would have been from Isaiah 36 and 37, in case you want to look it up later) recount a wartime exchange between the kings of Assyria and Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel). But half of the words in these passages are difficult-to-pronounce names, and I found it challenging to keep all the characters, their locations, and the metaphors straight. So instead of forcing the liturgist to suffer through all of this, I’ll just summarize it for you myself instead. Storytime!

A Third Creation Account?

I just had a new theological thought while working on this week's sermon (wouldn't be surprised if some scholar had already written a book on this, but it's been an interesting process trying to put it into words).

Liturgy: Micah - Micah 5:2-5, 6:6-8 (November 13, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: With what shall we approach the Lord?
People: Should we come before God with burnt offerings? Will the Lord be pleased with the fruit of our lives given for the sin of our spirit?

Sermon: “In the Meantime”, Micah 5:2-5, 6:6-8 (November 13, 2022)

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Micah is one of what’s known as the “minor prophets” of the First Testament. This designation isn’t a judgement on the substance of his prophecy; rather, it’s a comment on its length as compared to the more substantial prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. In spite of its brevity, however, the book of Micah still manages to pack quite a punch. For example, Christian theologians throughout history have considered the first part of today’s reading proof of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. It claims that a divine ruler would come out of the insignificant little town of Bethlehem. This would have been the equivalent of promising that Notus or Greenleaf would produce the next Abraham Lincoln or FDR – only, you know, God. So the fact that the Messiah is prophesied to – and ultimately did – come out of Bethlehem is exciting and offers a sense of real hope.

Liturgy: Elisha Heals Naaman - 2 Kings 5:1-15a (November 6, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: Come, all you saints!
People: We come to worship the Lord!

Sermon: "Speak Up!", 2 Kings 5:1-15a (November 6, 2022)

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I haven’t heard it yet personally (I’ve been checking), but now that we’re past Halloween, I suspect that we’ll soon be hearing Christmas music on the radio. Although I firmly believe that the anticipatory aspect of Advent is a crucial part of our liturgical year and our faith, I don’t mind hearing these tunes outside the context of worship in November and December. It helps me to plan ahead and mentally prepare for the upcoming liturgical seasons, and of course, who can’t use a little extra joy these days?