I had the privilege of spending last weekend at the Church of Scotland’s National Youth Assembly with around 70 18-25 year olds. Some of the issues we debated were: inclusion, accessibility, hate speech, missional communities, testimony and confirmation. In our worship, we reflected on exclusion, lament and call. It was an inspiring, hope filled time, acknowledging the gifts and passion that these young adults bring to our church and to our world.
God calls us all, of whatever age, to respond to the plight of our world, our nations and our communities. Preaching this week, where are you seeking to be faithful in responding to God’s call? What texts are you wrestling with and how are you communicating the urgency of the gospel?
The RCL Post from earlier in the week might be useful if those are your texts.
We’d love to hear where you are finding good news for your community today and how you are challenging the people of God to live out the gospel? Leave a comment. Share your insight and inspiration and, if there is something you are struggling with, let’s see if we can find a way through together.
Rev Liz Crumlish is a Presbyterian minister living on the west coast of Scotland. She is a member of the RevGalBlogPals Board, writes for Spill the Beans, blogs at Journalling and contributed to There’s a Woman in the Pulpit.
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I seem to be first ! Today I’m doing something I’ve never done before. One of the privileges and joys of being a lay-preacher is that I suspect I have more ‘in-advance’ prep time than the average clergy-person. BUT as well as being a lay-preacher I’m working on a Master’s in theology and the dissertation is due in in 6 weeks and has just drained all of my mojo this week, to the point where I don’t feel I can do justice to the proposed gospel text, or to preaching a topical sermon in the current contex(G7, fires in the amazon…).
So for the first time ever I’m reworking an old sermon. I’m using one from a few years back on joy, based on the christological hymn in Philippians, because I figure its timeless, and frankly its what I need to hear where I am. Its still summer holidays here, so turnout may be low, or we may have a lot of visitors. Prayers for preaching-mojo for others who are struggling today.
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Prayers for you too, Alison
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We are finishing our Summer Sermon Season on ‘hands’ tomorrow. Our readings are Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and Isaiah 43 1-2 and 18-19…a season for everything and ‘see I am doing a new thing’. We spend the summer experimenting with different ways of worshipping – creative hands ‘ a Messy Church’ craft based worship, Helpful hands – going out in the middle of worship to do 30mins of faith work in the community, Harvest hands – sharing a Lammas Loaf and thinking about food poverty, Praying Hands – sitting in silent prayer and lighting candles etc etc. Some things worked well, some things worked for most but not all, some didn’t work out for us but we learnt together and allowed ourselves to see a little of the new things God might be doing in our midst. Tomorrow I have 3 members speaking on ‘What I did this summer’ – fundraising marathon, missional outreach to families and someone speaking about how they have felt a call to move into eldership and leadership. Then we will offer a hand of fellowship to 2 new members [ one is being baptized too] who have joined our church family since Easter…..God is doing a new thing. The question is ‘What next?’
Help yourself to strawberries which are locally grown here in Angus, Scotland. I was out in town this morning and treated myself to two large punnets of berries to enjoy and share.
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I love that you’re learning both from what worked and what didn’t!
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Here is a reflection I wrote a few years ago on the RCL gospel lesson: http://liz-vicarofdibley.blogspot.com/2013/08/stooping-god.html
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It is amazing when the lectionary and what we are doing in worship. Tomorrow we are doing the “blessings of the backpacks as the children have started school just a week and a half ago. I will be preaching on Jeremiah’s call. Don’t say I am only a boy. We often dismiss our calls, especially the call of the youngest members, because of insecurities and doubt in our abilities. But God says, I have put my words in your mouth. God who calls us, will give us what we need and the words to say.
I am putting my faith in this especially tomorrow as there will be a difficult meeting after church.
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There are a number of typos in the above post. That is because on my phone screen, I couldn’t see half my post to edit or go back and fix things. My apologies! Perhaps that is something that can be addressed. Many blessings to all.
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Becky, prayers for your backpack blessing – and for your difficult meeting!
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When I preached this text six years ago, I made it a first person narrative, speaking as the woman. Now, I’m more interested in the way this story is sandwiched between the parables of the fruitless fig tree and the fruitful Kingdom of God. And I’m beginning to realize the story might not really be as much about this woman (whose name we don’t know), but about the tension growing between Jesus and the established religious authorities. She didn’t ask to be healed. She didn’t expect healing. She just showed up. Yet, her healing is a catalyst for confrontation with the status quo. And, like the yeast in the dough and the mustard seed growing into a huge plant, she stands up straight and praises God with all of her being. Meanwhile, the synagogue leader grumbles (not to Jesus directly, you notice, but trying to triangle in the crowd) about when it’s okay to experience a miracle and when it isn’t. He’s like the fig tree, shriveling up in his fruitlessness. Don’t know where I’m going with this, but it’s something to ponder. I have an abundance of cherry tomatoes to share on the virtual snack table. Help yourself!
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It’s always interesting seeing where each of the gospel writers places the stories – love your connections.
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I am preaching Jeremiah (and so looking forward to the end of this RCL cycle, when I will move to the gospels, because the prophets are getting tedious) and his call and commission. Not sure yet where I’m going with it, but the Presbyterian Youth Triennium gathering this summer and years of youth ministry experience gives plenty to work with that might make a welcome change from the intense social justice sermons that have been coming one right after the other in recent months. There’s probably a sermon in the tediousness and the welcome change, but I’m not sure I’m up to taking it on this week. We’ll see what God has in mind because, of course, I’ll go where God tells me to go, and say what God tells me to say …..
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Interesting parallel process happening there! Thanks Julie
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I’m preaching on the bent over woman and how Jesus sees her suffering and the power in that. Will tie that in with the Quadcentennial of the arrival of the 1st enslaved Africans in the United States just a few miles down the coast from where we are. It is uncomfortable to look at suffering sometimes, we often want to pretend it is not there, but there is power in looking at it, in naming it. Or we can be like the synagogue leader and argue about good order as a way to avoid dealing with the issues of the day. Still a long way to go before I’m done.
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Shannon,thanks for you faithfulness in sticking with the discomfort
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