As ever, the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary provide lots of choices for preaching this week. There is also the opportunity to preach Reformation Sunday and, in some traditions, All Saints might be incorporated into this Sunday.
Where are you finding good news this week? Where are you finding hope that can be preached? How are you speaking into the darkness of the world a word of challenge and pointing to the light? What are you calling out in your neighbourhood and where can the community of faith make a difference?
Please share, in the comments, where your sermon’s at this week and what you’re doing with the rest of the service. Your thoughts and inspiration may be just what is needed to help another Preacher put the finishing touches to their preparation.
You’ll find helpful discussion on the NL here, and on the RCL here. As Sunday fast approaches, let’s help one another get there ready.
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 was determined to get the sermon written today because I need to devote Saturday to other things, but here I sit. I sort of have an outline, and an intention to talk about the paradox of surrender leading to freedom. I’m spooked by experience with women’s group Monday when I read the gospel text and they had no questions because it was perfectly clear it was about humility. They have no interest in social-historical context, especially if it leads to obscuring what is clear. Week after week, this attitude stymies me.
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I had hoped to be further on by now but I have rough draft of my reflection. Were using Psalm 46 to reflect about the need to Be Still and know. Our denomination is undergoing a time of radical change and churches were asked to have a season of prayer between September and December. I am reminding m
y congregation that prayer…that deepening our relationship with God…is how we know Gods strength and refuge in times of trouble or change. We are also reinstating a prayer table that wasnt used and was removed about 5 years ago and putting the new prayer tree on it and ” take away” resources. I’m about to walk the dog but I’ll be back later. Holding you all in my prayers as I enjoy time in God glorious autumn creation.
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Maggie, always great to focus on the need for prayer. So glad you’re reinstating the prayer table
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Joann that’s a tough nut to crack – hope you’re making some progress in writing.
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Here’s a reflection on the RCL gospel – on forgiveness
http://liz-vicarofdibley.blogspot.com/2019/10/reflecting-forgiveness.html
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I’m late to writing my sermon as usual…if I could just write this on just the parable I would feel really good. But we are in stewardship season and I’m just not quite getting it cause I don’t want to say “be humble about what you really need and share it” lol. Anyone else in the same boat?
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We’re in stewardship season too, so I am going with gratitude as a way into humility. I’m starting by asking them to think of one thing they are grateful for. Then I’m going to list all the things I am grateful for, a beautiful sunrise, a warm cup of coffee, the safe return of our Curate from overseas, etc. I’ll connect that to a story about a boy trying to push a heavy rock using all his strength, which he can’t do. His father then says, you did not use all of your strength, you didn’t ask me to help. Humility is connected to gratitude when we help one another. And I’ll conclude with a little reflection on the origin of money, first we bartered and we gave thanks to those who helped us by giving them something we valued – bread we baked, gems we found, gifts of thanks and gratitude for help. Eventually money was created. That has taken a lot of the deeper understanding of our shared lives of gratitude and humility, but the underneath intent is the same. God is good, has gifted us in many ways, when we share with others, what God has gifted us, even sharing money, we were acknowledging that God helps us so we can help others. Or something like that… 🙂 I’m sure you’ve come up with something. Thanks for letting me unpack my thoughts because you have shared yours.
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We’re on Sunday 4 of a six week parables series. The mustard seed is up this week. I’ve been pondering it all week but haven’t put words on paper yet. We had a Presbytery meeting this weekend, which was chock full of good conversations, lots of laughing, and more good stuff to think about. As an internal processor, my brain needs to get that all thought through before I can write this sermon. But I’m running out of time, brain! Let’s move on!
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