Hello, preaching friends. It’s the 11th Hour Preacher Party, ready for whenever your eleventh hour comes upon you.
The Revised Common Lectionary post has some good thought-provokers. If you’re still putting together bulletins, slide shows, or other liturgical pieces, check out our Worship Words post, too.
Share your ideas, your questions, your “what was I thinking, choosing this text?” We’re all in this together; you’re not alone.
Monica Thompson Smith is a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, serving as stated supply pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Luling, TX. She is a contributor to There’s a Woman in the Pulpit.
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This summer I am finding some wonderful gems in Romans. This week’s sermon title is “Grace, Forgiveness, and Olive Trees.” The title I’m not using: “Paul Was a Liberal. Who Knew?” I had to re-read the commentaries in Feasting on the Word carefully to make sure I had it right. Paul is (almost!) making a case for universal salvation! The stuff that got Rob Bell kicked out of the evangelical church he started in Michigan! Who knew?
A few lectionary cycles ago, I preached on the crumbs-to-dogs passage. It did not go well.
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I’m also avoiding the Canaanite woman this time through, I admit. Glad you’re finding gems in Romans–it’s easy to get lost in the prose maze.
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Inspired by a blogpost that was shared in the RGBP Facebook group recently I am working with 1 Corinthians 8 (Paul teaching about meat offered to idols) and intending to end up talking about mask-wearing. I think that Paul is sharing a key ethical principle for how we live together in community — one that applies in a variety of situations, not just meat (Paul) or mask-wearing (us). My early thoughts (which have to become a full sermon by tomorrow afternoon for recording purposes) are here:
https://gordsponderings.blogspot.com/2020/08/looking-ahead-to-august-16-2020.html
For better or worse I am saving the Canaanite woman for next week and plan to tie it to Black Lives Matter. My provisional title is something like “Jesus Learns About Racism”
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Thanks for the link, and hopefully you’ll benefit from all of our insights on the Canaanite woman for next week!
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Preacher friends: need a laugh right now?
Romans 11: 26b:
Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
Will he be driving a UPS truck? 🙂
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