In this northern hemisphere, it seems that all the schools have finally started and the weather is beginning to turn (high in the 90s instead of the 100s here in Southern California). The program year may be starting up, different from last year, but also different from all the years before. What are the questions we are asking? How do we keep going? What will we say in these times? What do your people need to hear?
During this long stretch of Ordinary Time or the Sundays after Pentecost, will you follow the Revised Common Lectionary? Will you preach about the “capable wife”? I considered it, but I’m not sure what I would say. I’m going with the gospel passage and the idea that we deflect the hard questions by puffing ourselves up and arguing over inessentials. The RCL discussion is here this week.
The Narrative Lectionary offers the story of Abraham and Isaac. If there aren’t hard questions there, I don’t know where they are. How will you approach this text? The Narrative Lectionary discussion is here.
Are you avoiding the lectionaries altogether? What will you preach? Are you working through a series? Are you doing a one-off? We’d love to hear what you are doing.
And so, preachers, what will you say? What do your people need to hear?
Whether you are preaching Revised Common Lectionary, Narrative Lectionary, a series, or something else altogether, we are here to help. What do you need? Sermon illustrations? Time with the Children? A way to wrap things up? People to help you untangle ideas or find commentary? Let us know; we will help as we can.
I will be checking in regularly (as I am able) today and tomorrow and continue checking in through Saturday night. For a second time in a row, I am preaching the same week I am hosting the Preacher Party, so I will definitely be around.
Image: Manookian, Arman. Coral Tree by Black Point, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56621 [retrieved September 15, 2021]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arman_Manookian_-_%27Coral_Tree_by_Black_Point,_Honolulu,_O%27ahu%27,_1930.JPG – Wmpearl.
Wendy Lamb works as a commissioned pastor in a Presbyterian Church (USA) in Southern California and teaches college English classes at a local community college. She occasionally blogs at Bookgirl.
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