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Rev. Douglas Bratt is a Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. After serving Christian Reformed churches in Iowa, Michigan and Maryland, he retired in July, 2024. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, reading good literature, and watching televised sports in his free time.
Doug began writing sermon commentaries for the CEP website in 2006 and started writing weekly in 2012.
Romans 5:1-8
Commentary
Proper 6A
Is there any phrase in the English lexicon that’s stranger than “to die for”? After all, when we claim something is “to die for,” we’re not describing something that’s as tragic as death itself. I’ve never heard anyone say, for instance, that racial injustice or a global pandemic was “to die for” – even though…
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Commentary
Trinity Sunday A
The Revised Common Lectionary’s choice of this Sunday’s particular Epistolary Lesson is rather quirky. Of course, at one level, we get it. On what we’ve designated as Trinity Sunday, this Lesson contains a stirring and lovely benediction that flows from all the members of the Trinity. Yet the choice of this passage from 2 Corinthians…
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
Commentary
Pentecost A
God’s adopted sons and daughters profess that the Holy Spirit graciously gives us a relationship not only with Jesus Christ, but also with other Christians. The Spirit whose Pentecost Christians celebrate on this Sunday links us not only to Christ our brother, but also our adopted brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s people generally like…
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Commentary
Easter 7A
Eliza Griswold’s The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches From the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam chronicles her travels along the 10th parallel. In it she notes that many Muslims and Christians live and work close to each other along that parallel. Peter wouldn’t surprise either Christians or Muslims in those areas when he says, “Your enemy…
1 Peter 3:13-22
Commentary
Easter 6A
Many of this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson’s proclaimers and hearers live in among the freest countries in the history of the world. What’s more, our post post post-modern culture is fascinated with all things spiritual and religious. Yet at least some of us are nervous about giving free and interested people “the reason for the hope…
1 Peter 2:2-10
Commentary
Easter 5A
We can almost see them – an ordinary group of early Christians, somewhere in the early Mediterranean world. They’re likely worshipping in someone’s house. Their teacher reads to them this morning’s text, taken from what we call Peter’s first letter. These newly baptized believers’ teacher begins by telling them that they resemble what verse 2…
1 Peter 2:19-25
Commentary
Easter 4A
Many members of the American civil rights movement embraced Peter’s commendation of Christians who put up with unjust suffering’s pain. In fact, that movement produced a treasure trove of photos of people bearing up under such misery. One could fill books with pictures of people kneeling in non-violent resistance to beatings and submitting to attacks…
1 Peter 1:17-23
Commentary
Easter 3A
A few years ago the University of Maryland’s football team found itself in trouble at halftime of one of the biggest games in its history. It didn’t just trail North Carolina State’s team. Maryland’s team also hadn’t played very well. Maryland’s head coach Ralph Friedgen knew he had to motivate his team to play better…
1 Peter 1:3-9
Commentary
Easter 2A
When my wife and I drew up our first will after our oldest son was born, we didn’t have many material assets. So our will mostly addressed who would care for our children if we predeceased them. We later revised our will to include instructions about who will inherit what when we die. Yet, candidly,…
Colossians 3:1-4
Commentary
Easter Day A
On that glorious first Easter morning an angel shocked people by insisting that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Two thousand years later an aging apostle may no less shock Colossians 3:1-4’s proclaimers and hearers by insisting that God also raised us with Christ. After all, if it’s sometimes hard to believe that Jesus…
About Doug Bratt