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James 1:17-27
Proper 17B
Were you to ask North American citizens of the 21st century, “What is God like?” you might get, especially in some culturally diverse areas, as many as 15-20 answers. Some of them would reflect long-standing religious traditions. Others might reflect a kind of DIY theology. And some answers might reflect an atheism or agnosticism. Few…
John 6:56-69
Proper 16B
It’s the last of John 6 and the last of the gospel of John for a while—next week we jump back into Mark. As it comes to reactions to Christ, the end of John 6 is a mixed bag. Even while excluding the verses about Judas’s impending betrayal and including Peter’s declaration of faith and…
Ephesians 6:10-20
Proper 16B
It’s not surprising that preachers and scholars generally pay most of our attention to this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson’s military imagery. After all, while Paul’s images are easily misunderstood and misapplied, they’re also prominent in this text, vivid and memorable. We’ve even managed to cram some of them into things like Vacation Bible School weeks. So,…
John 6:51-58
Proper 15B
Here we are in the homestretch of our time in John 6. Between this week and next you have your chance to say whatever has been left on the sermon cutting room floor about the flesh and blood of the Bread of Heaven. As for me and these sermon commentaries, I feel as though we’ve…
Ephesians 5:15-20
Proper 15B
Does any subtle difference exist in tone and meaning between a summons to “Be careful” and “Be very careful”? There may be an added urgency that comes through with the addition of the adjective “very.” When, for example, my wife drives home alone from caring for our grandchildren, I always try to ask her to…
John 6:35, 41-51
Proper 14B
Comparisons to manna continue this week. One of those comparisons is subtle, hidden in the description of the people: they began to “complain” (NRSV), “grumble” (TNIV), or “murmur” (NLT) about Jesus. Just like our ancestors had the habit of grumbling about God. And just like our ancestors, the true Bread of Heaven is being given…
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Proper 14B
Few themes in advertising and social media are more prominent than transformation. We like to put next to each other before-and-after pictures of people who are overweight and people whose weight is later more appropriate, as well as pictures of things like kitchens before and after they were remodeled. The juxtaposition is meant to impress…
Ephesians 4:1-16
Proper 13B
Controversy about how to faithfully respond to God’s grace continues to roil parts of Christ’s Church. It sometimes seems as if some of Jesus’ 21st century North American friends struggle to find our unity in anything but our Christian ethics. Quite simply, we spend a great deal of time arguing about and dividing over what…
John 6:24-35
Proper 13B
Part of five Sundays in John 6, this is the beginning of a three week mini-series about Jesus as the Bread of Heaven so you may want to read through all of the passages before deciding on your preaching direction for this Sunday. The people talking with Jesus this week are some of the same…
John 6:1-21
Proper 12B
Why are these two stories stuck together by the lectionary? Each on its own is worthy of preaching, but when they are paired together does the sermon change? Sermons on the feeding miracle rightfully draw us to a posture of awe at the provision of God whereas a sermon about Jesus walking on water might…
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