Reading for Preaching
Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
The Making of the President, 1960
Additional content related to Politics
1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15)
Getting Political This week’s lectionary reading fronts a larger section of text that tells us what happens when God’s people “get political.” From the start, God’s people have been shaped and sustained through covenants. Of course, there have always been leaders mediating this covenant — folks like Moses and Joshua feature prominently in that list. …
Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25
Comments, Observations and Questions: A Choosing Place: Shechem was the site of Jacob putting away foreign gods (Gen 35) recitation of the law (Joshua 8) and the rape of Dinah, leading to decisions about the relationship between God’s people and the other people of the land. “The setting of this episode thus creates an atmosphere…
Matthew 22:15-22
Over the last three Sundays we’ve watched as the Pharisees (as part of the temple leadership) were brought to task by Jesus. They’ve retreated and regrouped now and are trying a new tactic for solving their Jesus problem. Their new plan is to try to seduce Jesus with compliments and praise, suggesting that his influence…
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
We sometimes assume that we can recognize an alien when we see him (he’s green and has antennae) or at least see her citizenship papers (they say citizen of Canada, or Mexico, the United States, or some other country of origin). Yet when Hebrews’ author speaks of people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and others…
Matthew 22:15-22
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about religion in America. This election year of 2020 is no exception—indeed, the upcoming election magnifies such things. Maybe other nations have similar conversations but America is definitely the epicenter of some pretty serious conversations in this area. This is due in part to the…
Isaiah 9:1-4
Consistent with the season of Epiphany, the Lectionary readings from the Old Testament continue to focus on the Servant Messiah as the light of the world. It’s a message we need to hear because we live in particularly dark times, as did the nation of Judah to whom these words were addressed. The time of…
Amos 7:7-17
Your average preacher will not choose this testy passage from Amos to preach on today. Amos is not a book to read if you are in need of easy encouragement. I cannot imagine the perpetually smiling Joel Osteen preaching on this text. Maybe you cannot imagine yourself doing that either. I mean, what can this…
Psalm 146
Digging Into the Text: Psalm 146 marks the beginning of the last “Book” in the Psalms, four psalms that close the Psalter with a rising chorus of praise. Each one begins and ends with the word Hallellu Jah, “Praise the Lord [Jahweh].” Since the Psalms constantly admonish us to praise the Lord, it may seem…
2 Samuel 5:1-10
When North Americans think of politics, even some Christians sometimes think only of endless campaigns and slick advertising. We sometimes relegate talk about God’s involvement in politics to the conversations of people we think of as religious zealots. At least some Christians are especially reluctant to talk about God’s role in putting people into political…
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
We preachers need to be careful. When someone catches us at the church door to disagree with our sermon some Sunday, it is tempting to say “Hey, your quarrel is not with me but with God. I was just preaching God’s Word so . . .” Of course, sometimes that really may be the case. …
Matthew 5:1-12
There are several ways to approach the Beatitudes. You could fruitfully consider them one at a time or you could look at the overall sweep and direction of these blessings. Since the Lectionary gives us the whole smack for just one Sunday, our best option is to look at the bigger picture and consider, in…
Psalm 146
The book of Psalms ends as life should, with a flurry of ever-increasing praise to the God who has given us life and breathe and all things. Psalm 146 is the first of five Psalms that begin and end with the familiar Hebrew words hallelu yah, “Praise Yahweh.” But in between the summons to praise…
1 Timothy 2:1-7
In the United States, this September Sunday falls about seven weeks before the next presidential election. And it’s been an ugly season in what has seemingly become the nation’s never-ending presidential campaign. But it’s no longer just politics as usual that unsettles. No, it’s the deep, deep partisan divides that have taken hold the last…
Psalm 138
At first glance Psalm 138 is simply a royal psalm of thanksgiving offered to God in response to some special experience of personal salvation. It includes an invitation to the royalty of the earth to join in praising the God of this King, whom the superscription identifies as David. Many scholars don’t take the superscriptions…
Revelation 12:1-17
Special Handling Instructions: Revelation’s Imagery Older preaching audiences are going to be more challenged by Revelation’s images than younger ones. Younger audiences have been shaped by apocalyptic television and movie images which include tsunamis higher than skyscrapers, seismic yawns that swallow whole cities, and asteroids whose impact effectively uncreate creation. Younger hearers have had an…
Psalm 20
It seems as if psalmists typically pray for themselves. However, in Psalm 20 the poet prays for someone else, in this case Israel’s king. After all, verse 4 refers to God’s “anointed.” Verse 9 also speaks explicitly of “the king.” Psalm 20 expresses a strong sense of dependence on God’s gracious provision even for rulers. …
Preaching Connection: Politics