Cycle B Lectionary 23 Proper 18

9/6/2015 Confession

Sunday Title: Mercy Sunday

Sermon Title: Please Welcome Pastor Richard Bowen

Previously:

Sunday Title: Healing Sunday

Sermon Title: What ails us?

Sunday Title: Rally Day

Sermon Title: Reaching beyond.

Sunday Title: Rally Day  

Sermon Title: "Opening Day"

Sunday Title: Rally Day,

Sermon Title: "Are you ready?"

Scripture Cuttings:

Isaiah 35:4-7a Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.

Psalm 146 Praise the Lord, O my soul!

James 2:1-17 have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ...mercy triumphs over judgment.

Mark 7:24-37 He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Our trail of unfaithfulness lays behind us.

  If we are ready God will strengthen our repentance.

    (silently reflect on an inward choice to follow Christ)

P:  Lord God...

C: how firmly rooted are we in our faith?

We ignore your judgment to count on your mercy.

  We abandon works since they can't buy salvation.

We are afraid of the changes you may make in our lives,

  and so we do not seek you with our whole heart.

We judge others, as unworthy of your mercy,

  or as too far gone to be changed,

    and we fail to see your power, for them and for us.

We name sins, forgive us Lord.

We hide sins, save us Lord.

 (Pause for reflection)

P:  Our God does come and save us. In the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, abundant mercy is poured upon us. It is for Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. Through the Holy Spirit our healing may take the effect of a testimony to the saving power of God. We also may testify in our own works of mercy, all to the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle B Lectionary 22 Proper 17

8/30/2015 Confession 

Sunday Title: Grace Sunday

Sermon Title: “Holy” traps that lead us away from grace.

Previously:

Sunday Title: Tradition Sunday

Sermon Title: Please Welcome Pastor Jim Brandis

Sunday Title: Pure Sunday 

Sermon Title: What is Pure?

Sunday Title: Witness Sunday

Sermon Title:"Faithful as Witness"

Sunday Title: Hypocrite Sunday,

Sermon Title:"Hypocrites only, others need not apply"

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 2:8-13 (semicontinuous); Psalm 15; Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 (semicontinuous); James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (Green)

Scripture Cuttings:

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it.

Psalm 15 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

James 1:17-27 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

Mark 7:1-23 (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)

Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites...

    'this people honors me with their lips,

      but their hearts are far from me....' 

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  We, who speak with our lips for each others ears,

  let us talk with God from our hearts. (pause for self-examination)

P:  Lord God...

C: we are not careful with words and deeds,

we do not watch closely our intentions,

  we forget: disobedience destroys our witness of you.

We abandon your commandments,

  to hold fast to our self-serving traditions.

    Mostly, we are hearers of your word, seldom doers.

We excuse ourselves from studying your instructions,

  not learning what is wrong and right, and why.

    Devoted are we to following our hearts,

      discerning ourselves what feels wrong and right.

Here Lord we have named sins,

  forgive us in our honest repentance.

Here Lord we have hidden sins,

  save us from the evil we will not acknowledge. (Pause for reflection)

P:  God chooses us as God's own people to show the light of salvation to the world. Jesus Christ is revealed to us, and for his sake our sins are forgiven. Hearers of God's mercy, forget not this liberty from sin, be inspired by the Holy Spirit to know the truth in the law and the love of God. Let us not remain hypocrites, rather let us become hearers and doers of God’s word. Let us make God's mercy alive in thought, word and deed, by the power of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle B Lectionary 21 Proper 16

8/23/2015 Confession

Sunday Title: Chosen Sunday

Sermon Title: Chosen and Choice

Previously:

Sunday Title: Fed Sunday

Sermon Title: Please Welcome Pastor George Gaiser

Sunday Title:  Body Sunday

Sermon Title: Be the Body.

Sunday Title:  Choice Sunday

Sermon Title: "The Choice vs. Inertia"

Sunday Title:  John 6 Sunday - Part 5,

Sermon Title: "Bread and Body - Part 5 – "Lord and Disciple. The Time to Choose"

Scripture Cuttings:

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.

Psalm 34:15-22 Many are the trouble of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver them out of them all.

Ephesians 6:10-20 Therefore take up the whole armor of God....

John 6:56-69 ...Do you also wish to go away? ...Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Where can we go with our unworthiness?

  How can we present ourselves before God? (we can run but we can not hide)

P:  Lord God...

C: we call ourselves your children,

but we turn away as soon as your teachings become difficult.

  We stake our claim, on your claim of us.

    Your chosen people we are.

      But are you the Lord of our living?

We say the words and confess you as Lord,

  yet we do not follow as disciples.

    Instead we choose to serve ourselves.

This hour we do not wish to go away,

  Lord to whom can we go?

Forgive us Lord for the sins we think to name.

Save us from the sins we hide. (Pause for reflection)

P:  It is the Lord God who brings us out of the bondage of unworthiness and the slavery of sin. Our Heavenly Father has chosen us, for Christ Jesus is revealed to us. For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. On this day we choose to live the words of eternal life. By the power of the Holy Spirit we may choose to serve our risen Lord; disciples of truth and faithfulness. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle B Lectionary 20 Proper 15

8/16/2015 Confession

Sunday Title: Truth Sunday

Sermon Title: Blasphemy and Truth.

Previously:

Sunday Title: Still Fed Again Sunday

Sermon Title: Literally walking on the Sun.

Sunday Title: Grace Sunday

Sermon Title: "The Revelation of Full Grace"

Sunday Title: John 6 Sunday - Part 4,

Sermon Title: "Bread and Body - Part 4 - "Are You Ready to Hear This?"

Scripture Cuttings:

Proverbs 9:1-6 Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.

Psalm 34:9-14 ...seek peace and pursue it.

Ephesians 5:15-20 ...giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything....

John 6:51-58 “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Confession:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Are we ready to hear this? God calls us to right relationship.

  Let us admit our error: living outside God's will for us.

    (pause to think what might distract us from God's will)

P:  Lord God...

C: You invite us to your feast of wisdom.

  but we choose our folly.

We ignore and rationalize our mortality,

  pretending we don't need you for life.

You call us to step up the living of our lives,

  but we will not yield our religion or piety,

    to listen to your voice or find your redemption in Christ.

Save us from ourselves.

  Forgive us our sins. (Pause for reflection)

P:  Our living Heavenly Father sends to us his only Son, to give his very life for the life of the world. For you and for me. It is for Christ's sake that our sins are forgiven. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we may lay aside our immaturity and feast at the banquet of wisdom. We may live and walk in the ways of insight, insight of God's grace. To the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle B Lectionary 19 Proper 14

8/9/2015 Confession 

Sunday Title:  Heaven Sunday

Sermon Title: New Bread New Life

Previously:

Sunday Title:  Fed Sunday

Sermon Title: Harder than you think - harder than you can think.

Sunday Title:  Still Fed Sunday

Sermon Title: Drawn by the Heavenly Father

Sunday Title:  Touch Sunday

Sermon Title: "Touched by an Angel?"

Sunday Title:  John 6 Sunday - Part 3,

Sermon Title: "Bread and Body - Part 3 - "Rope's End"

Scripture Cuttings:

1 Kings 19:4-8 [Elijah] asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life .

Psalm 34:1-8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Put away from you all bitterness… and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

John 6:35, 41-51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us restart our journey with God

    by taking time for serious confession.

  (pause to remember what stalled this journey)

P:  Lord God...

C: we call ourselves people of faith,

but we think when we reach the end of our rope,

  it is the end of the rope.

We fill up our hearts with wrangling, bitterness and malice,

  and call it "standing up for what's right",

    yet your overwhelming message to us is your grace.

We need your redemption, we need it badly,

  and you deliver to us: "the bread of life."

    But we resist allowing it to nourish us,

      and so we wallow in despair,

        or self-righteousness.

Forgive us for the sins we can name,

Save us from the sins we hide. (Pause for reflection)

P:  Our Heavenly Father draws us to him through the word and the word made flesh. Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, the living bread come down from heaven. It is for Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. Through this grace we may regain our strength and put away anger and wrath and all sorts of evil dealing. Even our words may give grace to those who hear. In the Holy Spirit, as beloved children of God, living in love as Christ loved us, we give ourselves as an offering and sacrifice to God. To the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!