Emphasis Contributors
Maundy Thursday - B
David Kalas
Perhaps your family, like mine, has certain traditional meals throughout the year.
We have, for example, a standard menu each Thanksgiving. We all know what will be served on that holiday together, and we all look forward to it. Of course, not every dish is each person’s favorite, but we would all be disappointed if anything was missing!
Similarly, we have some traditional things that we eat together on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. There's one particular meal that I request each year on my birthday. And so it goes, year after year.
Well, the family of Israel also had a traditional meal. It was an annual tradition: a holiday meal that they shared together each year. And, interestingly, the initial menu for that meal was selected by God himself!...
We have, for example, a standard menu each Thanksgiving. We all know what will be served on that holiday together, and we all look forward to it. Of course, not every dish is each person’s favorite, but we would all be disappointed if anything was missing!
Similarly, we have some traditional things that we eat together on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. There's one particular meal that I request each year on my birthday. And so it goes, year after year.
Well, the family of Israel also had a traditional meal. It was an annual tradition: a holiday meal that they shared together each year. And, interestingly, the initial menu for that meal was selected by God himself!...
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
A recounting of the first Passover is so vitally important to our Jewish siblings and us Christians. That God would choose the downtrodden, the enslaved, and the exploited to be freed, to be spared, and to be the foundation for our church is amazing. And it speaks to us of the call on our lives. We are called to care for those who are downtrodden, enslaved and exploited. We are called to love and to offer ourselves to those who least expect our care and love. God assures that the people are freed and can live. We are called to ensure that the lives of those around us are nurtured. We are not called to pass over those who need us. We are called to love and to act for the good of all.
Bonnie B.
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...
A recounting of the first Passover is so vitally important to our Jewish siblings and us Christians. That God would choose the downtrodden, the enslaved, and the exploited to be freed, to be spared, and to be the foundation for our church is amazing. And it speaks to us of the call on our lives. We are called to care for those who are downtrodden, enslaved and exploited. We are called to love and to offer ourselves to those who least expect our care and love. God assures that the people are freed and can live. We are called to ensure that the lives of those around us are nurtured. We are not called to pass over those who need us. We are called to love and to act for the good of all.
Bonnie B.
* * *
...
Good Friday - B
David Coffin
All of today’s texts have a gift for our spiritual journey on this day. At first glance, calling the current lived harsh experiences in these texts do not appear to be “gifts.” Good Friday is often the reality of spiritual growth before Easter.
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Nothing is more compelling and compassionate than a willing sacrifice. I came across the true story of Gladys Kidd and her husband, Robert Lee Kidd. Robert Lee Kidd was convicted of first-degree murder in San Fransico on October 18, 1962. Kidd had been represented by an inexperienced public defender who mismanaged the case. He spent a year on death row in San Quentin, before the verdict was reversed by the California State Supreme Court and a new trial ordered.
Gladys Kidd, who was convinced of her husband’s innocence, placed a newspaper advertisement that made headlines. In the ad, Mrs. Kidd offered ten years of service as a cook and maid, free of charge, to any leading attorney who would take on her husband’s case for his trial....
Nothing is more compelling and compassionate than a willing sacrifice. I came across the true story of Gladys Kidd and her husband, Robert Lee Kidd. Robert Lee Kidd was convicted of first-degree murder in San Fransico on October 18, 1962. Kidd had been represented by an inexperienced public defender who mismanaged the case. He spent a year on death row in San Quentin, before the verdict was reversed by the California State Supreme Court and a new trial ordered.
Gladys Kidd, who was convinced of her husband’s innocence, placed a newspaper advertisement that made headlines. In the ad, Mrs. Kidd offered ten years of service as a cook and maid, free of charge, to any leading attorney who would take on her husband’s case for his trial....
Easter Day - B
Wayne Brouwer
When builders dug in modern Rome to secure the footings for a new parking garage, they uncovered an ancient cemetery. Construction stopped and archaeologists were called in to uncover and assess and preserve.
Hundreds of first-century graves were identified, most of them marked by simple stones, all etched with the same seven letters: N F F N S N C.
Strange! These letters spelled no Latin word. What could they mean? Other gravestones later uncovered solved the mystery. These larger markers bore seven words matched to the seven letters on the smaller stones: Non fui. Fui. Non sum. Non curo.
What did they mean? "I was not. I was. I am not. I don't care."
Can you believe it? What a sad testimony about the lives buried beneath! They came,...
Hundreds of first-century graves were identified, most of them marked by simple stones, all etched with the same seven letters: N F F N S N C.
Strange! These letters spelled no Latin word. What could they mean? Other gravestones later uncovered solved the mystery. These larger markers bore seven words matched to the seven letters on the smaller stones: Non fui. Fui. Non sum. Non curo.
What did they mean? "I was not. I was. I am not. I don't care."
Can you believe it? What a sad testimony about the lives buried beneath! They came,...
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 10:34-43
This text is all about how Easter has changed things, how now we can recognize that we are one in Christ in all our diversity. We badly need that Word in our present political context in which it has become fashionable to bash immigrants. One of the Presidential candidates has claimed that illegal immigrants are not people. And a February poll by Gallup indicates that Immigration is perceived as the Number #1 problem facing America by the largest number of potential voters. We know that there is discrimination in the American air: An earlier 2021 poll by Gallup revealed that 80% of Americans say there is at least some discrimination against Black people, 76% say we discriminate against Hispanics, and 70% believe there is discrimination shown...
This text is all about how Easter has changed things, how now we can recognize that we are one in Christ in all our diversity. We badly need that Word in our present political context in which it has become fashionable to bash immigrants. One of the Presidential candidates has claimed that illegal immigrants are not people. And a February poll by Gallup indicates that Immigration is perceived as the Number #1 problem facing America by the largest number of potential voters. We know that there is discrimination in the American air: An earlier 2021 poll by Gallup revealed that 80% of Americans say there is at least some discrimination against Black people, 76% say we discriminate against Hispanics, and 70% believe there is discrimination shown...
Lectionary Commentary and Sermon Illustrations
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For each week, Emphasis writers delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you with several fresh, solid ideas -- based squarely on the lectionary texts -- for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. They look for overall themes that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the themes and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single idea each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, writers suggest several, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.