Tag: Ministry & Leadership
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Seventh Sunday After Easter, Year B 2023 – 24: Substituted Acts Passage – Remembering Judas, then moving forward
“In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus — for he was numbered among us and was allotted…
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Palm Sunday, Year B 2023: Old Testament Passage – Claiming our identity during Lent
“The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens– wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” (Isaiah 50:4) It is a disappointment, and a frustration, that the commentator’s attribute this passage to the…
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Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, Year B 2023: Epistle Passage – The contrariness of teaching, preaching & ministering under the Divine
“If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a…
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Sundays After Pentecost, Year A, 2023 – Epistle Passage: The Un-Pundits & Preaching Heads
You might think, beloved reader, I got a little “mouthy” yesterday when talking about the prophet Micah. I am sure Micah felt he was conveying the message that Yahweh was giving him for the rulers, priests, and false prophets. And maybe the “common folk” were saying “Yeah, Micah! You give it to them! Tell them…
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Sundays After Pentecost, Year A, 2023 – Psalm Passage: Re-assessing Psalm Twenty-Three – Preacher & Seeker talk about leadership
Seeker: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Preacher: There are many people in our world who want to give leadership to others. That can be a commendable thing. The problem with leaders and leadership is that you have to be sure you know what kind of leader he/she/they are. What is their…
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Sundays After Pentecost, Year A, 2023 – Epistle Passage: Re-assessing strong women
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:1 – 2) The commentators tell me that there is little known of…
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Sundays After Pentecost, Year A, 2023 – Gospel Passage: Strong words for leaders who have forgotten their place, and calling
“Listen to another parable.” (Matthew 21:33a) I am reminder again of the story I read of Matthew, tracking down those who had heard Jesus teach & speak and writing down what they heard him say. There were, from what we read in the gospel of Matthew (that may be different from the stories that Matthew…
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Sundays After Pentecost, Year A, 2023 – Gospel Passage: Living out love & peace with those around you
If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” (Matthew 18:15) This verse always reminds me of my step-father. He had been at one time a deacon in the church I…
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Sundays After Easter, Yr A, 2023 – Substituted Acts Passage: The Apostle Paul, and my apostle grandfather
“Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as…
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Season After Pentecost / Ordinary Time, Yr C, 2022: Gospel Passage – The ebb & flow of ministering to each other
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke…
A Simple Desire 