April 1, 2007

Here are the readings for Palm Sunday.
Psalm 118:19–29

Philippians 2:5–11

Luke 19:28–40

March 25, 2007

Here are the readings for this week:

Isaiah 43:16–21

God says, “You’ve heard about all the mighty things that I’ve done in the past. But now I am doing something completely new.”

Philippians 3:4–14

Is it possible to know the power of Christ’s resurrection without sharing in the fellowship of his suffering?

John 12:1–8

Was Mary the only one truly understood Jesus’ mission?

Update: I'm struck by Paul's statement about "confidence in the flesh." I'm afraid we've put this into a box so that it no longer bites into real life. We talk about not earning our salvation. But what if we think about this as what we put our trust (or confidence) in.

In other words, do we really trust God? Or do we put our confidence in our 401(k)? There are many things that we put our confidence in rather than God. If we really trusted God for our future, for our happiness, how would our lives be different?

March 18, 2007

Here are the readings with a few comments to get you started.

Joshua 5:9–12
The manna stopped. What does that mean?

2 Corinthians 5:16–21
What does it mean to be "Christ's ambassadors"?

Luke 15:1–3, 11–32
Help me with a new angle on this parable.

Update: I think I will focus on the passage from 2 Corinthians. I see the theme of reconciliation as the key to connecting with our situation. We tend to emphasize individual reconciliation with God, but I think Paul has much more in mind.

March 11, 2007

Here are the readings for March 11. If you have any suggestions or comments please submit them.

Isaiah 55:1–9
I believe that this verse, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,” looks forward to the mystery that is revealed in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1–13
I think that “most” in verse 5 might be the key to this passage.

Luke 13:1–9
Last chance?

Wiki Comes to Church

Let's apply the wiki philosophy to sermon preparation. I will post the lectionary readings for the next couple of Sundays. Then you can contribute observations or suggestions to help shape the sermon I preach.

I am especially interested in any pop cultural connections to the themes of the Scriptures. If you see a link with a book or a movie, please explain that. You can add your own comments or reaction to a comment by someone else.

I can't promise to use everything that is submitted. But I will use all the comments as background for the sermon I finally prepare.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"