Mindful Leader

Narrative Lectionary -- Week Thirteen -- Advent 3: Isaiah 61 (and 59) meet Jesus in Nazareth

 

Advent 3 -- and we start to bend the arc of the biblical narrative towards Jesus through the eyes of Luke.  This is Jesus first sermon and it will get him in trouble.  He looks to Isaiah 61 (and 59) to find his voice.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week Ten -- Jeremiah

This is actually NOT a Narrative Lectionary text.  But it worked as if it were one.  

Jeremiah 30: 18-22 meets Christ the King Sunday but before Thanksgiving.    

I got the translation of potential from this site.  I know beans if he is exactly right, but it sure worked.  

Objective:  Try and bring hope to those who feel hopeless, and do it in the context of Thanksgiving.  

The 1943 example of Roosevelt and Congress was actually more of an economics argument than a theological one, but ... it worked.  It is true that they had a conversation about Thanksgiving Day in 1943.  I may have stretched it a little on the rest of it.  Sue me.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week Nine -- Isaiah, Simon Peter and the Election

 

I am not sure what exactly to call this sermon -- is it Listen to the Pain?  This may be as political as I ever get on any one sermon.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week One -- Genesis 1

We start the Narrative Lectionary for 2016 to 2017.  Genesis 1.  Emily Flemming preaching on creation and creativity.  

David puts God at the Center

The Narrative Lectionary presents one good chance during the year to speak about David.  Where do you go?  I focused here on both 1 Samuel 16 where David is picked out by Samuel and here where it is the end of the Civil War.  No Civil War is particularly Civil but there is a lot going on here.  My big idea was to focus a little on how all of us are invited to move God to the center of our lives and accept God's anointment.  And frankly, set aside the civil wars of the past.  

Then, Why the Wesleyan Understanding of "Church"?

The two readings were from Genesis and Hebrews -- with an attempt to focus on the idea of Grace.  This was not a particularly scripturally based exposition of God's word.  A little history and a lot of Wesleyan Theology.  

First, Why God?

There is a lot of scripture here but in theory it is based on Joshua 24: 14-15 but it is also Job 38, Proverbs 3, Acts 5, Genesis 1, John 1, and Amos 7 with a touch of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics thrown in for good measure.  Three basic parts here:  prove God, some characteristics of God (not exhaustive) and finally, what does this God expect of us?  

When we first laid this out a few months ago, the idea of linking it in any way to Jefferson/July 4th was not part of the "plan" whatever that means.  

This is one of the longer sermons I have ever given.  Over 34 minutes.