Live the Word to Sunday, a Lectionary Discussion

Preparing the way for the Lord to let God’s Word work in your life during the week to make your worship experience more meaningful. Sermons during Worship services are often based upon the Revised Common Lectionary. You are invited to log onto this site and Leave Comment on the readings presented with your questions and/or thoughts.  If you have not already done so,you may register here.

September 12, 2010 [Green] Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 At that time it will be said to this people…

• God’s word from the prophet Jeremiah. Written or spoken as God brought the Hebrew people to exile. First the north kingdom (Israel) then the southern (Judah) fell. Notice the choice and judgment between winnowing and cleansing. Not many us e the word winnow, which means to separate the grain from the chaff, the act of threshing.

Psalm 14 – Fools say in their hearts, there is no God…

• The psalmist gives us words that sound much like what God must have been thinking about the time that Jeremiah speaks God’s words in prophesy.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 I am grateful to Christ Jesus, our Lord…

• In his letter to Timothy, a faithful servant of God who worked with Paul, who writes from experience. God struck Paul down, justifiably, as he was chasing down early followers of the Risen Christ. But instead of giving Paul what he deserves, God builds him up in Christ, to serve Christ, to God’s greater glory.

Luke 15:1-10 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near, to listen to him…

• Notice who gets Jesus’ attention right away…those sinners and (even worse) tax collectors. These tax collectors are native, Hebrew people employed by Rome to take taxes from the Hebrew people to Rome, turning against their own in exchange for the right to take a little for themselves, hated by most Hebrew people. Is it only because they sought him, without the intent to do him any harm, as did the Pharisees? Are you seeking Jesus for a sign or out of faith and in need?

Consider further, these words inspired by God::

Deuteronomy 32:7-14 The LORD said top Maoses, “Go down at one! Your people …have acted perversely”…

Psalm 51:1-10 Have mercy on me, O God…

.

When you look at your face in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you see in it that you most deplore?

If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be, in twenty-five words or less?

Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?

Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?

If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

Frederick Buechner goes on to say:

“To hear yourself try to answer questions like these is to begin to hear something not only of who you are but of what you are failing to become. It can be a pretty depressing business, all in all, but if sack cloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.”

And finally, let me add my own question for us: “How is Jesus asking you to take up a cross and follow Him today?”

Please be forewarned, Randy does use some moderately strong language.