Comments for Lectionary Worship Resources from Sacredise

Comment on Epiphany 4B by Sacredise

Sacredise — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:58:50 +0000

These are great thoughts, David. All I can say is one big “Amen!”. Blessings on you as you preach this weekend.

Comment on Epiphany 4B by David

David — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:23:17 +0000

In my quiet time with today’s scriptures, I believe God would have me focus on the importance of showing deference to others as a way to help impart the value of allowing God to have authority over their lives. In sermon preparation, I often try to narrow my thought down to simple function and focus statements. This helps to guide me through the process of “fleshing out” my thoughts on the readings. Here are the statements that came forth this week:

Focus: People can only achieve real victory over their demons by submitting their lives to God’s authority.
Function: The Body of Christ can be a most effective help in the battle against those demons when we patiently show deference to others in light of the struggles that they are going through.

Perhaps, great minds really do think alike, for I see a remarkable similarity between these statements and what you wrote at the beginning of your commentary on the readings:

“This week…the Lectionary calls us to recognise, in awe and wonder, the amazing, liberating power of Christ, and to be empowered by Christ to serve and liberate others in whatever weakness, struggle or bondage they may find themselves.”

While I have yet to finishing “fleshing out” my thoughts, one that I think will be central to my focus is that in Christ God shows that the true God lives among us and is active in our lives. God became the prophet raised up from among the the people and is “able to sympathize with our weaknesses,” (Heb. 4:15). What a liberating thought it is that the true God really knows us and seeks to free us!

Comment on Epiphany 3B by Sacredise

Sacredise — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:16:09 +0000

Nice thought. I’m finding through this Epiphany season that the Epistle reading is often the key that helps me to unpack the other readings and hold them together. It seems that you’re finding a similar thing.

Grace.

Comment on Epiphany 3B by Sacredise

Sacredise — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:14:15 +0000

I’m afraid I’m not usually available online at the time I was last evening, David. Usually I’m in a Bible Study (which starts up again next week), or during times when the Bible Study is in recess, I’m usually out of the office. It was about 7:50pm my time that I got your comment – I was working late yesterday. Sorry!

I’ll do my best to respond as quickly as I can, though, in future.

Grace
John

Comment on Epiphany 3B by David

David — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:53:52 +0000

P.S. I think alignment is exactly what Paul was talking about. If you read the 1Corinthians reading in context, Paul goes on to explain in verse 35 that his point was “not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.”
Peace

Comment on Epiphany 3B by David

David — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:18:56 +0000

Thanks for sharing your thoughts so quickley, I’ll have to remember to post my comments at about the same time each week in hopes of catching you during my sermon prep time. And thanks for your affirmation of the sermon title, I think I’ll run with it.
Blessing To You,
Dave

Comment on Epiphany 3B by Sacredise

Sacredise — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:51:05 +0000

I think we’re very much on the same page this week, David. Perhaps what you’re calling “commitment” I’m calling “alignment” – aligning our priorities with those of God’s Reign. Evangelism is also a clear factor in how I see the readings. I agree that the Jonah pericope must be placed within the context of the whole story – I suspect that the developers of the RCL probably had that in mind when selecting this reading. Again, there’s the issue of whose agenda Jonah would follow – his own (fleeing in the opposite direction and resisting the call to prophecy to the Ninevites), or God’s (obeying and preaching, even though, as I read it, he wanted judgement to fall on these people).

I like the way you have picked up the detail of laying down the nets. It makes an interesting contrast with the point I picked up that Jesus framed the call according to who they were and what their gifts were – to be fishers still, but now of people, using their gifts for God’s purpose, not their own. I also think your sermon title “On God’s Terms” is very strong. If I was preaching this week I would probably ask to borrow it.

It’s good to be back in conversation! I pray that 2012 is an inspiring year for you.

Grace
John

Comment on Epiphany 3B by David

David — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:38:41 +0000

In studying the texts for this Sunday, I’m seeing the themes of commitment and evangelism. Jesus calls us to lay down our nets (those things that keep us chained to the concerns of this world), as does Paul in the reading from 1Corinthians. But the snippet from Jonah can only be understood within the context of the whole Jonah story. Jonah at first was not willing to proclaim God’s word to a people Jonah despised. He didn’t care if God saved those nasty Ninevites, but God’s will was that they repent–and they did it seems much to Jonah’s consternation. I think my commentary makes for the shape of my sermon. We’re called to commit our lives to God, but not called on our terms. Perhaps, a good sermon title would be “On God’s Terms.”

Comment on Epiphany 1B / Baptism of the Lord by Sacredise

Sacredise — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:28:49 +0000

My apologies for my silence, David. I’m actually on leave at the moment, and have been away, so have been unable to respond to your comments. I’m back at work on Wednesday. This is almost certainly too late for you, but here are some brief thoughts in response to your comments:

1. It seems pretty clear to me from vs. 5 of the Acts reading that the people were baptised “again” in water (although, my Greek is not good enough to argue with your scholar friend, so I wouldn’t make an issue of it). Certainly, in all of my study of this text over the years, the idea that Paul felt that John’s baptism was distinct from Christian baptism has always been there – and also the belief that the believers were baptised “again”.

2. If by “anabaptist” you mean did Paul believe in “re-baptism”, I would say no. John’s baptism, according to Paul’s explanation, was a baptism of repentance and forgiveness. This is an element of Christian baptism, but is not the primary meaning of being baptised “into” Christ – which is why Paul indicates that John’s baptism was simply a sign to what would come later. Also, in terms of your infant baptism question, infants could never experience John’s baptism, since they cannot repent. They can be baptised into Christ, however, which is why there is a significant difference in these baptisms. So, for Paul, this would not have been a “re-baptism”, but a first Christian baptism for these Ephesian believers.

3. I would be uncomfortable to think of baptism as simply a change of worldview, since this is too cognitive, and again, would exclude infants. Rather, for me, baptism is a change of “position”. It is a sign of being welcomed & included in the body of Christ. This requires nothing of us, but affirms the work that God does in Christ – which again distinguishes it from John’s baptism which was based on human response, rather than primarily on God’s unearned grace.

I could say more, but I’m afraid I’m not really in a position at the moment to do any more background work. I hope in some small way these comments may be helpful, though.

Thanks for your comments. Blessings on your services this week. I look forward to interacting again in the weeks to come.

Grace
John

Comment on Epiphany 1B / Baptism of the Lord by David

David — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:39:37 +0000

After some study and quiet time, I am lead to speak of baptism as representative of one’s change in worldview aided by the Holy Spirit. While I won’t discuss the text in indepth detail, I have come to some interesting conclusions about this text. This was not a baptism of water at all, i.e. Paul did not baptis them in water again as if to say that John’s baptism had no effect or that God was not present in John’s baptism. I suspected this and consulted with a more educated pastor than myself in Greek. He supported my view of the text and in fact made the point that the greek does not even say that Paul “laid his hand on them.” My friend said this:

“It speaks of a help, a might, or an agency which Paul imparted. It also reads as if it’s the “spirit that is holy” who is speaking in tongues and prophesying (and not the folks who were baptized). To me, then, it seems as if the main point the Greek is trying to convey is that Paul somehow “opened the door” for the Spirit to arrive, thus “completing” the baptism they’d received–not challenging it or changing it.”
Jason W. Jones, MDiv.

Paul’s opening of the door that my friend spoke of is what the Spirit had led me to focus on–the opening of a door or a change in one’s worldview. By the way, here’s the way I re-interpreted Acts 19:5-6:

“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, when Paul had laid his hands on them. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and through them spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

Hope you are well, I’ve missed your discussion this week.

Peace Be With You,
Dave