- From the Jewish Scriptures: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
- Psalm 90 (VU p.805)
- From the Letters of the Early Church: Hebrews 4:12-16
- From the Gospel: Mark 10:17-31
The Hymns are:
- 679 Let There Be Light
- 356 Seek Ye First
- 601 The Church of Christ in Every Age
- 427 To Show by Touch and Word
The Sermon is titled The Word Lives -- and Cuts.
Early Thoughts: The Word of God is a Living thing. Scripture is a part of the Word but is not the whole Word. God is still speaking in the world today. (For some thoughts on whether GOd is still speaking click here).
The Living Word of God speaks to us in many ways as long as we pause to hear it. "God's still speaking, are you listening?"
The Living Word of God speaks to offer comfort in our time of fear or uncertainty. "God's still speaking, have no fear."
But the Living Word of God can also cut. God's Word can be (and is) one of challenge or rebuke just as it can be (and is) one of encouragement and forgiveness. And that is the conundrum. We can't just listen to the words we like and call them the Word of God. We have to listen to the challenges and rebukes as well.
This Sunday we will look at the Word and our reactions to the cutting edge of the sword. But to deal with the cut it helps to remember the image of a gardener pruning to allow for growth, or the surgeon cutting away the illness to allow the body to be healthy. In the end that is how God's word cuts -- but that doesn't mean we always like the cutting and healing part of the process.
--Gord
Hiya There!
ReplyDeleteThese are different readings than our church read from last Sunday -- what lectionary do you follow?
And thanks for Oremus -- never saw that one before. I usually use Bible Gateway.
For each Sunday in Ordinary TIme (or most of them anyway) there are alternative Jewish Scripture readings that supposedly correspond more closely with the Gospel reading. That is what we did this week. AT other times we simply use readings different from the lectionary for a particular purpose.
ReplyDelete