Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Video:
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6
- “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” by Matt Limbaugh; Pauline Olsen, organ
- “How Shall I Come Before the Lord,” English folk tune, arr. by Dean McIntyre; Trinity Singers
- Hymn 577: “God of Grace and God of Glory,” by Harry Emerson Fosdick
- Hymn 344: “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore,” by Cesareo Gabarain
- “Green Pastures,” by Gerald Peterson; Pauline Olsen, organ
- “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place,” by Lanny Wolfe; Stacey Fradkin, vocal
- Readings from Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; Neva Smith
- Sermon: “Make No Excuses,” Pastor Desi Larson
- Hymn 114: “Many Gifts, One Spirit,” by Al Carmines
- Choral Response 431: “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
- “Praise to God the Father,” by Douglas E. Wagner; Pauline Olsen, organ
Song leader: Stacey Fradkin
Notes – August 21, 2022 – “Make No Excuses”
Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6
Great Reversal “ As a literary motif, the rise of an unlikely hero is called a “great reversal.” The theme was popular in literature throughout the ancient Near East.” (Simone).
Honor-Status Reversal: It appears in each of this Sunday’s readings. – Hannah’s song, Magnificat – a lowly servant extraordinarily blessed – Key to the Gospel of Luke
God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called
Unlikely Calls
Sarai and Abram – Called to leave everything for a strange land – called to be parents when they were “good as dead”
Isaiah – His call comes after 5 chapters of prophesying. A man of “unclean lips” became the greatest prophet Israel has ever produced.
Hannah and Samuel – (versus Eli’s sons – Hophni and Phinehas…. “I will raise up a faithful priest…”)
Moses – a murderer who stammered.
Paul – zealously persecuted the Christian community until God’s grace transformed his zeal to preaching the Gospel.
Jeremiah – today’s reading.
Of course – they were qualified with:
Faith and Love for God
Discernment (Prayer, Community, Quadrilateral)
Trust: In God’s Kingdom there is enough time and enough money. God’s economy is about abundance, not scarcity,
Don’t say no for anyone else, so, Make no excuses – not for ourselves – not for others.
Faith Community/Church calls;
Nominations and Lay Leadership Committee
God has our back (Psalm 71, Psalm 46) Luther: “A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing, did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing. Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he!”
God has a dream!!! – Let’s participate in what Dallas Willard calls “The Divine Conspiracy” – to overcome evil with God, fear with faith hate with LOVE, to live out the Beautitudes
Take away – Epperley, “God’s grace breaks through self-imposed and other-imposed barriers.” When others – including us – say “no” to grace, God says “yes” and invites us on a holy adventure to heal ourselves and the world.
Inspiration:
Barker, OFM, John R. (2018). “God’s Great Reversal: Key to the Gospel of Luke. St. Anthony Messenger, https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/february-2018/gods-great-reversal-key-to-the-gospel-of-luke
Epperly, Bruce. (2022).
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2022/08/adventurous-lectionary-the-eleventh-sunday-after-pentecost-august-21-2022/
Haslem, Chris, (2022). Comments on the Lectionary. http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/cpr21m.shtml
Simone, S.J., Michael R. (2019). The unlikely heroes of the Bible. America: The Jesuit Review. February 4, 2019 issue. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/01/25/unlikely-heroes-bible
Van de Laar, John. Prayers and Holy Communion. www.Sacredise.org