Category Archives: Lectionary and sermon

First Sunday of Advent

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading
  • Isaiah 64:1-9
• Psalm
  • Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
• Second reading
  • 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
• Gospel
  • Mark 13:24-37

First reading from Isaiah
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence–as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil– to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!

When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.

You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.

We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

Gospel reading from Mark
O Lord God of Hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Gospel reading from Mark
“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.

Therefore, keep awake–for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Sermon
Pastor Stevensen in his sermon this week considers the Gospel reading as an historic document which has little to do with Christmas. It calls for repentance, but repentance from what and why was it selected for an Advent reading? For a better interpretation we can refer to the First Reading from Isaiah, the book that is an account of the Exodus from Egypt and the formation of a nation and its destruction. God had made a covenant with his people. Was he angry and hid from them as Isaiah wrote. Did they go astray? Isaiah is pleading for God to come back, they need him. Our gospel reading is about the return of the Son of Man. Advent is about recognizing the gift of the Christ child. The meaning of the name of the Christmas carol Emanuel is God is with us. The birth of Jesus answers our prayers. God answers our prayers.

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Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
  • Psalm 100
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
  • Psalm 95:1-7a
• Second reading
  • Ephesians 1:15-23
• Gospel
  • Matthew 25:31-46

Gospel reading from Matthew
Jesus said “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THIS WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Judges 4:1-7
  • Psalm 123
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
  • Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
• Gospel
  • Matthew 25:14-30

Gospel reading from Matthew
Jesus said “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.

For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

Sermon
Pastor Stevensen in his sermon this week admits that the parable in the gospel reading is harsh. There are two penitential seasons per year in our church calendar and we are entering one of them. He once taught a class on Jesus’ parables, and this parable was challenging. The purpose of the ending verses is not about greed. For a meaning the parable can be turned around. The slave was harsh toward his master, who can be a stand-in for God. He is indolent, lazy and fearful. But to be “tossed out” is a severe punishment. His trouble is in a lack of trust. The parable is saying we must get on with the work. It is about not all work being glamorous and about trust in Him. It is like a glamorous video Pastor once received from a “5-talent” congregation looking for a pastor. Should Pastor dig a hole? Feel sorry for himself? Martin Luther persuaded trust in God and go to work. The slave even accused his master of being a thief. Saying that to your boss could be disastrous and to God even worse. The parable really says keep on being a witness. Criticism is an unwillingness to trust and serve Him.

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Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost

Readings for the Coming Week

• First reading and Psalm
  • Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
  • Psalm 78:1-7
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24
  • Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18adig from
• Gospel
  • Matthew 25:1-13

Psalm 70
78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,

78:3 things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.

78:4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

78:5 He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children;

78:6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children,

78:7 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

Gospel reading from Matthew
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Sermon
We are undergoing at this time a wave of stress. In his sermon Pastor Stevensen expressed concern. Thr psalm this week may be of more help than the gospel reading. There are 150 psalms, Psalm 70 is a way for people to express themselves. Pastor told the story about a bearded Concordia professor riding his bike daily through a park chanting the psalms from memory. Psalm 70 has an emergency about it. For interpreting the gospel reading the psalm helps. In our gospel reading the bridegroom is Jesus. Five bridesmaids filled their lamps with oil. Five did not. The oil is a symbol. We are asked to be open to the deeds of God. The wise bridesmaids became open. The others did not think that the Christ would come. Be open to what God has done.

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All Saints Day

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Revelation 7:9-17
  • Psalm 34:1-10, 22
• Second reading
  • 1 John 3:1-3
• Gospel
  • Matthew 5:1-12

Gospel reading from Matthew
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sermon
Today Pastor spoke on the second beatitude.” Lutherans preserve tradition. All Saints Day is ancient. On this day we remember those lost. People struggle with the loss of friends and family often much longer than an expected 18 months. But we can put that into perspective. Pastor related that his high school friends 16-20 years old were not always good to each other. Two cousins’ sons were two years apart in age . The younger one was more athletic than the other. He went to prestigious Cal Tech. This sometimes infuriated the other. They were just young men. All achieved in their own way. Pastor won and had peace, Many have like situations. Here this church festival, All Saints Day, is set aside to work on these issues and put them in perspective. Jesus was reading the bible of the day when he taught his disciples the Beatitude “Blessed is he who mourns, for he shall be comforted.” Through the words of Jesus we learn to cope.

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Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Deuteronomy 34:1-12
  • Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18
  • Psalm 1
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
• Gospel
  • Matthew 22:34-46

Gospel reading from Matthew
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.

And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question:”What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”‘? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Sermon

This Sunday, being Reformation Sunday, Pastor Stevensen’s message was based on the following scriptures:

• First lesson: Jer 31:31-34
• Second lesson Rom 3:19-28
• Holy Gospel: John 8: 31-36

Pastor reminded us that God had made a covenant with the Israelites, a two-sided covenant which in time they broke. As written in Jeremiah 31, God made another covenant, a one-sided one, in which His people were chosen to be united with Him. God makes the same covenant with us in forgiveness of our sins. The Catholic group with whom we share our building, are critical of our beliefs. They are living out a two-sided covenant. Christians became divided as to what God does for us, What happened? Constantinople fell to the Muslims. Christians fled the city, one of whom was Martin Luther. We are dependent upon God. Pastor often gets calls for help. This is adverse to the one-sided covenant. At GM where he worked higher-level employees were given cars they were expected to drive, and if driven enough miles, were given the cars. One manager became irate when he missed given a car by only 8 miles, and he asked why was he not reminded. Pastor urges his students to keep up with the lessons. But people do not keep up. In the spiritual realm it is different. We learn what Paul learned. God expects only our love. He is looking out for us.

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Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 33:12-23
  • Psalm 99
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 45:1-7
  • Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
• Gospel
  • Matthew 22:15-22

Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.”

Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s. When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

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Vanderbilt Divinity Library

A sermon on the gospel reading

This Sunday Pastor Stevensen told us that in 6 A.D. Jewish leaders went to Rome and made a deal with the Romans. There it was agreed that the Roman coin would not be used in Judea and that the Jews would be taxed, the taxes to be used to reconstruct the Jewish temple, which would be used to worship Caesar. The Pharisees show a Roman coin to Jesus and try to corner Him by asking “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” With His answer “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” Jesus sidesteps a trap. Before the Roman conquest, Israel had long had both a king and a prophet. Government and religious authorities were separated, unlike the Arabic Muslims, and were accepted by the people. With his wise answer Jesus offered a cornerstone to Christianity, a blueprint for the future. And not only authority was involved but also image. The coin bears Caesar’s image, but there is also a hidden image. In Genesis “Man is Made in God’s Image.” We are the image of God. He has complete claim on all people. Jesus made an assertion and the Pharisees walked away. We must stay and accept God’s claim on ourselves.

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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 32:1-14
  • Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 25:1-9
  • Psalm 23
• Second reading
  • Philippians 4:1-9
• Gospel
  • Matthew 22:1-14

Gospel Reading from Matthew

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.

Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedd ing banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business,while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.

The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.

Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Sermon on the Gospel reading

Pastor Stevensen in his sermon admits that the gospel reading this week is difficult to interpret. In it a king gives a banquet, a common metaphor for our God, but guests who do not come our his people. Few ministers use it for their sermon text. But Pastor knows of one who did and spoke of it as gospel of great joy. We are the people who come to the wedding banquet. Those who do not come do intend to come, someday. The parable is a caution. Our communion table is the marriage feast, or the feast to come. This is our real King. We come to church and feel the essence of Him.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
  • Psalm 19
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 5:1-7
  • Psalm 80:7-15
• Second reading
  • Philippians 3:4b-14
• Gospel
  • Matthew 21:33-46

Gospel Reading from Matthew:
Jesus said “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.

Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 17:1-7
  • Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
  • Psalm 25:1-9
• Second reading
  • Philippians 2:1-13
• Gospel
  • Matthew 21:23-32

Gospel reading from Matthew:
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.