God’s power to heal and restore.

Collect: Proper 18

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 . . .  reminds us that God rewards just behavior.

Psalm 125 . . . God produces the condition of stability, and faith in the “Unmoved  Mover” of the world?

or

Isaiah 35:4-7 and Psalm 146. . . looks ahead to when God will bring healing to God’s people and to the land

and

James 2:1-10, (11-13) 14-17. . . God’s gift of inner, spiritual wholeness, a wholeness that results in outward acts of purity and kindness.

Mark 7:24-37. . . Jesus transforms a man’s silent world by healing his deafness and a speech impediment.

Ryan Ahlgrim, Pastor of First Mennonite Church in Richmond, Virginia, preaches the story of the Syrophoenician Woman from Mark 7:24-37.    “Even Jesus Changes His Mind.”

The challenge of living according to God’s guidelines.

Collect: Proper 17

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  Amen

Song of Solomon 2:8-13. . . celebrates human love in light of God’s love. Moses

Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10 . . . the love that exist in divine-human relationship

or

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and Psalm 15  . . . teaches that the law of the Lord is a gracious gift to God’s people.

and

James 1:17-27 . . .  the word planted within us can save us as we do what it says.

with

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 . . . right relationship is based on obedience to God, not in compliance with human traditions.

Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Judy Kincaid,  Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Escanaba, Michigan, and a graduate of the preaching program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. For this sermon, she preaches on Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, and 21-23. Scandal alert! 

The joys and challenges of following Jesus.

Collect: Proper 16

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end, Amen

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 . . . Solomon expresses his service of God at the dedication of the Jerusalem temple

Psalm 84  . . . the Journey to The Divine Face

or

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 with Psalm 34:15-22 . . .  Joshua  leads the people of Israel in the choice to follow God

and

Ephesians 6:10-20 . . .Paul exhorts Christians to protect themselves with the armor of God.

John 6:56-69 . . . Jesus’ words cause many to turn away from him, but the twelve disciples recognize his teaching as the words of eternal life.

Sermon by Rachel May, Pastor of Boulevard United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, preaches a sermon on the Gospel lesson from John 6:56-69. “Jesus has known all along that his ministry would repel as well as attract,” she says. “’Blessed are those whom I do not offend,” Jesus acknowledges elsewhere in the gospels. It hurts to think about people leaving because we know that when people do leave, it hurts. People leave in John 6.” But leaving isn’t the whole story. “Some of the disenchanted go away,” May says, “But others go deeper.

God’s sustenance with the emphasis on the eternal consequences

Collect: Proper 15

Almighty God, who hast given thy only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life: Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavor ourselves to fellow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14. . . Solomon shows his wisdom by his choice of one gift from God

Psalm 111. . . The Path of Virtue

-or-

Proverbs 9:1-6 and Psalm 34:9-14 . .  .  Wisdom gives a feast to which all are invited.

-and-

Ephesians 5:15-20 . . . Paul encourages Christians to be filled with God’s Spirit

John 6:51-58. . . Jesus promises that all who eat his flesh will live forever.

Dr. Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches a sermon on this week’s Gospel lesson from John 6:51-58. He begins by describing a scene from the movie “Cocoon,” in which three old men find “a pool in which old age is washed away.” While the thought of eternal youth is tempting to many, Dr. Somerville points out that eternal life is what we really want

Sermon from last week: John 6:35-51 St. John’s Lutheran Church Mattoon, IL Pastor Jacobsen,  Food

God’s sustenance through Jesus who gives himself for us (cont.)

Collect: Proper 14

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 . . . David mourns the death of his rebellious son Absalom.

Psalm 130  . . . The Call for Healing

or

1 Kings 19:4-8 and Psalm 34:1-8 . . . God nourishes Elijah for a journey that takes forty days and forty nights.

and

Ephesians 4:25—5:2 . . . Paul encourages Christians to be as loving as Christ to one another.

John 6:35, 41-51 . , . Jesus promises that he will save all who come to him.

Father Michael Renninger, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, VA, preaches a sermon from John 6:35, 41-51 on Jesus, the Bread of Life.

God as our ultimate provider and sustainer of both our physical and spiritual lives

Collect: Proper 13

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

2 Samuel 11:26—12:13 . . .  Nathan calls David to account for his sin

Psalm 51:1-13 . . . Sin identifies whatever disordered relationships

or

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 with Psalm 78:23-29 . . .  God feeds the people of Israel with quail and manna.

Ephesians 4:1-16 . . .  Paul reminds his community that they must put away their old way of life and be renewed in Christ

John 6:24-35 . . .  In anticipation of his eucharistic gift of himself, Jesus declares that he is the bread of life.

The Rev. Jason Micheli,  of Annandale United Methodist Church in Annandale, Virginia,   looks at the miracle of manna in the wilderness and thinks maybe the Hebrews had a legitimate complaint when they asked Moses: “Have you brought us out here to kill us?”

The Bread of life

Collect: Proper 12

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

2 Samuel 11:1-15. . .  David abuses his royal power to commit adultery and murder.

Psalm 14 . . . We humans, by nature, tend to become lost in ourselves and our little pursuits and therefore estranged from God

or

2 Kings 4:42-44 and Psalm 145:10-19. . . Multiplication of food given to Elisha demonstrates God’s power to provide abundantly.

Ephesians 3:14-21. . . Paul exhorts the Ephesians to use their spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ.

John 6:1-21 . . . Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish to feed the hungry crowd.

Dr. Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches a sermon on this week’s Gospel lesson from John 6:1-21 called “Was It Stone Soup?”  “This miracle that occurred on a hillside in Galilee,” he says, “this feeding of the multitude, was a mathematical miracle.  But was it a miracle of multiplication, addition, or division?”

On Saturday, May 5, 2018 Episcopalians from all around Austin gathered at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd to hear Presiding Bishop Michael Curry speak on the topic of Discipleship. With this message, Bishop Curry intended to start an ongoing conversation about Discipleship around the city and beyond. We invite you to listen here!

The care that God constantly exerts on our behalf

Collect: Proper 11

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; though the worthiness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

2 Samuel 7:1-14a . . . God overwhelms David with the promise of an eternal kingdom to David’s heir.

Psalm 89:20-37  . . . a recapitulation of the covenant between God and David’s descendants  and a lament praying for deliverance from enemies

or the alternative 1st readings . . .

Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Psalm 23 . . . the image of God as a shepherd to describe how God will gather the people

Ephesians 2:11-22 . . . the reconciling work of Christ, who is the peace between Gentiles and Jews

Mark 6:30-44, 53-56. . . Jesus has compassion on the crowds of people, who remind him of sheep without a shepherd

Sermon by Andrew Foster Connors, Pastor of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, preaches a sermon on this week’s Gospel lesson: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56,  “For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat,”

Reflecting on our participation in Christ’s mission and ministry today

COLLECT: Proper 10

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that we may know and understand what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 . . . David brings the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem with song and dancing

Psalm 24 . . . A Song to the Radiant One

— or —

Amos 7:7-15 and Psalm 85:8-13; . . . Amos  defends his prophetic calling in the face of opposition from Israel’s rulers.

Ephesians 1:3-14; . . . God has chosen us from the beginning to share in the redemptive work of Christ.

Mark 6:14-29 . . . Jesus instructs and sends out twelve disciples to share in his ministry.

Sermon: Praying for Reign.

The cost that always accompanies the call to a prophetic mission

Collect: Proper 9

O God, who hast taught us to keep all thy commandments by loving thee and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to thee with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one Good, forever and ever.  Amen

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 . . .  the Israelites acknowledge God’s choice and anoint David as their king.

Psalm 48 . . . A Hymn to Jerusalem

Ezekiel 2:1-5 . . . the alternative  first reading (with Psalm 123), God commissions Ezekiel as a prophet to the exiled and rebellious kingdom of Judah.

2 Corinthians 12:2-10 . . .  revelations and thorns in the flesh

Mark 6:1-13 . . . Jesus is rejected by his own townspeople.

The Most Rev. Michael Curry preaches at The Washington National Cathedral during his Installation as the XXVII Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.