I T E M S   O F   I N T E R E S T

Scripture Readings for Sunday, July 27 (NIV): 

Genesis 29:15-28. The story of Jacob continues: The Trickster tricked:

Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."  Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.  Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."  Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."  So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."  So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant. When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"  Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.  Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."  And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Romans 8:26-39. Last week -- our groaning with creation, longing with hope. This week, our song with creation because of hope:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52. Jesus tells five short parables of the kingdom of heaven (mustard seed, yeast, the hidden treasure, the superlative pearl, the net) and describes the work of a scribe trained for the kingdom:

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."  He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." . . . "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.  "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.  When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.  He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

Additional reading - Psalm 105:1-11, 45b (UMH 828)

From the Pastor (July 23, 2008) What constitutes “a good sermon”? I would suggest that it is a sermon that honors Jesus Christ, interprets Scripture well, and results in changed lives. The changed lives are up to God, of course; but there are a few things we can do to increase that likelihood.

For starters, the preacher needs to spend ample time working on the sermon every week. That work includes reading and meditation on the Scripture passages; reflection on the life of the congregation and God’s desires for us; prayer for the congregation and for God’s Spirit to be present; and writing. I’ve always been kind of slow with sermons. They tend to take me 25-30 hours to prepare.

The congregation needs to prepare for the sermon every week, too. That work includes reading and meditation on the Scripture passages; reflection on the life of the congregation and God’s desires for us; and prayer for the pastor and for God’s Spirit to be present. Thirty minutes to one hour each day would probably be sufficient.

Can you imagine the blessings, as well as the opportunities that God’s Spirit would be able to make available to us if the entire congregation were mutually focused on hearing a word from the Lord and then putting that word into action? What joy might be ours to share with our neighbors!

Rev. Von Unruh

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