Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas blues?
Sometimes the Christmas season can be hard. "Merry Christmas" is memorized but not felt. Busyness and high expectations leave us feeling anxious. You see frowning, stressed people and realize you are looking in the mirror! Is it time to refocus?
Take a moment to consider yourself before the manger. You are meeting God! How can we not respond with awe, celebration, and tremendous gratitude at this Gift. God was thinking of you when He sent his only Son. Above anything else, or any feelings that come with Christmas, this good news trumps all. What can bring us more joy than knowing God loves us that much. "Today a Savior is born for you, He is Christ the Lord."
Take a moment to consider yourself before the manger. You are meeting God! How can we not respond with awe, celebration, and tremendous gratitude at this Gift. God was thinking of you when He sent his only Son. Above anything else, or any feelings that come with Christmas, this good news trumps all. What can bring us more joy than knowing God loves us that much. "Today a Savior is born for you, He is Christ the Lord."
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Can Martha have a Mary Christmas?
Can Martha have a Mary Christmas? I love the title of this book by Brenda Poinsett which is a take off on the Biblical Mary and Martha of Bethany who both served Jesus in different ways. This Christmas, we all have good intentions of being like Mary, resting at the feet of Christ. But during this busiest season of the year, the “Martha” role seems to inevitably creep in and replace Christmas awe with Christmas stress.
At Peace, we are striving to help you have a Mary Christmas. Offering many opportunities of advent devotion, worship and spiritual preparation for Christmas, we invite you to come along to the manger with us. Please put aside all unnecessary distractions and join us in worshiping, connecting and serving our newborn King.
See you in church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship
At Peace, we are striving to help you have a Mary Christmas. Offering many opportunities of advent devotion, worship and spiritual preparation for Christmas, we invite you to come along to the manger with us. Please put aside all unnecessary distractions and join us in worshiping, connecting and serving our newborn King.
See you in church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Coming Up Sunday, November 14, 2010
We continue the sermon series through "The Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" with a sermon geared towards parenting featuring three heartwarming and inspirational stories.
Support Disciples Unlimited, the high school youth group, by buying burritos, etc. by the Parish Hall during the education hour (9:30-10:30) and after the 10:45 service (around 12:!5 p.m.).
Please participate in the Voters' meeting at 12:15 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All members 18 and older are encouraged to attend.
Support Disciples Unlimited, the high school youth group, by buying burritos, etc. by the Parish Hall during the education hour (9:30-10:30) and after the 10:45 service (around 12:!5 p.m.).
Please participate in the Voters' meeting at 12:15 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All members 18 and older are encouraged to attend.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Worship, Connect, Serve - Student Style! Part I
Worship, Connect, Serve
I absolutely love Peace's Mission Statement. I love that the middle school Confirmation kids I teach know what it means and the "well-experienced" generation I teach on Tuesday mornings know what it means. I mean, how much easier can you sum up what the Christian life and the Church as a whole should look like?
Seriously, it could really be like a Christian person's LIFE mission statement. So speaking of that...
"Worship, Connect, Serve" - it looks great on paper, it's easy to memorize, and as a staff we love to see our ministries fit neatly under these three ideas, but how do we actually LIVE "Worship, Connect, Serve." In my mind...it's so much more than just a "Sunday morning-thing" or a "church-thing".
After teaching on the mission statement for three weeks to my 7th grade confirmation class, I am gaining more and more of an idea of what it means to really live this. You know...I should have just had my students write this blog as the matter of fact ;) because I know they totally get this.
Worship - Part I:
I'm sure to most people, including myself, the word "worship" brings to mind a Sunday morning worship service (of which ever style you prefer, at our church the options are traditional and contemporary), with other people present and the "traditional" elements of a worship service, Holy Communion, Confession & Absolution, Songs (Hymns, praise, etc.) and so on. Dictionary.com states that worship is, "reverent honor and homage paid to God"
Worship is referred to numerous times in the Bible - actually, in some way, it's referred to 254 times in the NIV! No wonder it's in our mission statement. Check out these verses on "living" out worship:
We don't just worship God when things are going well - Job's family and possessions had just been taken away from him, he STILL worshiped!
8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
We are warned against numerous time in the Prophets against the worship of FALSE gods. Even non-Christians worship...so we must be careful what we are Christians are worshiping in our everyday lives.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Isn't this awesome? Worship is a LIFESTYLE! It's not confined to the church building, Sunday mornings, midweek, etc. It's something we can do all the time, and something that God really calls us to do all the time!
So...worship, how do YOU live it?
Stay tuned for Connect and Serve! Until then...
Worshiping the One,
Steph
I absolutely love Peace's Mission Statement. I love that the middle school Confirmation kids I teach know what it means and the "well-experienced" generation I teach on Tuesday mornings know what it means. I mean, how much easier can you sum up what the Christian life and the Church as a whole should look like?
Seriously, it could really be like a Christian person's LIFE mission statement. So speaking of that...
"Worship, Connect, Serve" - it looks great on paper, it's easy to memorize, and as a staff we love to see our ministries fit neatly under these three ideas, but how do we actually LIVE "Worship, Connect, Serve." In my mind...it's so much more than just a "Sunday morning-thing" or a "church-thing".
After teaching on the mission statement for three weeks to my 7th grade confirmation class, I am gaining more and more of an idea of what it means to really live this. You know...I should have just had my students write this blog as the matter of fact ;) because I know they totally get this.
Worship - Part I:
I'm sure to most people, including myself, the word "worship" brings to mind a Sunday morning worship service (of which ever style you prefer, at our church the options are traditional and contemporary), with other people present and the "traditional" elements of a worship service, Holy Communion, Confession & Absolution, Songs (Hymns, praise, etc.) and so on. Dictionary.com states that worship is, "reverent honor and homage paid to God"
Worship is referred to numerous times in the Bible - actually, in some way, it's referred to 254 times in the NIV! No wonder it's in our mission statement. Check out these verses on "living" out worship:
Job 1:19-21 (New International Version)
19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.[a]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.[a]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”
We don't just worship God when things are going well - Job's family and possessions had just been taken away from him, he STILL worshiped!
Jeremiah 22:8-9 (New International Version)
8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
We are warned against numerous time in the Prophets against the worship of FALSE gods. Even non-Christians worship...so we must be careful what we are Christians are worshiping in our everyday lives.
Romans 12:1-3 (New International Version)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Isn't this awesome? Worship is a LIFESTYLE! It's not confined to the church building, Sunday mornings, midweek, etc. It's something we can do all the time, and something that God really calls us to do all the time!
So...worship, how do YOU live it?
Stay tuned for Connect and Serve! Until then...
Worshiping the One,
Steph
I'm excited about a new Bible study specifically for people ages 18-23ish. It is held at Starbucks on Sunday mornings, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 50th and Kipling in Arvada. It is a chance for young adults to come together to check-in with each other and spiritually refocus for another week. Whether you are working, a student, or in some other spot in life right now, please join us for Sunday beverage and Bible study. Leader is Andy Warner.
Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus?
When asked this question, we often will answer with the attributes of Jesus. He is the Light, the Way, the Truth, Savior, Son of God, Resurrection, and so many more. One time when Mother Theresa was asked this question, she answered in a much different way. She listed this:
Jesus is the hungry to be fed.
Jesus is the thirsty to be satisfied.
Jesus is the naked to be clothed.
Jesus is the homeless to be taken in.
Jesus is the sick to be healed.
Jesus is the lonely to be loved.
Her answer comes right out of Matthew chapter 25. At Thanksgiving time, we when are expressing our gratitude to God for His many blessings in our lives, our thoughts often also turn to the less fortunate. We recall Matthew 25 and are convicted that thanksgiving naturally translates to thanks-living. Not only in November but throughout the year we need to look for Jesus in everyone, and where there is a need respond. We do this as we bring our food donations and our offerings at Thanksgiving… but there are so many other ways we can be of help. If you are looking for meaningful ways to serve inside and outside the congregation, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, please speak with me. There are organizations and ministries that are doing wonderful jobs of connecting needs to service in the Name of Jesus.
Worship + Connect + Serve
See you in Church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship
When asked this question, we often will answer with the attributes of Jesus. He is the Light, the Way, the Truth, Savior, Son of God, Resurrection, and so many more. One time when Mother Theresa was asked this question, she answered in a much different way. She listed this:
Jesus is the hungry to be fed.
Jesus is the thirsty to be satisfied.
Jesus is the naked to be clothed.
Jesus is the homeless to be taken in.
Jesus is the sick to be healed.
Jesus is the lonely to be loved.
Her answer comes right out of Matthew chapter 25. At Thanksgiving time, we when are expressing our gratitude to God for His many blessings in our lives, our thoughts often also turn to the less fortunate. We recall Matthew 25 and are convicted that thanksgiving naturally translates to thanks-living. Not only in November but throughout the year we need to look for Jesus in everyone, and where there is a need respond. We do this as we bring our food donations and our offerings at Thanksgiving… but there are so many other ways we can be of help. If you are looking for meaningful ways to serve inside and outside the congregation, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, please speak with me. There are organizations and ministries that are doing wonderful jobs of connecting needs to service in the Name of Jesus.
Worship + Connect + Serve
See you in Church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship
Coming up Sunday, November 7, 2010
We continue the sermon series "The Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" with a sermon focused on 1 Peter 3:1-6 and "The Role of a Christian Wife".
We celebrate Veterans' Day, thanking and praying for all of those that have served and are currently serving in our armed forces.
We also celebrate All Saints Day explained as "God declares everyone who has been baptized and believes the promise of the gospel to be justified, holy and blameless. The communion of saints therefore includes both those still living on earth and those who have died in the faith and are now living in heaven." We specifically remember those who have gone to be with the Lord in the last year. (http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/allsaints.htm)
We celebrate Veterans' Day, thanking and praying for all of those that have served and are currently serving in our armed forces.
We also celebrate All Saints Day explained as "God declares everyone who has been baptized and believes the promise of the gospel to be justified, holy and blameless. The communion of saints therefore includes both those still living on earth and those who have died in the faith and are now living in heaven." We specifically remember those who have gone to be with the Lord in the last year. (http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/allsaints.htm)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Blogging on a blog? Millennials and Ministry
Recently, probably in the last 3-4 months or so, I've kind of turned into a blogging geek. Not that I myself have been blogging a lot, but I have really been enjoying reading blogs and seeing what other people have to say about things that I find interesting. Anyway, a friend posted a link on facebook to a blog entry titled: "Ministry from a Millennial’s Perspective: We’re Paying Attention". This immediately caught my attention, as in college, I wrote numerous papers and did a lot of research on the millennial generation, of which I myself fall somewhere in the middle, but is certainly the generation that I work with on a daily basis.
First of all, what's a Millennial? You can find the definition of a millennial, or "Generation Y" from the oh-so-reliable resource (I can use it now that I'm out of formal education :P) from Wikipedia here. It also gives some general characteristics of millennials that may be helpful.
This blog I was reading said that this Millennial generation may not be the most articulate (Just look at our obsession with texting-LOL, K, THX, <3) but that Millennials are genuinely more interested in what's going on than is often attributed to them. The connection problem between the different generations lies then because Millenials believe that the other generations do not need them, and are not convinced that these generations want youth participation, ideas, and input.
So what do we, as the Church, do with this?
A few thoughts I have...
- We must have faith in our young people today. Trust that they "get it." Trust that they care. Trust that they do want to take an active part but know that they probably need some encouragement and a listening ear along the way.
- Include them in "adult"-type activities in the church. Allow them to volunteer in services, have a voice on committees, participate in men's and women's ministries within the church, and so on. The Church should not be made up of several small groups that never have contact with each other - it's a family, God's family, one of all ages and generations. Cradle to grave, right?
- Turn to Scripture! Young people are all over the place in the Word - living lives of action, being advised by mentors, doing the work of their Lord! Check out this Scripture to encourage you if you're in this Millennial category or if you aren't, to encourage you to participate, support, and encourage this generation:
- Joshua 1:5-7
- Prov. 20:11
- Isaiah 40:29-31
- 1 Tim. 4:12 *
- Titus 2:2-8
Folks, the truth is, the Millennials are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers. They are definitely "Cultural Influencers". Their time as part of the "Real World" is approaching fast, or maybe...it's already happening. What will you...in whatever generation you fall into, do with it?
Happy Reformation Weekend!
in Him, Stephanie
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Coming up Sunday October 31, 2010
Sunday we celebrate Reformation Day, click HERE to read a great article about the history and implications of this day.
We will hear the 5th part of the "Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" sermon series in a sermon titled "Humble Husbands".
There will be books and study materials (small group, personal devotions, bibles, etc) available for you to pick up (donations for future curriculum is greatly appreciated) on a table near the information desk.
If you are a member, don't forget to bring your stewardship commitment card (should have received one in the mail, if not, please email Christina) as we serve our Lord with our financial stewardship and planning for 2011.
We will hear the 5th part of the "Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" sermon series in a sermon titled "Humble Husbands".
There will be books and study materials (small group, personal devotions, bibles, etc) available for you to pick up (donations for future curriculum is greatly appreciated) on a table near the information desk.
If you are a member, don't forget to bring your stewardship commitment card (should have received one in the mail, if not, please email Christina) as we serve our Lord with our financial stewardship and planning for 2011.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Dont forget to remember...
Ps 103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
I will admit it, and I don’t need to be reminded of it – I am a forgetful dude. I have to write everything down. And I have found that this situation gets worse the older I get (Have you ever gone into a room to get something only to find that when you got to the room, you forgot what it was that you wanted to get?) Forgetfulness is a common lot of many of us.
It apparently was a common lot of God’s people in the Old Testament. Their track record indicated this. When God had delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt, and then they got to the wilderness, how quickly they would complain when things didn’t go right, forgetting God’s gracious and benevolent hand in rescuing them in the first place! As a matter of fact, grumbling and complaining became their common lot. They had forgotten how good God was. They had forgotten how mighty He had been. They had forgotten what it was really like to live in bondage and oppression in Egypt. They had forgotten. They had forgotten.
Psalm 103:2 tells us not to forget what God had done, to not forget all the benefits that He has provided. At times this can be a challenge, not because of what we lack, but rather because we live in such a negative age. We are bombarded by negativity on the news, the reality TV shows, the tabloids, not to mention facebook and twitter. Let’s face it, it is much more tantalizing to hear about the junk of someone’s life rather than hear about how God has blessed them. So when we hear it, we start to look negatively at our own lives and think that we need and deserve more. And we complain.
Folks, we are a privileged people. God has smiled on the United States unlike any other country in the history of the planet. He especially has demonstrated his love and provision by providing a way of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ!! My oh my we are a blessed people!! But too often we forget this. This is why a holiday like Thanksgiving is a very good thing. Even though it is not a religious holiday, Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to really remember who it is that provides all that we need to support this body and life. Thanksgiving reminds us to not forget all that the Lord has done.
We have one Thanksgiving Service here at Peace on Wednesday night, November 24th at 7pm. Take advantage of this special opportunity to remember all the benefits from the Lord.
To forget is human......to remember is divine.
Sincerely in Christ,
Senior Pastor Dave Ahlman
I will admit it, and I don’t need to be reminded of it – I am a forgetful dude. I have to write everything down. And I have found that this situation gets worse the older I get (Have you ever gone into a room to get something only to find that when you got to the room, you forgot what it was that you wanted to get?) Forgetfulness is a common lot of many of us.
It apparently was a common lot of God’s people in the Old Testament. Their track record indicated this. When God had delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt, and then they got to the wilderness, how quickly they would complain when things didn’t go right, forgetting God’s gracious and benevolent hand in rescuing them in the first place! As a matter of fact, grumbling and complaining became their common lot. They had forgotten how good God was. They had forgotten how mighty He had been. They had forgotten what it was really like to live in bondage and oppression in Egypt. They had forgotten. They had forgotten.
Psalm 103:2 tells us not to forget what God had done, to not forget all the benefits that He has provided. At times this can be a challenge, not because of what we lack, but rather because we live in such a negative age. We are bombarded by negativity on the news, the reality TV shows, the tabloids, not to mention facebook and twitter. Let’s face it, it is much more tantalizing to hear about the junk of someone’s life rather than hear about how God has blessed them. So when we hear it, we start to look negatively at our own lives and think that we need and deserve more. And we complain.
Folks, we are a privileged people. God has smiled on the United States unlike any other country in the history of the planet. He especially has demonstrated his love and provision by providing a way of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ!! My oh my we are a blessed people!! But too often we forget this. This is why a holiday like Thanksgiving is a very good thing. Even though it is not a religious holiday, Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to really remember who it is that provides all that we need to support this body and life. Thanksgiving reminds us to not forget all that the Lord has done.
We have one Thanksgiving Service here at Peace on Wednesday night, November 24th at 7pm. Take advantage of this special opportunity to remember all the benefits from the Lord.
To forget is human......to remember is divine.
Sincerely in Christ,
Senior Pastor Dave Ahlman
Thursday, October 21, 2010
1st "Youth" blog - Religion in America
Welcome to the new Peace Lutheran Church Blog! We are excited for this new avenue of communication within our church and beyond. I'll be posting thoughts/articles/discussions etc. every Thursday, so be sure to check back often and feel free to discuss and ask questions!
Although my primary area is youth, and my posts will be youth directed, anyone is welcome to read/comment/whatever on this portion of the blog. I'm all about inter-generational ministry!
This past summer, a Religious Survey was done in our country to see what people know about Religion. The results of this study, although somewhat shocking, honestly are not that surprising. Atheists and agnostics knew more about Christianity than "Christians" themselves.
Check out the study here:
http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx
"These are among the key findings of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, a nationwide poll conducted from May 19 through June 6, 2010, among 3,412 Americans age 18 and older, on landlines and cell phones, in English and Spanish.
Previous surveys by the Pew Research Center have shown that America is among the most religious of the world’s developed nations. Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults say that religion is “very important” in their lives, and roughly four-in-ten say they attend worship services at least once a week. But the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey shows that large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith trraditions – including their own. Many people also think the constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools are stricter than they really are."
There is A LOT of info to digest here, but I encourage you to browse through it and share some thoughts.
What sticks out you?
What surprises you and what doesn't surprise you?
Do these results encourage/disappoint you?
As Christians, what do we do with this information?
Want to take the survey "How much do you know about religion"? Do it here. http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php
How did you do?
Feel free to respond to this message with any thoughts/comments/etc. that you have!
Have a great weekend, friends!
in Him,
Steph
Although my primary area is youth, and my posts will be youth directed, anyone is welcome to read/comment/whatever on this portion of the blog. I'm all about inter-generational ministry!
This past summer, a Religious Survey was done in our country to see what people know about Religion. The results of this study, although somewhat shocking, honestly are not that surprising. Atheists and agnostics knew more about Christianity than "Christians" themselves.
Check out the study here:
http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx
"These are among the key findings of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, a nationwide poll conducted from May 19 through June 6, 2010, among 3,412 Americans age 18 and older, on landlines and cell phones, in English and Spanish.
Previous surveys by the Pew Research Center have shown that America is among the most religious of the world’s developed nations. Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults say that religion is “very important” in their lives, and roughly four-in-ten say they attend worship services at least once a week. But the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey shows that large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith trraditions – including their own. Many people also think the constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools are stricter than they really are."
There is A LOT of info to digest here, but I encourage you to browse through it and share some thoughts.
What sticks out you?
What surprises you and what doesn't surprise you?
Do these results encourage/disappoint you?
As Christians, what do we do with this information?
Want to take the survey "How much do you know about religion"? Do it here. http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php
How did you do?
Feel free to respond to this message with any thoughts/comments/etc. that you have!
Have a great weekend, friends!
in Him,
Steph
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sunday October 24, 2010
What's Happening at Peace this Sunday, October 24, 2010
8 am Traditional Worship & Communion
9:30 am Sunday School and Adult Bible Classes
10:45 am Contemporary Worship & Communion
Associate Pastor Larry McGurer preaches the fourth part of the "Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" series about Gentle Restoration.
S.O.S. (Servants of the Savior: 3-6 graders) meet at 3:00 pm at the Church to head up to Rock Creek in serch of the great pumpkin.
Blessings on the rest of your week, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday!
8 am Traditional Worship & Communion
9:30 am Sunday School and Adult Bible Classes
10:45 am Contemporary Worship & Communion
Associate Pastor Larry McGurer preaches the fourth part of the "Other Six Days: Christian Life Beyond Worship" series about Gentle Restoration.
S.O.S. (Servants of the Savior: 3-6 graders) meet at 3:00 pm at the Church to head up to Rock Creek in serch of the great pumpkin.
Blessings on the rest of your week, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sermon Series at Peace
Recently it has come to my attention that some people here at Peace have been asking the question How come we don’t preach from the 3-year lectionary series very often? I would like to take a moment to respond to that question.
I’ll start by saying that the three-year lectionary is a great tool for working through the Bible in a way that covers the major themes of God’s Word – namely the sin of man and the salvation man has in Christ. The lectionary also does a beautiful job of connecting the Old and New Testaments and showing how Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Finally, the lectionary follows the seasons of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, etc.) and assigns texts that fit very well with each season. There is no doubt the lectionary is a beautiful way to read/preach through the Holy Scriptures.
With that said there are a few drawbacks to the lectionary as well. First off, because the lectionary follows the seasons of the church year it tends to (but not always) bounce around the various books in the Bible rather than starting at the beginning of a book and working through it to its end. Pastor Dave and I feel that there is a real value to having a series through a book of the Bible – from beginning to end – for a couple of reasons. First, it permits us time over the course of multiple weeks to thoroughly develop the original context that the book was written in which in turn allows us to better understand why each text says what it does. Second, it enables people to walk away from a sermon series saying, “I have a much better handle on that book now.” For example, we just recently took six weeks to preach through the book of Ruth (a book that receives very minimal time in the 3-year lectionary). I’ve received much positive feedback from that series because of the detail into which we were able to go. People have said things to me like, “I didn’t realize how much was packed into that little book!” In addition to preaching through books of the Bible, Pastor Dave and I also preach topical sermon series from time to time in which we preach on a series of related issues over the course of several weeks. The reason we use topical sermon series is because they afford us the opportunity to preach on very relevant and pressing issues that are rarely, if ever, part of the lectionary series .
In the end it isn’t the method used to preach through God’s Word that is of primary importance. The most important thing is that the full councel of God’s Word is preached – both Law and Gospel – and that the preaching of God’s Word lead us to sorrow over sin, repentance, and new life in Christ – our Lord and Savior. May all our preaching be pleasing to His ears and glorify His Name! Amen.
Associate Pastor Larry McGurer
I’ll start by saying that the three-year lectionary is a great tool for working through the Bible in a way that covers the major themes of God’s Word – namely the sin of man and the salvation man has in Christ. The lectionary also does a beautiful job of connecting the Old and New Testaments and showing how Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Finally, the lectionary follows the seasons of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, etc.) and assigns texts that fit very well with each season. There is no doubt the lectionary is a beautiful way to read/preach through the Holy Scriptures.
With that said there are a few drawbacks to the lectionary as well. First off, because the lectionary follows the seasons of the church year it tends to (but not always) bounce around the various books in the Bible rather than starting at the beginning of a book and working through it to its end. Pastor Dave and I feel that there is a real value to having a series through a book of the Bible – from beginning to end – for a couple of reasons. First, it permits us time over the course of multiple weeks to thoroughly develop the original context that the book was written in which in turn allows us to better understand why each text says what it does. Second, it enables people to walk away from a sermon series saying, “I have a much better handle on that book now.” For example, we just recently took six weeks to preach through the book of Ruth (a book that receives very minimal time in the 3-year lectionary). I’ve received much positive feedback from that series because of the detail into which we were able to go. People have said things to me like, “I didn’t realize how much was packed into that little book!” In addition to preaching through books of the Bible, Pastor Dave and I also preach topical sermon series from time to time in which we preach on a series of related issues over the course of several weeks. The reason we use topical sermon series is because they afford us the opportunity to preach on very relevant and pressing issues that are rarely, if ever, part of the lectionary series .
In the end it isn’t the method used to preach through God’s Word that is of primary importance. The most important thing is that the full councel of God’s Word is preached – both Law and Gospel – and that the preaching of God’s Word lead us to sorrow over sin, repentance, and new life in Christ – our Lord and Savior. May all our preaching be pleasing to His ears and glorify His Name! Amen.
Associate Pastor Larry McGurer
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