World Communion Sunday and Proper 22A/Ordinary 27A/Pentecost +21 October 5, 2008

I love World Communion Sunday. It invites the imagination of the worship committee, visually, liturgically and for singing. The preacher, however this week has some very difficult passages to pull together to preach on and tie in World Communion. Good luck to each of you. I would love to hear what all you all are doing.



Now on to those difficult passages:

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 The Ten Commandments are given; but don't forget those last passages that the people were afraid for God to speak to them and Moses told them to not be afraid for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin." Maybe we could use a little of the fear of God in our lives. Is it enough to have the ten commandments posted in our yard? On a wall somewhere?
Psalm 19 (UMH 750) I love this Psalm; "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork." If you don't preach on this, it is a good Psalm to read in the service.
Philippians 3:4b-14 3:7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 3:8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Would that we could say that. 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death. What would that look like for us as Christians, how would this fit into World Communion Sunday?

Matthew 21:33-46 21:42 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'? 21:43 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. How have we rejected Christ in our lives? How are we producing fruit and how are we not producing fruit? How are we the messengers today or the tenants?

What other questions and thoughts are rumbling through your thoughts as you prepare for Sunday's Sermon?