It is Thursday and I am about to write this week's epistle. Many of you will have recieved it by the time you check in to this blog. I am writing about the shock of recieving my AARP Card in the mail last week.
I will also be finishing up the Sunday Bulletin for this weekend. A friend of mine asked me if I came up with the sermon and the elements of the service every week or if someone else did it. I know that in some churches the order of worship, the songs, prayers and scriptures are all pre-determined. You just go to a book and fill in the blanks. Not here. I do it all and then go to Adele to check on the anthem. For the last few years I have used the Common lectionary to pick my texts for a good part of the year. The lectionary is a tool that was developed by an ecumenical council that divided the Scriptures into four parts so that all of scripture could be read and reflected on in worship over the course of three years. They divide it up into the readings of the Gospels, the Epistles, the Psalms and the Old Testament.
I pick one of the scriptures to preach on. Then when I have my theme, I pick hymns to go with my message. I usually use the Psalm as the Responsive Reading. Cynthia Strouse and Adele Cofer have been pulling anthems out that can match some of the themes. It is cool when everything comes together.
Since the first of the year I have done something a little different. I have decided to preach two series of sermons that don't connect with the lectionary. In January I preached a series on themes in the book of Ezra. In Lent I am preaching a series on the "I AM" statements of Jesus. This week for example, I am preaching on "I am the Good Shepherd."
Oh well, I have procrastinated enough. I have got to get back to work. I'll write more later.
Cal
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