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Three Hours: Sermons for Good Friday

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Fleming Rutledge Eerdmans, 96 pages In this remarkable set of brief sermons on the traditional seven last words of Jesus, Fleming Rutledge muses that it may be the culmination of her preaching life. Having read her sermons and essays for nearly 40 years, I agree, though the same might be said of her magnum opus “The Crucifixion,” which these sermons echo. Preached on Good Friday at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City, each contains an astonishing compact display of biblical theology, precise exegesis, cultural commentary, political criticism and, above all, evangelical passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is this combination that makes Rutledge a rare preacher — one from whom preachers can learn a great deal about their vocation. She demonstrates how one can declare without embarrassment the radical saving significance of the crucifixion of Jesus for a contemporary audience. Her array of skills and command of knowledge is breathtaking, primarily because it is … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Holy Week • Lent

Prayer for those in the middle of the Lenten wilderness

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The ashes on my forehead long gone, my Lenten discipline exposed as more good intentions than realized practice, the cold days of winter beginning to give way to warmer afternoons, the center of Lent feels like a mix of blooming daffodils and bare tree branches. Lord, I long for beauty even as the world languishes in the carnage of cyclones, war and revenge. I began this Lent determined to stay alert to the presence of the holy, awake to the inbreaking of the divine, on watch for how to serve the One who came to save the world. But, dear God, right here in the middle of the wilderness, I confess I am weary, weighed down with the urge to sleep until the suffering has passed and resurrection reigns. What are 40 days in comparison to the expanse of Kairos time? I hear Jesus in the garden, disappointed and exhausted, asking me why I could not keep awake for even a little while. I know the story, Lord. I know your people do not remain in the wilderness forever. I know that even in … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Lent

Making the ashes stick

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Ash Wednesday held special meaning for me this Lent — not because of any particular circumstance in my life, but because of the message I preached that day. My curiosity provoked me to explore how Scripture talks about humanity as dust. Where do we get the refrain, “You are from dust and to dust you shall return”? Could such a dour message be full of grace? I loved what I found. Adam is formed from the dirt, according to Genesis 2. In the words of Old Testament scholar John Goldingay, “God gets his hands dirty” by digging into the soil. But unlike a child making mud pies, God breathes life into Adam. We are made of the stuff of earth. But, because we are shaped by God, we are holy dirt, sacred and beloved. We may be fragile and finite humans, but we have the breath of God inside of us. And God’s breath gives us life. Our earthiness begins as a beautiful image of our life in God. But it turns into a curse when Adam and Eve disobey God. God says to Adam in Genesis 3:19: “By the … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Ash Wednesday • Lent

Borrowed Time

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These forty days are Lent to us – not counting Sundays – a blessed space in time in which to step aside, get out of line, drop out of the mad rush toward the six-foot drop and bring oneself to life again. Six weeks, say – more or less – until the note falls due, those generous terms expire, and the piper must be paid under the palm branches and dark twisted olive trees. … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Lent

Hymns for Lent and Easter — Year C (2019)

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New hymns for Lent, Holy Week and Easter by Presbyterian hymn-writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette  The Presbyterian Outlook is offering new hymns for the season — lyrics based on the lectionary texts set to familiar tunes. Hymns are $10 each or purchase a package of all 10 new ones (Ash Wednesday to Easter) for $100. You’ll receive PDFs of the lyrics scored with music (regular and large print) as well as documents with lyrics only. You print as many copies as you need. Buy the package of 10 new hymns for 2019 / Lent Year C Click here to purchase – $100    Ash Wednesday / March 6 Where Are You, God? We Long to Know — New for 2019! click here to preview the hymn text Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b O WALY WALY 8.8.8.8 ("Though I May Speak") Purchase hymn – $10 God, Your Love Is Everlasting —  click here to preview the hymn text Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-2 ELLACOMBE CMD (“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”) Purchase hymn – $10  Ash Wednesday Comes … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Ash Wednesday • Lent

Lenten devotions — Year C (2019)

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Theologically sound, inspiring and affordable Lent devotions for your bulletins The 40-day Lenten journey is an opportunity to imitate Christ and pattern our lives in the image of the One we follow. The Presbyterian Outlook devotions written by editor Jill Duffield will explore Jesus’ earthly ministry and seek to discern how we are called to emulate it. Buy the set of Lenten devotions: $19.99 These can be printed in the quantity needed for the congregation and inserted in the weekly worship bulletin for worshippers to take home and use throughout the week. Additionally, small groups, sessions, staffs or Sunday school classes could commit to the daily practices and discuss their experiences when they gather. As a bonus, there are prayers for each day of Holy Week. Your purchase includes a bulletin-insert sized PDF (prints on a half-page regular sheet of paper) and a full-page version — in both color and black-and-white. Use these devotions to enrich your spiritual life … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Lent

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