November 23, 2025- Christ the King / Reign of Christ
Rev. Jenny Sung, “Permission to Really feel Extra Than Gratitude”
In Philippi we noticed the primary Christian Church in-built 314 CE, and now it sits in ruins. We noticed the ruins of rich cities and highly effective empires. We noticed the tombs of Emperors who have been worshipped like Gods and to mud they’ve returned. No sum of money or energy stored them from crumbling. After seeing website after website of ruins, you marvel what’s the purpose? What’s going to survive? Even now many fear in regards to the establishment of the Church. All the pieces turns to mud, and but … there we sat. A bunch of 26 people on this pilgrimage compelled by the identical story that drove Paul to those holy areas. Regardless of the numerous ruins and fallen empires this story continues on. This story continues to attract us shut. This story nonetheless retains its promise.
Many people simply celebrated The Reign of Christ Sunday remembering God is God. All the pieces else we attempt to worship or elevate up turns to mud.
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As Introduction Dawns
Ryan Panzer, “Discovering the Stillness of Introduction in a Tradition of Yuletide Depth”
In the present day I’d argue that our present cultural understanding of Christmas is not as a time of extra however as a time of fervor. We do not view December as a season of consumption and spending, as some would recommend, however a interval of vigor. We do not attend 9 Christmas dinners and wrap 35 presents or sit by way of 5 college concert events due to a need to eat. We do it as a result of we’re caught up within the new-found depth of the yuletide. This is not a season of consumption. It is a season of hustle.
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, “The Introduction of Company”
In the identical manner it’s attainable within the church, within the midst of lament over our lack of conventional church, conventional tradition, and dominant nationalism, to provide voice to assurances about God’s constancy that persists in and thru our deepest losses, and isn’t disrupted by these losses. Thus we’ve loss to lament; however then we come to affirmation. The church can have a good time that affirmation within the face of lament; however that affirmation results in neither resignation nor complacency. Slightly, it results in company, to the readiness and capability to behave in constructive, imaginative methods in defiance towards newness.
Editor’s Notice: Have you ever had a take a look at our latest Introduction To Go? Should you’re a lectionary preacher uncertain a couple of sermon collection, you is likely to be to know that our assets primarily use the assigned texts for the day. Of the lectionary readings for Introduction, Christmas, and Epiphany, our solely modifications are on Introduction 1 and three. On the primary Sunday of Introduction, we make house for the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah (historically unnoticed of the RCL!). On the third Sunday of Introduction, we deal with the annunciation to Mary, increasing on the lectionary’s use of her Magnificat because the Psalm for the day. Give it a glance – you may simply end up saying “Sure!”.
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November 30, 2025- First Sunday of Introduction
Outdated Testomony: Isaiah 2:1-5 – Swords overwhelmed into plowshares
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, “Seasons of Bells and Chains”
In our wondrous extra of music and celebration at Christmas, we within the church should take care that Christmas shouldn’t be an escape from the actual world. We after all are aware of the prophetic trope lined out by Isaiah and Micah: They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). To this poetic couplet we would add a 3rd component: They shall hammer their chains into bells. That hammering of chains into bells might silence the clanging chains of exploitation. However that hammering shouldn’t be achieved within the wish-world of worship. It occurs in and thru the sustained onerous work of advocacy, testimony, and dispute.
