September 13, 2020
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 19A
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Themes for the week:
deliverance, forgiveness, mercy, gratitude, reconciliation
This Sunday’s Readings: Ex. 14:19-31 or Gen. 50:15-21 • Ps. 114 or Ex. 15:1b-11, 20-21 or Ps. 103:(1-7), 8-13 • Rom. 14:1-12 • Matt. 18:21-35
“What will a man give in return for his life? Forgiveness is a way of assuring that brothers and sisters in Christ remain in communion, and thus there is no limit to the number of times forgiveness may be offered. Acting ‘out of pity’ simply is the normal and habitual condition of a healthy Christian body. For that reason, one who, having been forgiven, then refuses to extend forgiveness, is in violation of an essential part of life in Christ.” Read it all.
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Preaching Today
Steve Schlossberg: Astronomical Forgiveness
(A Sermon)
“Now at my best, after I’ve had some time to think about it, pray about it and some time to cool off, I am sometimes willing to forgive it, and forgive the person who did it—once. But if they turn around and do the very same thing again—all bets are off. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. When Peter suggests that I should forgive a person like that seven times, he’s really using an astronomical figure; and sure enough, it turns out to be too low.”
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Classic Texts
St. John Chrysostom: Our Enemies Advantage Us
“Say not then that he insulted thee, and slandered thee, and did unto thee ills beyond number; for the more thou tellest, so much the more dost thou declare him a benefactor. For he hath given thee an opportunity to wash away thy sins; so that the greater the injuries he hath done thee, so much more is he become to thee a cause of a greater remission of sins.”
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Articles on This Sunday's Texts
Marcia Pally: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
“Forgiveness of financial debt has been part of the prayer’s long history, not surprisingly, given Jesus’ many teachings to give both spiritual and material aid to the needy. What implications might this have for present law and policy?”
Noah Van Niel: What Is to Become of the Confession?
“If our liturgy can help bring us to that level of awareness, it can also offer us an incredible opportunity to receive the mercy and love of God. The more in need of God’s grace we understand ourselves to be, the more powerful and transformative that gift of grace becomes. The gospel is not ultimately about bringing down, but about lifting up, which in turn means we need to bow down.”
Carrie Boren Headington: Kingdom Listening and Racial Reconciliation
“A group of followers of Jesus across denomination, race, and socioeconomic and linguistic barriers, across the ‘tracks,’ started to come together about eight years back. We began eating together, listening to one another, sharing our stories and lives with one another and praying together. We engaged in kingdom listening. It led to taking action together, to facing head on issues that Jesus would have us face together: racism, poverty, and division.”
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Tuesday Conversation
Join The Living Word staff for a group study of the lectionary texts:
Tuesday (9/8) at 2:00 ET / 1:00 CT
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82235868176?pwd=cU5vL2kveXgwNjZ3S1NaTXc5eklrQT09
Meeting ID: 822 3586 8176
Passcode: 920690
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