SCROLL DOWN FOR SEPTEMBER 14 AND SEPTEMBER 21
Welcome to Hunger Sermon Starters!
The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads –sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!
September 14, 2008
John 12:20-33
This feast day commemorates that in 614 the “supposed true cross” fell into the hands of the Persians. The emperor Heraclius recovered it and put it on view at Jerusalem in the spring of 629. Holy Cross Day has its origin as a commemoration of that event.
Within the Gospel of John, he teaches in Chapter 12 the necessity of death to bring about new life.
Years ago I deliberately team-taught a class of three-year-olds. One Sunday I brought to class sunflower seeds. As a class, we placed these seeds on top of good soil but did not plant them. I promised the class that I would water them during the week and place them in a window where they would get some sunshine. I wanted them to see the seed “die” and to see the new life springing forth. At the end of a week they could see the seeds decaying. By the second week, new life in the form of sunflower plants could easily be seen growing.
In the West Virginia–Western Maryland Synod, I have witnessed the joy felt in congregations as week after week they are challenged to raise $5,000 or more for the purpose of paying for the construction of a well for our companion synod. One of our pastors challenged the Sunday School youth that if they raised the necessary funds they could dye her hair. They raised the funds by the announced deadline. But unknown to the pastor they secretly agreed to dye strands of her hair five different colors.
Out of their collective sacrifice came new life springing forth!
Rev. Ralph W. Dunkin, Bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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September 21, 2008
Matthew 9:9-13
- Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” “And he rose and followed him.”
- “I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- I wonder, would we follow if a religious one whose “Word” seems to have power invited us to follow? I felt the call of God during church camp after my sophomore year in high school. Most said that my call came too early and that I would change my mind. But I did not struggle with my call until after ordination. The struggle now is different. It is not one of should I heed the call but what is it that God is calling me to.
- “I desire mercy.” Several years ago this synod organized a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. We were all geared up to help the poor recover from Hurricane Katrina. We were given our daily work orders and we drove to the appointed home. For several moments we sat dumbfounded staring at a $400,000 home. Later we would learn that this family had days to show progress or the entire home would be bulldozed. The owner had severe breathing difficulties and could not work inside his home that at one time had with stood 8 feet of flood waters.
- The ELCA World Hunger Appeal theme has been “go and do likewise.” Matthew followed Jesus. In his following he did acts of mercy. He did as Jesus did by eating with sinners. Where is it that God is calling us to serve? Where are we called to show mercy?
- A friend of mine questions the World Hunger Appeal. He claims that we do not ask enough. He firmly believes that if each member of the ELCA would give up a “Happy meal” per week and donate that $4 per week to the Hunger Appeal we would have $200 million dollars annually to fight world hunger. Now, that would show mercy!!
Rev. Ralph W. Dunkin, Bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
