LISTSERV 16.0 - HUNGERSERMONSTARTERS Archives

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!

Today’s texts have a common theme of speaking out uncomfortable truths. Just last month, new figures were released on global hunger. According to the UN, for the first time in decades, the downward trend of hungry people has reversed. This year there will be a 10% increase in those who are hungry, reaching up over 1 billion (that’s one in six people who are hungry). While we work to bail out banks and businesses (to the tune of over $1 trillion), what is being done to protect those who are poorest and most vulnerable? What other injustices might we need to speak out against in our time?

God called Amos to speak an unfavorable message. He was told to prophesy against his neighbors in Israel. In other passages in Amos, we learn that the prophet spoke against Israel because they did not look after those who were most vulnerable (see, e.g., Amos 5:6-15, 21-24; 8:1-8). In the present passage, Amos speaks against the king of Israel, predicting that God will rise against Jeroboam with the sword (7:9).

We also learn from this passage the incredible bravery of Amos—though he was a simple herdsman and “dresser of sycamore trees” (7:14), he nonetheless spoke out against the injustice he saw in Israel. In this way, Amos becomes a model for us to follow. What uncomfortable truths are we called to proclaim? What can we do in our work—as teachers, mechanics, lawyers, bankers, plumbers, mothers, fathers, or whatever—to speak out against the horrible injustices of our day?

Today’s psalm offers a vision of God’s kingdom. Peace, salvation (in the fullest sense of the term, which means health and wholeness), righteousness (which is a cognate for justice). These mark God’s kingdom. How can we do God’s work with our hands?

John the Baptist is another prophet who spoke courageously as one of God’s mouthpieces. Like Amos, he spoke out against what he perceived to be an immoral union. What do we need to speak out against? How do we need to adjust our lives so that they will better reflect God’s values?

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!

The summer time seems to be the time for vacations and a time to relax. Even Jesus invites his followers to seek a deserted place, away from the pressing crowds, for rest.

As a bishop of this church I find myself encouraging my pastors to carve out a day per week to rest. I find myself encouraging rostered leaders to take all of their vacation time as a stewardship issue for whoever succeeds them. From my viewpoint, time off is not just your issue but it is a stewardship issue for the one who follows you.

Not only do I teach and counsel the above, I try to lead by example. Some months my example is a very good one. Then there are the months in which I cannot follow my own advice. Meetings get scheduled on my day off and some weeks I am unable to find another day to take off.

Just recently I saw on the evening news the crush of people in Afghanistan. People who have fled their homes and home towns due the concentrated bombing that is attempting to rid the world of terrorists. These folks are starving and desperate for food.

The crowds and the masses wanted what Jesus offered. He fed them; he healed them; he performed miracles. Yet, even Jesus sought time away from those in need. Jesus sought time to pray and time to relax.

As I write this Hunger Sermon Starter I am days away from a vacation. For the last 7 years my wife and I have gone to Nags Head, North Carolina. Eight days of no email and no telephones. No meetings. No appointments. No emergencies other than maybe a flat tire of deciding what if anything we will do on a given day. These eight days are simply a time to relax and rest.

This year I go to Nags Head knowing of a pastor’s daughter who is recovering from surgery and a Pastors spouse who was hospitalized with some mental issues. I know of those who wish to meet with me in person and those call committees that I have promised to educate in our ways. All of these can wait.

Jesus’ words to his followers are words we need to hear and be reminded. I do need to get away (even if it might be to my garden or a good book). I need to rest and place my mind on other things. Otherwise I will not be healthy enough to feed even me.