FIRST READING Amos 6:1a, 4-7 The prophet Amos announces that Israel’s great wealth is a cause not for rejoicing but rather sorrow, because God’s people have forgotten how to share their wealth with the poor. The wealthy will be the first to go into exile when judgment comes. 1aAlas for those who are at ease in Zion, and…
3900 Winnetka Avenue N., New Hope, MN 55427
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Sermons on Pentecost
FIRST READING Amos 8:4-7 Amos was called by God to prophesy in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Peace and prosperity in Israel led to corrupt business practices and oppression of the poor. The prophet declares that God will not tolerate such a situation. 4Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and…
FIRST READING Exodus 32:7-14 While Moses is on Mount Sinai, the people grow restless and make a golden calf to worship. Today’s reading shows Moses as the mediator between an angry God and a sinful people. Moses reminds God that the Israelites are God’s own people, and boldly asks for mercy for them. 7The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once!…
FIRST READING Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Moses speaks to the Israelites, who are about to enter the land promised to their ancestors. In this passage, he lays out the stark choice before them: choose life by loving and obeying the Lord; or choose death by following other gods. 15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death…
FIRST READING Proverbs 25:6-7 The book of Proverbs is part of a collection of writings known as wisdom literature. Wisdom literature gave directions to Israel’s leaders and people for the conduct of daily life. Today’s reading is about humility. 6Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; 7for it…
FIRST READING Isaiah 58:9b-14 God promises those who have returned from exile that where justice and mercy prevail, the ruins will be rebuilt and light will rise in the darkness. It is a day for new beginnings. 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If…
FIRST READING Jeremiah 23:23-29 Because Jeremiah preaches the unpopular message of God’s judgment, he suffers rejection. Today’s reading 23Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? 24Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. 25I have heard what the prophets have said…
FIRST READING Genesis 15:1-6 God promises childless and aging Abram that a child of his own will be his heir and that his descendents will number as many as the stars. Abram trusts God’s promise, and through this faith he is considered righteous. 1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not…
FIRST READING Ecclesiastes 1:2,12-14; 2:18-23 The teacher of wisdom who wrote Ecclesiastes sees that working for mere accumulation of wealth turns life into an empty game, a “vanity of vanities.” Nevertheless, he asserts in the next verse, it is good to find enjoyment in one’s work because such enjoyment is a gift…
FIRST READING Genesis 18:20-32 In today’s reading, Abraham undertakes the role of mediator between God and sinful humanity. Appealing to God’s justice, Abraham boldly asks for mercy for the city of Sodom for the sake of the few righteous people there, including Abraham’s nephew. 20Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their…