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Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers March 19, 2023 —  Fourth Sunday of Lent John 9:1-41 Rev. Mara Bailey What is true healing? I wasn’t going to do it. I was going to take the “easy road” this week (is preaching ever easy? I suppose some messages do come easier than others…) and share some recent thoughts on Psalm 23 and how it is a perfect ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers March 12, 2023 —  Third Sunday of Lent Exodus 17: 1-7   Psalm 95   Romans 5: 1-11   John 4: 5-42 Rev. Paul Wilcox  All wet The Old Testament and Gospel readings for this Sunday are all wet!  That is, they are linked by the image of water and our very basic need for it.  In Exodus, the Israelites grumble for ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers March 5, 2023 —  Second Sunday of Lent John 3:1-17; Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 By Rev. Rebecca Campney Carver At night The second Sunday in Lent, Year A offers up a rich collection of scriptures. Should a preacher focus on the call of Abram, combining it with the Romans passage on ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers Feb 26, 2023 —  First Sunday of Lent Matthew 4:1-11 By Pastor Rosa María Rodríguez How to conquer temptations The temptations at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, historically remind us of the pilgrimage of the people of Israel through the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land.  And, before ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers Feb 22, 2023 —  Ash Wednesday Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Cor. 5:20b-6:10; Matt. 6:1-6, 16-21 By Paul I. Burrow  Journeying through Lent with our eyes on Jesus Often we think of the season of Lent as a long road that stretches out before us.  The season of Lent is a journey that we take each year.  It...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers Feb 19, 2023 —  Transfiguration Sunday (White or Gold) Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 99 (UMH 819); 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-19 By Rev. Charles J. Downing Top of the mountain First, “transfiguration”? What does it mean? Most of us have not used that word since the last time we read the scriptures for the Sunday ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers February 12, 2023 – Sixth Sunday After Epiphany Texts: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37 Rev. Katie Z. Dawson (katied@iumc.org) Weighing Our Choices Before we go any farther diving into the texts for today, I want to invite you to stop and pause and make a list.  Write ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers Feb 5, 2023 — Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 581-9a (9b012); Psalm 112:1-9 (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13016); Matthew 5:13-20 By Rev. Jim Purdue Your light shall break forth The theme of light permeates three of the four lessons for this Sunday, and it forms the background of the Pauline lesson: ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers Memo for Preachers: January 29th, 2023 (4th Sunday after the Epiphany) Micah 6:1-8  | Psalm 15  |1 Corinthians 1:18-31  | Matthew 5:1-12 By: Rev. Mara Bailey    “Who is God Calling, and How Shall They Come?” The lectionary texts for this fourth Sunday after the Epiphany seem to focus on a lot of “who’s” and “...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers January 22, 2023 Third Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23 By Rev. Paul I. Burrow The power of the cross In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes what had to be a strange reference at the time.  “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers January 15, 2023 Second Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 49:1-7 By Rosa María Rodríguez A Holy Calling Jesus, from his birth, was called by the Lord.  “Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!  The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.” This ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers December 24 and 25, 2022 By Rev. Bob Dean (retired elder)  The back-to-back Christmas Eve and Sunday falls periodically and creates a challenge each time. Do you focus on one, or offer both? My experience, and of most pastors I’ve talked with, experience a large attendance at Christmas Eve service(s) and a ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers December 18, 2022 Fourth Sunday of Advent - Year A Matthew 1:18-25 By Rev. Dr. Gary Armstrong God is with us Some images relative to the Advent/Christmas story are fixed in my mind because of numerous repetitions through the years. They relate the birth narratives of Jesus and how the story has been part of ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers December 11, 2022 Third Sunday of Advent - Year A Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 1:47-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11? By Martha Dalton Ward Active Waiting Waiting is hard – especially in Advent.   I admit it’s somewhat easier now than when I was an impatient child wondering when Christmas would ever come so I could ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers December 4, 2022 Second Sunday of Advent - Year A Isaiah 11:1-10 By Rev. Mara Bailey, Simpson College Chaplain Can peace be so simple? The week before Thanksgiving our daughter had her third grade music concert. The theme was based on the book “If Kids Ran the World” by Leo and Diane Dillon. In between each ...

Would you like to write for the Memo? We are looking for new writers and would love to have you join the team. Please email Rev. Bob Dean and include a writing example.  Memo for Preachers November, 27, 2022 First Sunday of Advent - Year A Isaiah 2:1-5 • Psalm 122 • Romans 13:11-14 • Matthew 24:36-44 By Paul I. Burrow Transformational Waiting Recently I took my wife to the Emergency Room so that she could get a blood test that they weren’t able to do in the doctor’s office.  Because it was “...

Memo for Preachers November, 20 2022 24th Sunday after Pentecost - Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday Luke 23:33-43 By Rosa María Rodríguez  Today you will be with me in paradise Luke 23:33-43 says: “When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Jesus was not the only one who died that day.  Two thieves accompanied him in his death.  Apparently, the thieves were guilty.  In addition, they could have...

Why don’t we talk more about heaven? November 6, 2022 Text: Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17; Luke 20:27-38 By: Rev. Katie Dawson One of my congregation members recently asked me: Why don’t we talk more about heaven? I think one reason is there is a lot we don’t know about the life that awaits us. We have metaphor and imagery in our scripture and we have a strong sense of being present with God, but I can’t answer any concrete questions about what comes next. ...

Memo for Preachers October 30, 2022 - 21st Sunday after Pentecost Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 • Psalm 119:137-144  2nd Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 • Luke 19:1-10 By Rev. Bob Dean I can't wait! If I’m in a hurry, a red traffic light can seem to last forever. If the car ahead of me doesn’t move when it turns green, I’m tempted to give voice (well, horn) to my irritation. Usually I don’t. Usually. I should practice patience during those times, because today’s passages all deal in some way with waiting – ...

Memo for Preachers October 23, 2022 - 20th Sunday after Pentecost Joel 2:23-32; Psalm 65; 2nd Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14 By Rev. Martha Dalton Ward Praying with a sideward glance A number of years ago, a pastor friend of mine said you’ll find two basic types of people in church – repentant sinners and unrepentant sinners. To reflect on which type you might be, consider this week’s Gospel text in Luke 18:9-14 - the story Jesus tells about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee, ...

Memo for Preachers October 16, 2022 - 19th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104  • Genesis 32:22-31 and Psalm 121  • 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5  • Luke 18:1-8* By Rev. Mara Bailey Wrestling with faith Doubt and faith have a curious relationship.     Is having questions and doubt an indicator of a lack of faith? Does having faith mean that you will no longer doubt? When you became a Christian, or began to recognize it as an important element in your life, did you think it was a ...

Want the Memo for Preachers in your inbox? Click the button to subscribe.   Subscribe → Memo for Preachers Subscribe to the Memo for Preachers October 9, 2022 - 18th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 29:1-14; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19 By Paul I. Burrow I know who holds the future Toward the end of the school year last Spring, I was asked to give a message for the local Baccalaureate service. I hadn’t been to a Baccalaureate service since the one I spoke at when I ...