“Bridesmaids Revisited” (A50: Proper 27)
Amos 5:18-24; Psalm 70; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 Sapio pays close attention to Jesus’ story of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25, and she finds something often overlooked: “In this parable, the opposite of...
“Jesus and the Working Poor” (A43: Proper 20)
Jonah 3:10–4:11; Psalm 145:1-8; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 De La Torre explores the story of the “workers in the vineyard” from Matthew 20, and he says we need to stop “spiritualizing” the meaning. Instead, De...
“How Can You Call Yourself a Christian?”
Ryan Ahlgrim, Pastor of First Mennonite Church in Richmond, Virginia, quotes James 2:1, saying, “My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality.” And then...
A53: Reign of Christ Sunday, Year A (2023)
Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli, Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, preaches a sermon called “Invisible Christ” from Matthew 25:31-46. Cirelli says, “Notice that in our parable today Jesus isn’t telling us to...
A52: The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A (2023)
Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of Richmond’s First Mennonite Church, says, “unlike Aesop’s Fables, Jesus’s parables are not always easy to understand. Some of his parables are downright puzzling.” He finds today’s parable of the talents from...