Hi, gang; it’s nice to be back among the land of the living and (mostly) to have my voice back! Thanks for the notes of encouragement last week.
I’m going to continue with the updated format we rolled out last week, giving some summaries of the texts for this Sunday, along with some preaching notes and such. As always, I truly welcome your feedback as to what is helpful and what is not — particularly. So, away we go!
“The Great One” aka Jackie Gleason demonstrating his Away We Go pose
RCL Texts
1 Samuel 16:1–13
God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from Jesse’s sons. Samuel assumes the oldest, strongest-looking son must be the one, but God interrupts that instinct: “The Lord does not see as mortals see… the Lord looks on the heart.” One by one, the obvious candidates pass by. Finally David, the youngest, is brought in from tending sheep, and God says, “Rise and anoint him.” The Spirit rushes upon David from that day forward. The passage confronts human fixation on appearance, status, and first impressions, and it highlights God’s freedom to choose the overlooked.
Preaching note:
God’s election disrupts our ranking systems. The text is not anti-giftedness; it is anti-reduction of people to image, polish, or social weight.
Pastoral caution:
Don’t weaponize “God looks at the heart” to dismiss responsible leadership discernment or to romanticize inexperience.
Application move:
Invite the congregation to reconsider one person they have underestimated — in church, family, or community — and pray for eyes trained by God rather than by appearance.
Psalm 23
This psalm speaks in intimate trust: the Lord is shepherd, host, guide, and protector. It moves from green pastures to dark valleys without pretending the valley is unreal. God’s presence is not only for peaceful seasons but also for threatening ones: “You are with me.” The tone shifts from third person (“he”) to second person (“you”) in the valley, suggesting nearness in trouble. The psalm ends not with escape from life but with confident belonging — dwelling in God’s house, held by goodness and mercy.
Preaching note:
Psalm 23 is not sentimental denial. It names threat and still confesses trust because God is near, not because life is easy.
Pastoral caution:
Avoid using this psalm to force quick comfort on grieving people (“you should feel peaceful by now”).
Application move:
Offer a breath prayer for anxious moments this week:
Inhale: “You are with me.”
Exhale: “I will not fear.”
Ephesians 5:8–14
Paul reminds believers of identity and calling: “Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.” Not merely “in darkness,” but darkness — a condition now transformed by Christ. Because of that change, the church is to “live as children of light,” producing goodness, justice, and truth. The passage rejects unfruitful works of darkness and calls for discernment about what pleases the Lord. The closing line (“Sleeper, awake… and Christ will shine on you”) sounds like a baptismal wake-up call: step out of hiddenness and into Christ’s illuminating life.
Preaching note:
Paul roots ethics in identity. We don’t behave into belonging; we live differently because we already belong to Christ.
Pastoral caution:
Don’t preach “light vs darkness” in ways that fuel self-righteousness or stigmatize those in depression, doubt, or struggle.
Application move:
Ask people to choose one concrete “light practice” for Lent: truth-telling, restitution, reconnection, or daily examen before bed.
John 9:1–41
Jesus sees a man blind from birth, and the disciples ask whose sin caused it. Jesus refuses that blame framework and says God’s works will be revealed. He heals the man with mud and water, sending him to wash in Siloam. As the man gains sight, conflict escalates: neighbors debate, religious leaders investigate, parents fear social consequences, and the healed man grows bolder in testimony. Ironically, those who claim spiritual sight become harder and more blind, while the one once blind comes to faith and worship. The story is about more than physical healing; it is about revelation, courage, and the cost of confessing Jesus.
Preaching note:
Jesus rejects simplistic blame and restores dignity. The healed man’s journey moves from partial understanding to public witness to worship.
Pastoral caution:
Do not imply disability is a spiritual object lesson or punishment. The text centers Jesus’ works, not human fault.
Application move:
Challenge the church to interrupt blame-language this week (“Who caused this?”) and replace it with mercy-language (“How can God’s care show up here?”).
An optional sermon outline (with illustration ideas)
“From Blind Assumptions to Living in the Light”
Core Claim: God sees truly, stays near, and calls us to walk in Christ’s light.
1) God Sees What We Miss
Text: 1 Samuel 16:1–13
• Samuel looks at appearance; God looks at the heart.
• David is overlooked, yet chosen and anointed.
• Lent confronts our habit of judging by surface: polish, confidence, résumé, class, age.
Preaching move:
Name the church’s temptation to mistake visibility for calling.
Illustration #1 (Hiring Panel / Audition):
A hiring committee nearly rejects a candidate because they’re quiet and unimpressive in first-round small talk. But their portfolio reveals deep wisdom and consistency. The “obvious” pick had charisma; the right pick had substance.
Point: We often confuse presentation with depth.
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2) God Is With Us in the Valley, Not Just Beyond It
Text: Psalm 23
• The psalm includes both green pastures and dark valleys.
• The turning point is not changed scenery but changed presence: “You are with me.”
• Lent teaches trust in God’s companionship when outcomes are unresolved.
Preaching move:
Pastor people away from shallow optimism toward durable trust.
Illustration #2 (Night Drive in Fog):
Driving in dense fog, you can’t see far ahead. You move safely not because you can see the whole road, but because headlights give enough light for the next stretch.
Point: God often gives “next-step” light, not full-map certainty.
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3) Christ Moves Us from Blame to Witness
Texts: Ephesians 5:8–14; John 9:1–41
• Disciples ask, “Who sinned?” Jesus refuses blame logic.
• Healing leads to conflict, interrogation, and eventually worship.
• Paul: “You were darkness, now you are light… live as children of light.”
• Christian maturity means truthfulness, courage, and mercy—not scapegoating.
Preaching move: Call the church to be a community where people are restored, not reduced.
Illustration #3 (Recovery Story / Public Testimony):
A person in recovery says, “People used to ask what was wrong with me. A mentor asked what happened to me and what healing might look like.” That shift changed everything.
Point: Blame imprisons; grace opens a future.
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Conclusion / Invitation
This week, invite the congregation to:
1. Re-examine one judgment they’ve made by appearance.
2. Pray Psalm 23 daily in one anxious moment (“You are with me”).
3. Replace blame with witness in one hard conversation (“How might Christ bring light here?”).
Narrative Lectionary Text
John 18:28–40 (Jesus and Pilate)
Jesus is brought from the religious hearing to the Roman governor’s headquarters. The leaders avoid ritual defilement so they can eat Passover, while simultaneously pressing for Jesus’ execution — a sharp irony about outward purity and inward injustice. Pilate questions Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus reframes kingship: his kingdom is “not from this world,” meaning it does not arise from coercion, violence, or imperial logic. He says he came to testify to the truth, and those who belong to the truth listen to his voice. Pilate responds with the famous, evasive question: “What is truth?” Though Pilate repeatedly signals Jesus’ innocence, he yields to crowd pressure and offers the Passover release choice. The crowd chooses Barabbas, and Jesus is rejected. The scene exposes political fear, compromised leadership, and the quiet authority of Christ’s truth.
Preaching note:
The passage is not mainly about a private religious dispute; it is about the collision between God’s truth and public systems of power. Jesus is not passive — he is clear, composed, and sovereign even while being judged.
Pastoral caution:
Avoid preaching this text in a way that collapses into anti-Jewish blame. The Gospel scene includes multiple compromised actors (religious and political), and the deeper diagnosis is human fear and sin across the board.
Application move:
Invite the congregation to examine one place this week where they are tempted to choose convenience over truth — then take one concrete step of truthful speech or faithful action.
Psalm 145:10–13 (Optional NL Psalm)
These verses are a doxology of God’s kingship. All creation blesses God; the faithful speak of God’s glory so that all people may know God’s mighty acts. The kingdom of God is described as everlasting and enduring through every generation. In context with John 18, the psalm functions as a theological contrast: earthly rulers protect fragile power, but God’s reign is steady, trustworthy, and not subject to panic or spin.
Preaching note:
The psalm gives the church its public vocabulary: we announce God’s reign not as propaganda, but as testimony to God’s enduring character.
Pastoral caution:
Don’t turn “God’s kingdom” into partisan language or culture-war slogans. The text points to God’s universal, generational, mercy-shaped reign.
Application move:
Give a simple Lenten practice: each day name one headline-driven fear, then pray, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; steady my heart in your rule.”
Optional Sermon Outline
“What Is Truth? Christ’s Kingdom in a Fearful World”
Core Claim: When fear distorts judgment, Jesus remains the truthful King, and the church is called to bear witness to God’s enduring kingdom.
1) Religious Appearance Can Hide Moral Compromise
Text: John 18:28–32
• Leaders avoid ritual defilement before Passover, yet pursue an unjust outcome.
• John exposes the disconnect between external purity and internal posture.
• Lent calls us to integrity, not image-management.
Preaching move:
Name how easy it is to keep religious habits while avoiding hard obedience.
Suggested illustration #1 (Polished Exterior):
A house can have a freshly painted front porch while the foundation quietly cracks.
Point: Cosmetic faith is not structural faith.
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2) Jesus Redefines Kingship Through Truth, Not Force
Text: John 18:33–38a
• Pilate asks political questions; Jesus gives theological answers.
• “My kingdom is not from this world” = not sourced by domination, manipulation, or violence.
• Jesus’ mission: “to testify to the truth.”
• “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Preaching move:
Show that Christian allegiance is formed by Christ’s voice before it is shaped by public anxiety.
Suggested illustration #2 (Tuning Fork):
A tuning fork sets the reference pitch; every instrument must tune to it or the whole ensemble drifts.
Point: Christ is the reference tone for truth; without him, we normalize dissonance.
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3) Fear Chooses Barabbas, but God’s Kingdom Endures
Text: John 18:38b–40 + Psalm 145:10–13
• Pilate knows Jesus is innocent but caves to pressure.
• The crowd chooses Barabbas — immediate control over inconvenient truth.
• Psalm 145 counters this instability: God’s kingdom is everlasting, generation to generation.
• The church’s task: speak of that kingdom clearly and calmly.
Preaching move: Call the congregation from reactive fear to steady witness.
Suggested illustration #3 (News Cycle vs. Bedrock):
Headlines change by the hour; bedrock does not.
Point: Public narratives shift fast, but God’s reign is not up for reelection.
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Conclusion / Invitation
This week, invite people to three responses:
1. Confession: Where am I curating appearances instead of walking in truth?
2. Discernment: Which voice is shaping my fear most — Christ’s or the crowd’s?
3. Witness: One concrete act of truth-telling, mercy, or courage in Christ’s name.
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