Connections: Year C, Three-Volume Set

Description

Designed to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.

For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.

This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.

This eBook set contains Year C, volumes 1, 2, and 3.

Sujets

• Preaching
• Christian Ministry
• Philosophie et théologie
• Revised Common Lectionary
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781646980345
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Connections
Year C
Contents
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Year C, Volume 1

Advent through Epiphany

Joel B. Green Thomas G. Long Luke A. Powery Cynthia L. Rigby
General Editors
© 2018 Westminster John Knox Press

First edition
Published by Westminster John Knox Press
Louisville, Kentucky

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com .

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked CEB are from the Common English Bible, © 2011 Common English Bible, and are used by permission. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked JUB are taken from the Jubilee Bible, copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010, 2013 by Life Sentence Publishing, Inc. Used by permission of Life Sentence Publishing, Inc., Abbotsford, Wisconsin. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers and are used by permission.

Excerpt from “The Time of the End Is the Time of No Room,” by Thomas Merton, from Raids of the Unspeakable , copyright © 1966 by The Abbey of Gethsemani, Inc. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

Excerpt from Brian K. Blount, “Pick a Fight” (unpublished sermon). Reprinted by permission.

Book and cover design by Allison Taylor

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Long, Thomas G., 1946- editor.
Title: Connections : a lectionary commentary for preaching and worship / Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery, Cynthia L. Rigby, general editors.
Description: Louisville, Kentucky : Westminster John Knox Press, 2018- | Includes index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018006372 (print) | LCCN 2018012579 (ebook) | ISBN 9781611648874 (ebk.) | ISBN 9780664262433 (volume 1 : hbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Lectionary preaching. | Bible--Meditations. | Common lectionary (1992) | Lectionaries.
Classification: LCC BV4235.L43 (ebook) | LCC BV4235.L43 C66 2018 (print) | DDC 251/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018006372

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.

Westminster John Knox Press advocates the responsible use of our natural resources. The text paper of this book is made from 30% postconsumer waste.

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Contents
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
INTRODUCING CONNECTIONS
INTRODUCING THE REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY
First Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 33:14–16
Psalm 25:1–10
1 Thessalonians 3:9–13
Luke 21:25–36
Second Sunday of Advent
Malachi 3:1–4
Luke 1:68–79
Philippians 1:3–11
Luke 3:1–6
Third Sunday of Advent
Zephaniah 3:14–20
Isaiah 12:2–6
Philippians 4:4–7
Luke 3:7–18
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Micah 5:2–5a
Luke 1:46b–55
Psalm 80:1–7
Hebrews 10:5–10
Luke 1:39–45 (46–55)
Christmas Eve/Nativity of the Lord, Proper I
Isaiah 9:2–7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11–14
Luke 2:1–14 (15–20)
Christmas Day/ Nativity of the Lord, Proper II
Isaiah 62:6–12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4–7
Luke 2:(1–7) 8–20
Christmas Day/Nativity of the Lord, Proper III
Isaiah 52:7–10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1–4 (5–12)
John 1:1–14
First Sunday after Christmas Day
1 Samuel 2:18–20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12–17
Luke 2:41–52
Second Sunday after Christmas Day
Jeremiah 31:7–14
Psalm 147:12–20
Ephesians 1:3–14
John 1:(1–9) 10–18
Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1–6
Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14
Ephesians 3:1–12
Matthew 2:1–12
Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 43:1–7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14–17
Luke 3:15–17, 21–22
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1–5
Psalm 36:5–10
1 Corinthians 12:1–11
John 2:1–11
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12–31a
Luke 4:14–21
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4–10
Psalm 71:1–6
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Luke 4:21–30
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 6:1–8 (9–13)
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1–11
Luke 5:1–11
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Jeremiah 17:5–10
Psalm 1
1 Corinthians 15:12–20
Luke 6:17–26
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Genesis 45:3–11, 15
Psalm 37:1–11, 39–40
1 Corinthians 15:35–38, 42–50
Luke 6:27–38
Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 55:10–13
Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15
1 Corinthians 15:51–58
Luke 6:39–49
Ninth Sunday after the Epiphany
1 Kings 8:22–23, 41–43
Psalm 96:1–9
Galatians 1:1–12
Luke 7:1–10
Transfiguration Sunday
Exodus 34:29–35
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2
Luke 9:28–36 (37–43a)
CONTRIBUTORS
AUTHOR INDEX
SCRIPTURE INDEX
Publisher’s Note
“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God,” says the Second Helvetic Confession. While that might sound like an exalted estimation of the homiletical task, it comes with an implicit warning: “A lot is riding on this business of preaching. Get it right!”
Believing that much does indeed depend on the church’s proclamation, we offer Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship. Connections embodies two complementary convictions about the study of Scripture in preparation for preaching and worship. First, to best understand an individual passage of Scripture, we should put it in conversation with the rest of the Bible. Second, since all truth is God’s truth, we should bring as many “lenses” as possible to the study of Scripture, drawn from as many sources as we can find. Our prayer is that this unique combination of approaches will illumine your study and preparation, facilitating the weekly task of bringing the Word of God to the people of God.
We at Westminster John Knox Press want to thank the superb editorial team that came together to make Connections possible. At the heart of that team are our general editors: Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery, and Cynthia L. Rigby. These four gifted scholars and preachers have poured countless hours into brainstorming, planning, reading, editing, and supporting the project. Their passion for authentic preaching and transformative worship shows up on every page. They pushed the writers and their fellow editors, they pushed us at the press, and most especially they pushed themselves to focus always on what you, the users of this resource, genuinely need. We are grateful to Kimberly Bracken Long for her innovative vision of what commentary on the Psalm readings could accomplish and for recruiting a talented group of liturgists and preachers to implement that vision. Bo Adams has shown creativity and insight in exploring an array of sources to provide the sidebars that accompany each worship day’s commentaries. At the forefront of the work have been the members of our editorial board, who helped us identify writers, assign passages, and most especially carefully edit each commentary. They have cheerfully allowed the project to intrude on their schedules in order to make possible this contribution to the life of the church. Most especially we thank our writers, drawn from a broad diversity of backgrounds, vocations, and perspectives. The distinctive character of our commentaries required much from our writers. Their passion for the preaching ministry of the church proved them worthy of the challenge.
A project of this size does not come together without the work of excellent support staff. Above all we are indebted to project manager Joan Murchison. Joan’s fingerprints are all over the book you hold in your hands; her gentle, yet unconquerable, persistence always kept it moving forward in good shape and on time.
Finally, our sincere thanks to the administration, faculty, and staff of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, our institutional partner in producing Connections. President Theodore J. Wardlaw and Dean David H. Jensen have been steadfast friends of the project, enthusiastically agreeing to our partnership, carefully overseeing their faculty and staff’s work on it, graciously hosting our meetings, and enthusiastically using their platform to promote Connections among their students, alumni, and friends.
It is with much joy that we commend Connections to you, our readers. May God use this resource to deepen and enrich your ministry of preaching and worship.
WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS
Introducing Connections
Connections is a resource designed to help preachers generate sermons that are theologically deeper, liturgically richer, and culturally more pertinent. Based on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), which has wide ecumenical use, the hundreds of essays on the full array of biblical passages in the three-year cycle can be used effectively by preachers who follow the RCL, by those w