The 2023 Canterbury Preacher's Companion

Description

A longstanding annual favourite continues under its new editorship bringing a wide variety of preaching voices together to offer a resource for preaching at the principal and the second service every Sunday of the coming year, plus on principal feast days and seasonal services. Ideal for preachers in all churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary, it also includes sermons for holy days, major saints’ days and special occasions such as Mothering Sunday, harvest, rogation and Christmas services. If preparation time is short, the sermons are complete and can be used as they are, but they will also act as a framework for creating your own sermon texts. It also includes: - an introductory essay for preachers - all-age talks for special occasions - hymn suggestions throughout the year - an index of topics and names A boon for hard-pressed clergy, readers and local preachers everywhere.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Preaching
• Christian Ministry
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Hymns Ancient & Modern
• Date de parution: 11 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781786223647
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Canterbury Preacher’s Companion 2023
Sermons for Sundays, Holy Days, Festivals and Special Occasions Year A
Edited by Catherine Williams






© the Contributors, 2022
First published in 2022 by the Canterbury Press Norwich
Editorial office
3rd Floor, Invicta House
108–114 Golden Lane
London EC1Y 0TG, UK
www.canterburypress.co.uk
Canterbury Press is an imprint of Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd (a registered charity)

Hymns Ancient & Modern® is a registered trademark of Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd
13A Hellesdon Park Road, Norwich,
Norfolk NR6 5DR, UK
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Canterbury Press.
The Authors have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the Authors of this Work
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised
Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
978 1-78622-362-3
Typeset by Regent Typesetting
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press Ltd



Contents
Preface
Understanding Pollyanna and Helping Eeyore: Facing Trouble and Preaching Hope by Kate Bruce
Contributors
SUNDAYS AND MAJOR FESTIVALS
Unless otherwise stated, the readings and the verse numbers of the psalms are taken from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (Church House Publishing, 2000), with revisions, and are for Year A.
2022
27 Nov. First Sunday of Advent
Principal Service: Matt. 24.36–44 Be Prepared!
Second Service: Isa. 52.1–12 Visitors Welcome!
4 Dec. Second Sunday of Advent
Principal Service: Matt. 3.1–12 The Ultimate Prophet?
Second Service: 1 Kings 18.17–39 YHWH, He is God! YHWH, He is God!
11 Dec. Third Sunday of Advent
Principal Service: Isa. 35.1–10 Waiting in the Wilderness
Second Service: Acts 13.13–41 What Are We Waiting For?
18 Dec. Fourth Sunday of Advent
Principal Service: Matt. 1.18–end Listening for Angels
Second Service: Rev. 22.6–end Advent Imaginings
25 Dec. Christmas Day
Set I: Luke 2.1–14 Presents
Set II: Luke 2.[1–7] 8–20 God with Us
Set III: John 1.1–14 Gazing at the Crib
Second Service: Phil. 2.5–11 Found!
2023
1 Jan. Second Sunday of Christmas
Principal Service: Matt. 2.13–end God’s Promises in His Unfolding Love
Second Service: Phil. 2.1–11 It All Depends on Where You Stand
8 Jan. Baptism of Christ (First Sunday of Epiphany)
Principal Service: Matt. 3.13–end Speaking Sustenance
Second Service: Josh. 3.1–8, 14–end Crossing the Jordan
15 Jan. Second Sunday of Epiphany
Principal Service: John 1.29–42 Choices, Choices
Second Service: Ezek. 2.1—3.4 Nourished by the Word
22 Jan. Third Sunday of Epiphany
Principal Service: Matt. 4.12–23 Kingdom Fishing
Second Service: 1 Peter 1.3–12 Possibilities Re-imagined
29 Jan. Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
Principal Service: John 2.1–11 The Wedding at Cana
Second Service: Gen. 28.10–end From Flight to Faith
5 Feb. Third Sunday before Lent (Proper 1)
Principal Service: Matt. 5.13–20 Looking Towards Lent
Second Service: Amos 2.4–end Be Angry But Do Not Sin
12 Feb. Second Sunday before Lent
Principal Service: Matt. 6.25–end A Life Reoriented on Christ
Second Service: Prov. 8.1, 22–31 The Shapes and Sizes of Wisdom
19 Feb. Sunday next before Lent
Principal Service: Matt. 17.1–9 Special Meetings with God
Second Service: Matt. 17.[1–8] 9–23 Taking Light into the Darkness
22 Feb. Ash Wednesday
Principal Service: Matt. 6.1–6, 16–21 The Greatest Treasure
26 Feb. First Sunday of Lent
Principal Service: Matt. 4.1–11 Choices
Second Service: Deut. 6.4–9, 16–end Hear Ye, Israel
5 Mar. Second Sunday of Lent
Principal Service: John 3.1–17 Ecce Homo!
Second Service: Luke 14.27–33 Living Your Best Life in Christ
12 Mar. Third Sunday of Lent
Principal Service: John 4.5–42 Tools of Engagement
Second Service: Eph. 6.10–20 Into the Fray
19 Mar. Fourth Sunday of Lent
Principal Service: John 9 The Man Born Blind: Healing and Wholeness
Second Service: Prayer of Manasseh More than the Sand
19. Mar. Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday: Ex. 2.1–10 Reclaiming Mothers’ Day
26 Mar. Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passiontide)
Principal Service: John 11.1–45 Lazarus and Passiontide
Second Service: Matt. 20.17–end Entitlement
2 Apr. Palm Sunday
Principal Service: Matt. 21.1–11 Through Eyes that Have Cried
Second Service: Matt. 21.33–end A Tale of Two Vineyards
3–5 Apr. First Three Days of Holy Week
John 12.1–11 Wasteful Worship?
6 Apr. Maundy Thursday
John 13.1–17, 31b–35 Loving to the End
7 Apr. Good Friday
John 18.1—end of 19 Watching Death
8–9 Apr. Easter Vigil
Matt. 28.1–10 On Not Needing a Hero
9 Apr. Easter Day
Principal Service: John 20.1–18 Beyond First Impressions
Second Service: S. of Sol. 3.2–5; 8.6–7 Finding and Being Found, Seeking to Hold and Being Held
16 Apr. Second Sunday of Easter
Principal Service: John 20.19–end My Lord and My God
Second Service: Mark 15.46—16.8 Show Must Go On
23 Apr. Third Sunday of Easter
Principal Service: Luke 24.13–35 The Breaking of the Bread
Second Service: Hag. 1.13—2.9 The House in the Centre
30 Apr. Fourth Sunday of Easter
Principal Service: John 10.1–10 The Gate of Grace
Second Service: Ezra 3.1–13; Eph. 2.11–end The Temple Made of Prayer
7 May Fifth Sunday of Easter
Principal Service: John 14.1–14 The Way, the Truth and the Life
Second Service: Zech. 4.1–10 What If the Candle Blows Out?
14 May Sixth Sunday of Easter
Principal Service: John 14.15–21 Never Alone
Second Service: Zech. 8.1–13; Rev. 21.22—22.5 Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
18 May Ascension Day
Principal Service: Luke 24.44–end Can I Get a Witness?
Second Service: Rev. 5 Absence, Presence and More Than a Brief Encounter
21 May Seventh Sunday of Easter (Sunday after Ascension Day)
Principal Service: Acts 1.6–14; John 17.1–11 In-between People
Second Service: Eph. 1.15–end All in All
28 May Day of Pentecost (Whit Sunday)
Principal Service: Acts 2.1–11; John 20.19–23 Come Out of Hiding!
Second Service: Acts 2.14–21 All Change
4 June Trinity Sunday
Principal Service: Isa. 40.12–17, 27–end; Matt. 28.16–end The Mind of the Maker
Second Service: Isa. 6.1–8 A Change is Gonna Come
11 June First Sunday after Trinity (Proper 5)
Principal Service: Matt. 9.9–13, 18–26 Everyone Laughed at Jesus
Second Service: Luke 8.41–56 Jesus at the Margins
18 June Second Sunday after Trinity (Proper 6)
Principal Service: Matt. 9.35—10.8 God’s Treasured Possession
Second Service: Luke 11.14–28 With Me or Against Me?
25 June Third Sunday after Trinity (Proper 7)
Principal Service: Matt. 10.24–39 Disturbing the Comfortable and Comforting the Disturbed
Second Service: Luke 14.12–24 Have You Been Invited?
2 July Fourth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 8)
Principal Service: Gen. 22.1–14 Passing the Test
Second Service: 1 Sam. 28.3–19 Saul’s Dark Night
9 July Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 9)
Principal Service: Matt. 11.16–19, 25–end The Blame Game
Second Service: Luke 18.31—19.10 What We Don’t See
16 July Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 10)
Principal Service: Matt. 13.1–9, 18–23 Turning the Soil
Second Service: Ps. 60 Ending in Peace
23 July Seventh Sunday after Trinity (Proper 11)
Principal Service: Matt. 13.24–30, 36–43 Let God Be the Judge
Second Service: 1 Kings 2.10–12; 3.16–end The Discernment of Solomon
30 July Eighth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 12)
Principal Service: Matt. 13.31–33, 44–52 Did You Hear the One About the Kingdom of God?
Second Service: 1 Kings 6.11–14, 23–end; Acts 12.1–17 The Paradox of Buildings
6 Aug. Ninth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 13)
Principal Service: Matt. 14.13–21 A Little Goes a Long Way
Second Service: I Kings 10.1–13 Where is Wisdom to be Found?
13 Aug. Tenth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 14)
Principal Service: 1 Kings 19.9–18 The Stories We Tell Ourselves Really Matter
Second Service: 1 Kings 11.41—12.20 A Leader Who Listens?
20 Aug. Eleventh Sunday after Trinity (Proper 15)
Principal Service: Matt. 15.[10–20] 21–28 Challenging Jesus
Second Service: Acts 16.1–15 God’s Open House
27 Aug. Twelfth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 16)
Principal Service: Rom. 12.1–8 Practical Paul
Second Service: Acts 17.15–end What is Faith?
3 Sept. Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 17)
Principal Service: Jer. 15.15–21; Matt. 16.21–end Bearing the Unbearable
Second Service: 2 Kings 6.24–25; 7.3–end Unlikely Saviours
10 Sept. Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 18)
Principal Service: Matt. 18.15–20 Together in Community
Second Service: Acts 19.1–20 Meeting the Holy Spirit
17 Sept. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 19)
Principal Service: Matt. 18.21–35 Forgive