Christ Episcopal Church, Alameda CA

Preacher: Rev. Anne Jensen

Readings: Proper 9 C  July 4, 2010  2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

This day we are not only celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus, as we do every Sunday, we are also celebrating the Fourth of July.  It’s the birthday party for our country.  As I was reading for this morning’s sermon I was struck by the notion that our forbearers in a way were trying to bring the new nation into a way of being that was more nearly like the kingdom of God on earth than being subject to the King of England allowed.  Both as a church and as a country we struggle on our journey to the New Jerusalem.

Preacher: Rev. Laurie Moyer

Readings:  Amos 8.1-12  (sermon also covers Amos 7.7-17), Psalm 52, Colossians 1.15-28, Luke 10.38-42

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, our strength and our Redeemer.   Amen.  (altered Ps. 19.14)

Today I’m not going to talk about the Gospel reading.  The squabble between Mary and Martha, that Martha attempts to triangulate by pulling Jesus into it, will have to be covered another time.

Today I want to talk about the Old Testament reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos – and not just today’s Amos reading, but last week’s, too.  For in the three-year cycle of first suggested Sunday readings, it is only last Sunday and this Sunday that Amos comes up in the Revised Common Lectionary.  And it is NOT because Amos is an afterthought or because he is considered insignificant.  As one source states it:  Amos was “the first prophet in a brilliant succession of prophets whose words are now preserved in written form.  Those words have left an indelible stamp on later thought about God and [about God working in] human history.”        Amos was a pioneer of the Biblical prophetic genre. The Book of Amos is the first prophetical book that deals with what would turn out to be terrible times for the Jewish people.