It has been my practice to use The Revised Common Lectionary as a source for the Scriptures that we include in worship. The Revised Common Lectionary is a calendar and table of suggested scripture readings for a three-year cycle. Each year is assigned a letter, A, B, and C. We are currently in Year C. We will start over again in Year A in Advent. The Lectionary provides a scripture reading from the Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament), a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and one from the Gospels.

I use this source for two reasons. First, it makes sure that we consider material from all parts of the Bible. The second is that these same readings will be used by churches of many denominations around the world. This second reason gives me (and I hope you as well) a sense of being connected to other Christians in other places. This is important to me because of what St. Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4–6 NRSV).

The scriptures that I chose from this week’s lectionary readings are Jeremiah 1:4–10 and Luke 13:10–17.

God’s Plan

The passage from Jeremiah describes Jeremiah’s call from God to be a prophet. After Jeremiah tells us that the word of the Lord came to him in verse 4, we are told what God said in vs. 5 and 6. God says to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5–6 NRSV). God has a plan for Jeremiah and wants him to know how important that plan is. This has been God’s plan for a long time, even before Jeremiah was conceived. God has a plan for me, and God has a plan for you.

God’s Will, Not Our Will

The passage from Luke finds Jesus teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. A woman enters who had been suffering for a long, long time. Jesus sensed her suffering, had compassion on her, and healed her. However, the ruler of the synagogue was bothered by this. He was more concerned with making sure that others did not break any of “the rules” that he forgot the most important rule of all.

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, we are reminded of the greatest commandment. When asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus answered, “‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ this is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’‘ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The leader wanted to do his will and was not listening for God’s will. We all must remember that people are more important than things.

The Sunday Morning Service

Our hymns will be: Opening, #20, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”; acclamations of praise, Songs for Praise & Worship #3, “What a Mighty God We Serve,” and #4, “Great and Mighty”; pulpit, #103, “Ye Servants of God, Your Master”; and closing, #358 “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”.