Preaching the Word
I'm gathering together on this page sermons I've delivered at Church of the Redeemer at Avenue Road and Bloor St in Toronto,
Ontario. Why sermons as part of a page mostly devoted to Bible Study? Because preaching is Bible Study in action. It is where
those of us fortunate enough to be able to do so both break open the Word read in worship and use it to persuade and exhort the
whole community (ourselves included). In this way we encourage ourselves and others to live as befits members of Christ's body.
Our study of the Bible equips us with resources for this preaching and exhortation. We must never forget that
the goal of a sermon is not so much to understand the passage in its context as it is to encourage us all to lay aside the broken
desires that cause us to elevate things into idols and degrade people into objects. Only in this way can we instead embrace the
true love of God and one another that brings us into right relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbours.
Needless to say, this is an ideal of preaching that I often fall short of! Especially in the earliest of the sermons here,
those based on the unrevised lectionary, I have sometimes tended to be far too academic. Still, I still think all of these
sermons are worth a look, if you are interested in the readings for the Sunday in question.
If you are a preacher and see anything here you want to borrow or adapt to your own community, feel free to do so. But please
let me know. Thank you!
Abigail Ann Young
Sermons on the Common Lectionary (Unrevised) [since the Common Lectionary has been superceded by the RCL (below), I have
added the specific reading on which I focussed the sermon]
Transfiguration Sunday (Common Lectionary, Unrevised): Listen! [Luke 9.28-36] Lent 2C, Common Lectionary (Unrevised): On the Road to Jerusalem [Luke 13.31-35] Easter 2A (Common Lectionary (Unrevised):Doubting Thomas [John 20.19-31] Proper 27 (Common Lectionary, Unrevised): Bringing Many Children to Glory [Heb 1.1-4, 2.9-11] Proper 29C (Common Lectionary, Unrevised): Inspired by God? [2Tim 3.14-4.5]
Sermons on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) [you will find the
proper readings by following the RCL link and using the tables provided for each season in each year]
Advent 4B: The World Turned Upside Down Christmas 1A: A Saviour in all their Distress Christmas 1C: Joy Comes in the Morning Epiphany B: Open Secrets Epiphany 2A: Call and Response Epiphany 2B: A "Vision Thing" Epiphany 2C: Abundant Giving Epiphany 2C: Varieties of Gifts Epiphany 3A: The Call of the Apostles Epiphany 3C: One and Many Epiphany 4B: Jesus' Sermon in Capernaum Epiphany 4C: Jesus' Sermon in Nazareth Epiphany 8A: The Lilies of the Field Transfiguration Sunday Year A: The Transforming Presence of God Transfiguration Sunday Year C: Shining Faces Lent 4A: A Lesson in Discernment Lent 5B: God's Good Time Monday in Holy Week: The Gift Monday in Holy Week: On With the New Tuesday in Holy Week: A Prophetic Sign Wednesday in Holy Week: Not Put to Shame Easter 2B: Sense and Non-Sense Easter 2C: Feeding the Sheep Easter 4A (Good Shepherd Sunday): Sheep and Shepherds Easter 4B: True Love? Easter 6B: Abiding in Love Proper 8(13)B: Welcoming Jesus Proper 8(13)B: Ready and Eager Proper 8(13)B: Radical Giving Proper 10(15)B: St Paul and the Divine Plan Proper 12(17)C: Persistent in Prayer Proper 13(18)B: Bread from Heaven Proper 13(18)C: Out of Egypt I called my Son Proper 14(19)A: Encountering God in Unlikely Places Proper 14(19)C: The Better Country Proper 16(21)A: Simon the Rock Proper 17(22)C: Angels Unawares Proper 17(22)C: Radical Hospitality Proper 27A (Thanksgiving Sunday): How to be a Vineyard Proper 27(32)B (Remembrance Sunday): Self-giving Love Proper 28(33)C: The Sun Also Rises The Reign of Christ (Proper 29C): Becoming a Kingdom People The Reign of Christ (Proper 29C): King Jesus?
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