Matthew9, Genesis 18: 1- 15, 2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Living God help us to hear your holy Word that we may truly understand;<\/p>\n
so that as we come to understand, we may trust you, and in trusting, we may follow you,<\/p>\n
through Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre as he sat in the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day<\/p>\n
Abraham was just sitting in the entrance of his tent and there was the Lord<\/p>\n
We are told he was manifested as three men<\/p>\n
They interacted and through that visit<\/p>\n
Abraham learned that he was to be the father of a son<\/p>\n
What a promise<\/p>\n
What a day<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When Abraham had his visit from the Lord<\/p>\n
He spent time with the Lord<\/p>\n
Abraham visited with the men who were there<\/p>\n
He served them food and drink<\/p>\n
He welcomed them into his home<\/p>\n
In our encounter with God we need to do something similar<\/p>\n
Some time ago I was when I was working with one young teen to prepare her to confirm her faith, and to become a member of her congregation, we were talking about holy habits<\/p>\n
The book that we used called daily devotions and other spiritual practices holy habits<\/p>\n
And I think it is easier to think of having holy habits maybe than it could be to develop spiritual disciplines<\/p>\n
Although they are the same thing<\/p>\n
We talked about things like how to pray<\/p>\n
How to incorporate regular Bible reading into our lives<\/p>\n
Or how to incorporate giving, or Christ-like actions in one\u2019s life help to welcome God into our lives<\/p>\n
Just as Abraham welcomed the Lord at his tent<\/p>\n
Holy habits help us to connect with God as one who loves us and is present to us always<\/p>\n
The following prayer from Iona is one way we might talk with God:<\/p>\n
Eternal God<\/p>\n
Conceiver and shaper,<\/p>\n
Ruler and saviour of the world<\/p>\n
We bless you that, awake and aware we are free to praise you, bound in the family of Christ to worshippers in every land.<\/p>\n
We worship you in our mother tongue as others do in theirs glad to be part of your pattern and purpose<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Liberate all who follow Christ from narrowness of vision and limited discipleship<\/p>\n
Make your people keen to serve you in the public worlds of business politics, education, law, industry, and wherever the welfare of humanity<\/p>\n
may be improved or threatened.<\/p>\n
Thus, may compassion and justice inform our national life and institutions<\/p>\n
as keenly as they address our consciences<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Throughout this day enliven our minds.<\/p>\n
Inspire our conversation<\/p>\n
Inform our decisions<\/p>\n
And protect those we love.<\/p>\n
And should today bring what we neither anticipate nor desire<\/p>\n
Increase our faith and decrease our pride<\/p>\n
Until we know that when we face the unexpected we do not stand alone<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hear these prayers<\/p>\n
Made in the presence and name<\/p>\n
Of\u00a0 Jesus Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n
Amen<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We pray for God to liberate us and shape us as we spend time with him<\/p>\n
As we pray we may do so in the confidence that our loving God is listening, interested and supporting<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just as the Lord appeared to Abraham with an important message<\/p>\n
So Jesus appeared to people hundreds of years later with a message<\/p>\n
He told people<\/p>\n
The harvest is plentiful<\/p>\n
But the labourers are few<\/p>\n
Jesus said this because as he moved through the towns and villages he found that the people were \u201coppressed, downtrodden, beat-up, and crushed.<\/p>\n
The historical and literary contexts indicate Rome and the religious elite as those who inflict social, economic, political, and religious abuse with misrule.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n This vacuum of leadership is what Jesus and his disciples step into. What is needed is new leadership for a renewed community\u201d<\/p>\n That quote is in an article written by Danny Zacarias who is on the faculty of Acadia Divinity School<\/p>\n He grew up in Winnipeg, and his mother\u2019s people are Cree and Anishinaabe who inhabited the areas called Treaty 1 and Treaty 5<\/p>\n The fact that he lives in Atlantic Canada caught my attention, and as I read what he shared, I could see that he lives the truths of scripture<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Danny writes of Jesus finding that in the land of Israel that the people were like sheep without a shepherd<\/p>\n And so Jesus commissions the Twelve disciples and sends them out to continue Jesus\u2019 mission<\/p>\n As we read the gospels, we learn that the mission of Jesus is holistic.<\/p>\n He teaches in synagogues, proclaims the good news of the kingdom, and heals every disease and affliction.<\/p>\n His compassion for the people is not abstract; it moves him to action.<\/p>\n He sees their suffering, their lostness, and recognizes their need for leadership and care.<\/p>\n The mission to which Jesus sends his disciples is to also to respond to the needs of the people, relying on God\u2019s provision<\/p>\n The disciples are to imitate their Lord<\/p>\n Theirs is not to be passive belief, but active participation in the work of restoration<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today\u2019s gospel tells of a pivotal moment in Jesus\u2019s ministry,<\/p>\n This is the moment when his work empowers his followers to expand his ministry.<\/p>\n So far we have seen Jesus who moves through towns and villages, teaching and healing, to also be moved with compassion for the crowds<\/p>\n This is the heart of discipleship to respond to the needs of the people, relying on God\u2019s provision, and carrying forth the work of healing<\/p>\n Now when Jesus says that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, he didn\u2019t mean that they had no leaders<\/p>\n Jesus meant that were not getting the kind of leadership that they needed<\/p>\n It seems that the religious leaders of the day were content to see to the running of the temple and to neglect the requirements of the ordinary people<\/p>\n It definitely was the case that the Roman rulers had no concern for the poor, the widowed and the orphaned<\/p>\n Now, in the minds of those leaders, they were leading<\/p>\n They were fulfilling their role in the hierarchy<\/p>\n They knew what they were in charge of and they fulfilled that task<\/p>\n However, the role of leader, as God saw it, was more than completing the chain of command<\/p>\n The leaders of God\u2019s people were to be shepherds<\/p>\n They were to be among the ones who needed guidance, not looking down on the ones who needed guidance<\/p>\n For example, some of the leaders that God had given leaders were called judges,<\/p>\n The judges lived in community and served the needs of the people<\/p>\n This is an entry point into the text for Danny Zacharias<\/p>\n He looks at the sort of leadership that was being followed in the day that Jesus taught<\/p>\n It was the sort of leadership that is about hierarchy<\/p>\n The sort of leadership that asks \u201cWho am I in charge of?\u201d<\/p>\n He contrasts this with the style of leadership in \u201cmany Indigenous cultures, [where] leadership is\u00a0 about service (Who can I help?). A true leader is one who cares for the people, ensuring their well-being. Much like a Wisdom Keeper or Medicine Man, Jesus responds to the needs of the people, embodying a leadership that is deeply relational and motivated by compassion\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Jesus saw that the harvest was plenty, he chose twelve disciples to help with the harvest<\/p>\n The role of disciple has been passed on through the ages<\/p>\n Throughout the ages there have been countless others who have been chosen by God to help with the harvest<\/p>\n One such ministry is the Regional Ministry in the presbytery of the Northwest (described in the Summer issue of Presbyterian Connection)<\/p>\n This presbytery stretches from Red Deer Alberta to Dawson Creek BC<\/p>\n In response to the reality of many congregations being unable to call a full-time minister, and there not being enough interim moderators, the presbytery created what they call the Sharing Ministry<\/p>\n A Regional Minister has been appointed by the presbytery to care for a cluster of congregations<\/p>\n Lay leaders lead the worship service using the PCC worship resources that are available online<\/p>\n The sermon is available from the regional minister via video<\/p>\n As well, the regional minister travels from congregation to congregation, so each week one congregation has the sermon delivered in person<\/p>\n At first many were skeptical about this approach<\/p>\n But after three years they have found that it works well<\/p>\n The body of Christ is still able to worship, and the leadership that has emerged has lessened the anxiety that folks were experiencing<\/p>\n The harvest in Presbytery of the Northwest is being reaped by those who are led by God\u2019s grace to respond to a need<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today we hear Jesus saying that the harvest is plentiful<\/p>\n When I think of harvest I think of a large machine driving through a field cutting down the grain which will then be processed and sold<\/p>\n In days gone by harvesting was a more hands-on process<\/p>\n Machinery and tools were used<\/p>\n But the process was slower<\/p>\n And more labour intensive<\/p>\n Neighbours and families worked together to bring in the crop<\/p>\n Whether it was grain, vegetables or fruit.<\/p>\n While most of the helpers were in the field working there were other equally important workers in the kitchen cooking to feed those hungry labourers as they took their much-needed breaks<\/p>\n And before the harvest happened there were those who sowed and tended the crop<\/p>\n All were needed for a successful harvest<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To what role had God called you in the harvest of faith development?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you like the preparer of the soil?<\/p>\n Soil can be fertile, or sandy or rocky<\/p>\n But it doesn\u2019t need to stay that way<\/p>\n Soil can be improved<\/p>\n Depending upon the lack in the soil<\/p>\n It may need manure<\/p>\n Peat moss<\/p>\n Lime<\/p>\n Top soil<\/p>\n There is a need for those who prepare the soil for sowing, when the need for \u00a0a proper balance is shown<\/p>\n Preparation is essential for the harvest to be plentiful<\/p>\n If you are not a preparer, has God maybe called you to weed the garden?<\/p>\n To make sure that the plants have a healthy atmosphere in which to grow?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have you been called to water and tend?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or have you maybe been called to go out with the harvesting tools and bring in the crop<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At each step of our faith development there have been those who helped us to grow<\/p>\n To be ready to be harvested<\/p>\n And while we do not actually spread fertilizer or pull weeds in the lives of others<\/p>\n When we help them to make good choices, or provided help in their<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With each level of faith there are stories of discipleship to tell<\/p>\n As we think of these people who helped us to know God better we can be encouraged<\/p>\n There have been elders and ministers in our churches who have been faithful to God and interested in us<\/p>\n There have been Christian teachers whose faith has helped them to be a dedicated example<\/p>\n Ministers like Mark Buell, who really live what they say<\/p>\n You all know Mark from the days that he was your pastor<\/p>\n Yesterday he shared at the funeral service for Billy MacLeod<\/p>\n He reminded us of the changelessness of Jesus who we can trust and rely on<\/p>\n He spoke from a place of quiet trust in the peace and joy of God<\/p>\n This sort of confidence in faith comes from one, who like Abraham spends time with the Lord<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Think of that day that the Lord appeared to Abraham<\/p>\n There he was<\/p>\n Sitting in his tent<\/p>\n Going through his normal routine<\/p>\n And the Lord let him know that he would have a son<\/p>\n In years to come Abraham would become known as a patriarch<\/p>\n But on that day he was a man in his tent with a hope for a son<\/p>\n He showed through the years that he was subject to both days of obedience and days of straying<\/p>\n The reason Abraham became a name was because he followed God<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today<\/p>\n As you sit in your tent<\/p>\n Whether that is at your desk at work or school<\/p>\n Or at your workbench<\/p>\n Or in your car<\/p>\n Or at your kitchen table<\/p>\n That you will be open to what God\u2019s plan for you is<\/p>\n To grow in faith<\/p>\n And to help others in that same growth.<\/p>\n Like a plant<\/p>\n Slowly developing<\/p>\n Day by day<\/p>\n To see God more clearly<\/p>\n Love God more nearly<\/p>\n Follow him more nearly<\/p>\n Day by day<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (This sermon draws many ideas from Commentary on Matthew 9:35-10:8. Found at Working Preacher. Written by Danny Zacharias, Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament Studies at Acadia Divinity School, Wolfville, NS)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n God of the earth and all its peoples,<\/p>\n in Jesus Christ, you proclaimed the good news<\/p>\n that true life and peace are found in you.<\/p>\n Guide your church to proclaim this good news,<\/p>\n not in ways that merely please people or don\u2019t ruffle feathers,<\/p>\n but in ways that bring Christ\u2019s reconciling love to divided communities<\/p>\n and lives out of joint with each other.<\/p>\n Shine your light into the world\u2019s hidden corners,<\/p>\n exposing violence, exploitation, and bigotry.<\/p>\n Reveal what dehumanizes the vulnerable and degrades your creation.<\/p>\n God of the earth and all its peoples,<\/p>\n Let your light shine!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n God of healing and hope,<\/p>\n thank you for your faithfulness to us in all situations<\/p>\n We pray for all those who are ill or in pain,<\/p>\n for the anxious and discouraged, for those experiencing violence,<\/p>\n for those facing death or the loss of someone dearly beloved,<\/p>\n and for those struggling to make ends meet in these uncertain times.<\/p>\n We pray for Presbyterian World Service & Development and its partners<\/p>\n as they work to bring healing and hope to places of strife and deprivation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Here add specific prayers for places in need or facing unrest.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n May the mission we share in Jesus\u2019 name shine the light of your love into desperate lives.<\/p>\n God of the earth and all its peoples,<\/p>\n Let your light shine!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n God of the faithful future,<\/p>\n bless this community of faith<\/p>\n and guide us as we plan for the future in changing times.<\/p>\n Bless students and teachers as the school year ends<\/p>\n and restore them for learning with summer enjoyment.<\/p>\n Grant us all times to rest and to enjoy this summer<\/p>\n and replenish our hope and energy to serve in your world.<\/p>\n God of the earth and all its peoples,<\/p>\n Let your light shine!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We pray for your creation<\/p>\n and for the places in this world<\/p>\n that are scarred by degradation and pollution;<\/p>\n let a spirit of care make us faithful stewards<\/p>\n and caretakers of the world you love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And we pray for those places around the world<\/p>\n that are marked by war, violence and poverty;<\/p>\n let a spirit of generosity and care make us advocates<\/p>\n for justice and peace who<\/p>\n speak the Good News of God\u2019s reconciling love.<\/p>\n God of the earth and all its peoples,<\/p>\n Let your light shine!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We offer all our prayers, spoken and unspoken,<\/p>\n through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name we pray Amen <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Walk gently on the earth God has entrusted to us all<\/p>\n and cherish God\u2019s amazing creation.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the running wave to you,<\/p>\n Deep peace of the flowing air to you,<\/p>\n Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,<\/p>\n Deep peace of the shining stars to you.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you. Amen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Matthew9, Genesis 18: 1- 15, 2026 Living God help us to hear your holy Word that we may truly understand; so that as we come to understand, we may trust you, and in trusting, we may follow you, through Christ our Lord. The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre … Continue reading “Written sermon for June 14th 2026”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t