For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds, and the resources we provide are used in small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between.
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Find this Sunday’s readings and more observances of the church year.
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Bible Studies
Our weekly Bible studies are produced by our very own Episcopalian seminarians.
Bulletin Inserts
Weekly inserts teach about the theology, history, and people of The Episcopal Church.
Upcoming Sermons
Obituary for a Fool, Pentecost 8 (C) – July 31, 2022
[RCL] Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21 Obituaries are about the life, not the death. The death is the occasion, but it’s usually reported in just one sentence, maybe with a detail—a disease, a condition, a struggle, an accident – and an age. We appraise: so young; a long life; so sudden;…
Prayers, Pentecost 7 (C) – July 24, 2022
[RCL] Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19); Luke 11:1-13 In the face of devastating events and in our polarized political climate, “prayer” has become code for: “I don’t know what else to say.” Or, “I want to say something neutral and inoffensive,” or, “I don’t want to take action.” So often politicians, leaders, even…
A Trick Question, Pentecost 6 (C) – July 17, 2022
[RCL] Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42 Here’s a trick question: Are you a Mary or a Martha? If you have ever spent time hearing interpretations of today’s gospel passage, you probably understand the dichotomy implicit in the question. Martha, we often say, is the “active” one, rushing around, busying herself with the…
An Alternative Consciousness, Pentecost 5 (C) – July 10, 2022
[RCL] Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37 Flashing through the Bible and beyond is a lightning bolt known as prophetic ministry. What prophetic ministry does, according to Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann, is generate “a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” This is not a…
Peace, Pentecost 4 (C) – July 3, 2022
[RCL] 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 In the movie, “Miss Congeniality,” there is a scene during the beauty pageant in which contestants are asked what society needs most, and each contestant responds predictably, “World peace.” And then Sandra Bullock’s character is asked the same question, but she responds, “That would…
The Way, Pentecost 3 (C) – June 26, 2022
[RCL] 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5:1,13-25; Luke 9:51-62 Every journey is a quest. At least, that’s what people who think about stories tell us. It doesn’t matter if you are King Arthur in search of the Holy Grail, Don Quixote in search of his lady Dulcinea del Toboso, or Dorothy just…
Upcoming Bible Studies
Bible Study: Pentecost 8 (C) – July 31, 2022
[RCL] Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21 Hosea 11:1-11 Meditating on this passage of prophetic imagining surfaces the tension that characterizes the relationship between God and Israel. Both parties bend their backs, but God’s bending nourishes while the peoples’ bending isolates them from infinite sustenance. The poet paints a picture of YHWH—the…
Bible Study: Pentecost 7 (C) – July 24, 2022
[RCL] Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19); Luke 11:1-13 Hosea 1:2-10 Hosea, like the major prophets, performs prophetic sign acts to convey the Lord’s prophetic message, in addition to spoken or written words. These acts are grotesque in the literary sense: they are over the top and cannot be ignored; they are obtrusive, demanding…
Bible Study: Pentecost 6 (C) – July 17, 2022
[RCL] Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42 Amos 8:1-12 A basket of summer fruit: the prophet Amos lived among a group of shepherds and was “a dresser of sycamore trees” (Amos 7:14), so he knew and appreciated a basket of fruit more than anyone. He also knew that ripe summer fruit rots quickly.…
Bible Study: Pentecost 5 (C) – July 10, 2022
[RCL] Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37 Amos 7:7-17 The prophet Amos is known for siding with the powerless against the powerful. He prophesied during the 8th century BCE, during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam in Israel. This is the time in Ancient Israel’s history when the kingdom…
Bible Study: Pentecost 4 (C) – July 3, 2022
[RCL] 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Editor’s Note: You will note that today’s author uses a convention common in some traditions for avoiding fully writing out the name, or in this case, a common substitute for the name, of the Lord. Generally, this spelling is used by writers who do…
Bible Study: Pentecost 3 (C) – June 26, 2022
[RCL] 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1,13-25; Luke 9:51-62 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 Elijah is a tired prophet at this point in 1 Kings, though that’s difficult to tell from this small pericope. Elijah has just experienced the “fine” or “thin” sound in a cave on the mountain, revealing the Lord’s presence. But he…
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