Proper 17 (B) sermons
True Religion, Proper 17 (B) – 2024
[RCL] Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years. “Increase in us true religion,” our collect invites us to…
Distractions, Proper 17 (B) – 2021
RCL: Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Author Anthony DeMello tells a story about an ashram cat. He writes, “When the guru sat down to worship each evening, the ashram cat would get in the way and distract the worshipers. So he ordered that the cat be tied…
Hypocrites, Proper 17 (B) – 2018
The church is full of hypocrites. Ever heard that? I hear it all the time. It usually comes from folks who are anxious to justify the neglect of their own religious duties by dumping on church folks. At first glance, it seems a well-aimed attack, too. After all, Jesus is very hard on hypocrites, in…
Obedience, Not Ritual, Proper 17 (B) – 2012
Ritual is essential in life. National, religious or familial, rituals offer us the comfort of repetition and familiarity as they lend beauty to occurrences that otherwise might be considered mundane. Observe a little child who asks for the same story night after night – this is her ritual – or your own delight in keeping…
Love Received Is Love to Be Shared, Proper 17 (B) – 2009
Love received is love to be shared. Life is short – and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So let us be swift to love and make haste to be kind, and the blessing of God will be with us. In the…
Sit Up Straight!, Proper 17 (B) – 2006
“Sit up straight! Elbows off the table! Napkin in your lap! Wait until everyone has been served before you begin to eat! And close your mouth when you chew!” The rituals associated with eating begin early in a child’s life and grow more complex with our journey toward maturity. In every culture these rituals are…
Tradition and Traditionalism, Proper 17 (B) – 2003
Sometimes when we hear the Bible in our own language, it’s helpful to translate it yet again into our time and place. Let’s do that today. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The conversation we heard about in the Gospel that was just read with its references to religious hand washing…
There Are Sometimes Movies…, Proper 17 (B) – 2000
There are sometimes movies released that, for one reason or another, do not receive a great deal of advanced publicity or many reviews—good or bad. But when one of these films, against all odds, proves to capture the attention and admiration of audiences who spread the word about its charms, it is called a “sleeper.”…
If You Want to Know…, Proper 17 (B) – 1997
If you want to know what’s about to happen in an Episcopal worship service, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the Collect of the Day. It gets that name because it “collects” the main idea of the day’s worship. Today, when we prayed for God to “increase in us true religion,” we were…
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