SUNDAYS AND SEASONS PREACHING YEAR B 2018 Introduction Conversion Chart...... 6 Contributors...... 7 Preface...... 9 The Year of Mark and John...... 11

Advent Preaching in Advent...... 16 First Sunday of Advent...... Dec 3, 2017 ...... 17 Second Sunday of Advent...... Dec 10...... 21 Third Sunday of Advent...... Dec 17...... 25 Fourth Sunday of Advent...... Dec 24...... 29

Christmas Preaching in Christmas...... 34 Nativity of Our Lord I / Christmas Eve...... Dec 24...... 35 Nativity of Our Lord II / Christmas Dawn ...... Dec 25...... 39 Nativity of Our Lord III / Christmas Day...... Dec 25...... 43 First Sunday of Christmas...... Dec 31...... 47 Epiphany of Our Lord...... Jan 6, 2018...... 51

Time after Epiphany Preaching in the Time after Epiphany...... 56 Baptism of Our Lord...... Jan 7...... 57 Second Sunday after Epiphany...... Jan 14...... 61 Third Sunday after Epiphany...... Jan 21...... 65 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany...... Jan 28...... 69 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany...... Feb 4...... 73 Transfiguration of Our Lord...... Feb 11...... 77

3 SUNDAYS AND SEASONS: PREACHING

Lent Preaching in Lent...... 82 Ash Wednesday...... Feb 14 ...... 83 First Sunday in Lent...... Feb 18 ...... 87 Second Sunday in Lent...... Feb 25...... 91 Third Sunday in Lent...... Mar 4...... 95 Fourth Sunday in Lent...... Mar 11 ...... 99 Fifth Sunday in Lent...... Mar 18...... 103 Sunday of the Passion / Palm Sunday...... Mar 25...... 107

The Three Days Preaching in the Three Days...... 112 Maundy Thursday...... Mar 29 ...... 113 Good Friday...... Mar 30 ...... 117 Resurrection of Our Lord / Vigil of Easter ...... Mar 31...... 121 Resurrection of Our Lord / Easter Day...... Apr 1 ...... 127

Easter Preaching in Easter...... 134 Second Sunday of Easter...... Apr 8...... 135 Third Sunday of Easter...... Apr 15 ...... 139 Fourth Sunday of Easter...... Apr 22...... 143 Fifth Sunday of Easter...... Apr 29...... 147 Sixth Sunday of Easter...... May 6 ...... 151 Ascension of Our Lord...... May 10...... 155 Seventh Sunday of Easter...... May 13...... 159 Day of Pentecost...... May 20...... 163

4 CONTENTS

Time after Pentecost — Summer Preaching in Summer...... 170 The Holy Trinity / First Sunday after Pentecost ...... May 27 ...... 171 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 9...... June 3 ...... 175 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 10 ...... June 10 ...... 179 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 11...... June 17...... 183 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 12 ...... June 24...... 187 John the Baptist...... June 24...... 191 Time after Pentecost / ...... July 1 ...... 195 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 14 ...... July 8...... 199 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 15 ...... July 15...... 203 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 16 ...... July 22...... 207 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 17 ...... July 29...... 211 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 18 ...... Aug 5...... 215 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 19 ...... Aug 12...... 219 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 20...... Aug 19...... 223 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 21 ...... Aug 26...... 227

Time after Pentecost — Autumn Preaching in Autumn ...... 232 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 22...... Sep 2...... 233 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 23...... Sep 9...... 237 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 24...... Sep 16 ...... 241 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 25...... Sep 23...... 245 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 26...... Sep 30...... 249 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 27...... Oct 7...... 253 Day of Thanksgiving (Canada)...... Oct 8...... 257 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 28...... Oct 14...... 261 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 29...... Oct 21 ...... 265 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 30...... Oct 28...... 269 Reformation Sunday...... Oct 28...... 273

Time after Pentecost — November Preaching in November ...... 278 All Saints Sunday...... Nov 4...... 279 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 31 ...... Nov 4...... 283 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 32...... Nov 11 ...... 287 Time after Pentecost / Lectionary 33...... Nov 18...... 291 Day of Thanksgiving (U .S .A .)...... Nov 22...... 295 Christ the King / Last Sunday after Pentecost / Lectionary 34...... Nov 25...... 299

5 ADVENT DEC 3

Contributors

Gabi Aelabouni serves as director for the ELCA Fund for Nels Flesher serves as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Leaders. Church of Chinook and Naselle Evangelical Lutheran Meghan Aelabouni is a full-time PhD student in religion. Church, a yoked parish in the Southwestern Washington Benjamin J. Ahles-Iverson is pastor of Trinity Peace Synod. Lutheran Parish, Taylor, Wisconsin. Julia Fraser is chaplain at St. Paul Homes, Greenville, Javier (Jay) Alanís is executive director of the Lutheran Sem- Pennsylvania. inary Program in the Southwest, Austin, Texas. Brad Froslee is pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Mary W. Anderson serves as pastor of Incarnation Lutheran Roseville, Minnesota. Church, Columbia, South Carolina. Jon Gathje is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Rancho Aimee Appell is pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Washing- Palos Verdes, California. ton, Missouri. Samuel D. Giere is associate professor of homiletics and bibli- Priscilla Austin is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, cal interpretation at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Seattle. Dubuque, Iowa. Nathan Baker-Trinity is pastor of Beaver Lutheran Church, Erik Haaland is associate pastor at Christ Church Lutheran, Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania. Minneapolis. Karen Bates Olson serves as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Jonathan Hemphill is lead pastor of a mission development Church, Brown’s Point, Washington. congregation in greater Los Angeles, known as Another J. Elise Brown is a consultant with Kairos and Associates and Level Ministries. the Joshua Group and also associate professor of sociol- Amanda L. Highben serves as a pastor of Prince of Peace ogy at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. Lutheran Church, Dublin, Ohio. Lisa M. Burbank is co-pastor of St. John Evangelical Nathan Hilkert is pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Mes- Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, Eliza- siah, Decatur, Georgia. beth, Illinois, and St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hanover, Katie Hines-Shah is senior pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Illinois. Church, Hinsdale, Illinois. Joy K. Bussert is senior pastor at First English Lutheran Paul Hoffman is called by the council of the Northwest Wash- Church, Faribault, Minnesota. ington Synod to a ministry of writing and teaching. Kristine Carlson is lead pastor of Christ Church Lutheran, Laura Holck is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Minneapolis. the Cross, Calgary, Alberta. Michael Coffey is pastor of First English Lutheran Church, James Honig is senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Glen Austin, Texas, and author of the book Mystery without Ellyn, Illinois. Rhyme or Reason: Poetic Reflections on the Revised Y. Franklin Ishida is director for Asia and the Pacific in ELCA Common Lectionary. Global Mission. Joseph Crippen is pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Donand Kreiss writes from Detroit and serves as bishop of Minneapolis. the Southeast Michigan Synod. Emily Ann Davis is associate minister of First Congrega- Alex LaChapelle is a pastor at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, tional Church, Crystal Lake, Illinois. Park Ridge, Illinois. Amandus J. Derr is senior pastor of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Dirk G. Lange is professor of worship and Frederik Schiotz Church, New York City. Chair of Christian Missions at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Suzanne Darcy Dillahunt is bishop of the Southern Ohio Minnesota. Synod of the ELCA. Kristin Johnston Largen is dean of Gettysburg Seminary, Benjamin J. Dueholm is pastor of worship and education Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. at Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wauconda, Liv Larson Andrews is pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, Illinois. Spokane, Washington. Robert Farlee is a pastor and cantor at Christ Church Catherine Malotky is director for development at L