Ignacio Castuero

There are so many themes that jump at us from the texts this Sunday that one might be tempted to preach a very long sermon taking each text as the point of departure for “mini-sermons.” That, by the way, is one model that could be tried. Have a lay person, a woman preferably since this is Women’s History Month, comment briefly and sing a hymn. Repeat the process four times and you will find that several people will like the pattern and might want you to repeat it. You might consider just a “triptych” selecting three out of the four texts for this Sunday.

The texts for this third Sunday in Lent speak mightily to the situation in which we find ourselves in the center of the Empire. As national budgets are discussed and as personal budgets are decided we need to keep at the center of our thinking the words of Isaiah: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

The theme introduced in the Ash Wednesday commentary, ensuring that all eat, and drink and take pleasure in their toil, is reinforced by the Old Testament lesson from Deuteronomy.

The observance of Reformation Sunday would require that we refer much more to the heritage of the Reformation which allows us now to have a different form of Christianity. It is important to emphasize that the triumph of the Reformation enriched all of our faith and not only that portion which is referred to as the Protestants since then. The Roman Catholic church also became more enriched as it struggled to redefine itself in light of the challenges of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others.

Those connecting with this resource for the first time ever, or for the first time this month need to go back to the October 1 notes in order to get the basic theological presuppositions that inform this October series. It may also be a good idea to read last Sunday’s notes because in at least one case, I am building on suggestions I made on that date’s comments.

All the October sermon notes are written with the following theological assumptions which flow from a paying close attention to John B. Cobb’s recent publications and public statements.

The ecological crisis of our time and the unprecedented attack on the earth places makes it necessary for followers of Jesus to live out our faith as “earthists,” defenders of the earth.