Micah 5: 2-4 | The Pastor's Workshop

lectionary

Epiphany of the Lord

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, Micah 5:2

Preaching Commentary Preaching Angle: Irony When we discover a bit of irony in life, we feel like we’ve struck gold. When we stumble upon a bit of irony in Scripture, it’s holy gold! Maybe you read...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 2:1-12 (Guide A)

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, Micah 5:2

Preaching Angle: Irony When we discover a bit of irony in life, we feel like we’ve struck gold. When we stumble upon a bit of irony in Scripture, it’s holy gold! Maybe you read this sentence and didn...

illustration

How God Enters the World Matters

Author

Kelley Nikondeha

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:46-55, Luke 2:1-7, Micah 5:2, Luke 2:8-11, Isaiah 9:6-7

When we turn toward Advent, the name on our lips is Emmanuel, God with us . So much in Christian faith relies on what the faithful actually mean when we say that name. Western Christianity has fo...

Quote

Author

Emily Hunter McGowin

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2-4 , Jeremiah 23:5-6, Luke 2:8-14 , Matthew 2:1-12 , Psalm 96:1-3

We know instinctively that Christmas is more than shopping mall Santas, silver bells, and snow-flocked trees, but such things are so entangled with our impressions of Christmas that it’s hard to kn...

illustration

The Roots of the English Word “Worship”

Author

Fleming Rutledge

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, 1 Kings 8:10-11, Matthew 2:1-12, Philippians 2:6-11 , Psalm 95:6-7

In the English language, worship is an important word. It comes from ancient Anglo-Saxon and means “worth-ship”—to ascribe ultimate worth to something or someone. Matthew is portraying the nature of t...

liturgy

A Prayer For Advent

Author

Kayla Craig

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, Luke 2:8-20, Matthew 2:1-12, Psalm 9:1-2

O come, Emmanuel. Ignite in us the awe of a child, Looking into a manger scene As we wait on the promise Of the coming infant King In a humble stable. TO LIGHT THEIR WAY

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 2:1-12 (Guide B)

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, Micah 5:2

Confusion about Epiphany The celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord can be at once both wholly familiar or somewhat confusing, especially for those who grew up in less liturgical traditions. What ca...

liturgy

Gracious God, with joy and thanksgiving we gather as Your people

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:18-25, Galatians 4:4-6, Luke 2:1-20, Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1, Micah 5:2, John 1:14

Pastor: Gracious God, with joy and thanksgiving we gather as Your people to ponder anew the timeless story of Christ’s birth. For at just the right time, You worked in the most unlikely ways to fulf...

illustration

Into the Darkest Hour

Author

Madeleine L'Engle

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, Luke 2:1-20, John 1:5, Philippians 2:6-7, Luke 2:7, Revelation 3:20

It was a time like this, war and tumult of war, a horror in the air. Hungry yawned the abyss— and yet there came the star and the child most wonderfully there. It was a time like this ...

illustration

A Shift into Chaos

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 5:2, Luke 2:4-7, Matthew 2:16-18, John 1:46, Isaiah 61:3, Matthew 5:1-20, Isaiah 5:20

It is remarkable that a word like ‘Bethlehem’, forever connected to the birth of our savior, could be transformed into a symbol of confusion and chaos. Yet, this is precisely what happened. St. Mary o...

liturgy

Adapted from John Francis Wade’s "O Come, Let Us Adore Him"

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:10-11, Psalm 100:2, Luke 2:8-20, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-2, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:15-16, Revelation 19:16, Luke 2:8-20, Psalm 95:6, Philippians 2:10-11, Luke 2:25-38, John 1:14, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 2:11

Leader: O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, People: O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Leader: Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels! O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us ador...

Quote

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:10-12, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-11

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."

Quote

Author

Jay Leno

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:26-38, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-10, Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 2:25-35, Matthew 2:13-15, Luke 2:8-14, John 1:14, Matthew 2:14-23

The atheists have produced a Christmas play. It’s called Coincidence on Thirty-Fourth Street.

Quote

Author

Larry Libby

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:8-14, Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:46-55, Micah 5:2, John 1:14, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:25-38, John 10:10-11

Late on a sleepy, star-spangled night, those angels peeled back the sky just like you would tear open a sparkling Christmas present. Then, with light and joy pouring out of Heaven like water through a...

Quote

Author

Lucinda Franks

Keywords

Christmas

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-2, Luke 2:8-20, Matthew 2:11, John 1:14, John 4:9-10, Micah 5:2, Luke 2:4-7

Christmas in Bethlehem. The ancient dream: A cold, clear night made brilliant by a glorious star, the smell of incense, shepherds and wise men falling to their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, th...

Quote

Author

O.P. Kretzmann

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:6-7, Philippians 2:6-8, Isaiah 53:2-3, Micah 5:2, Exodus 2:1-10, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Revelation 21:3-4

One of our troubles, is that we have romanticized and sentimentalized the stable and the manger…We see them through the warm glow of our comfortable homes, our candles and our well-fed bodies....Perha...

Quote

Author

Ralph W. Sockman

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 5:2, Luke 2:4-7, Galatians 4:4-5, Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 2:9-11, Acts 4:11-12, Luke 2:25-32

The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.

Quote

Author

William Billings

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:6-7, John 1:14, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 53:2-3, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Matthew 2:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

Seek not in courts, nor palaces, Nor royal curtains draw; But search the stable, see your God, Extended on the straw.

illustration

Managing the Big Battalions of Life

Author

Frank W Boreham

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 21:1-5, 1 Samuel 2:1-11, Luke 1:11-17, Luke 2:1-21, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:21, Micah 5:2

A century ago, men were following with bated breath the march of Napoleon and waiting feverishly for news of the war. And all the while in their own homes, babies were being born. But who could think ...

Quote

Author

Augustine of Hippo

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 1:14, Revelation 22:12, Hebrews 13:8, Galatians 4:4-5, Micah 5:2

Christmas is fast approaching. And now that Christ has aroused our seasonal expectations, he’ll soon fulfill them all!

Quote

Author

Daniel J. Simundson

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 5:2, Luke 1:46-48, Matthew 2:1-12, Exodus 3:11, Judges 6:15

The small size of Bethlehem reminds one of a common biblical theme: When God is about to do something great, human estimates of status, size, power, and influence are completely irrelevant. In fact, G...

liturgy

Blessing Ministry Event or Initiative

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:35-40, John 6:1-14, Zechariah 4:6, Judges 6:11-16, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Proverbs 16:3, Nehemiah 2:17-20, Philippians 4:19, Acts 18:1-4, Ephesians 2:14, John 4:4-26

This blessing includes prayers for the initiative/event itself, the volunteers for the event, the leaders organizing the event, the resources to be distributed at the event, and any community partners...

illustration

Virtue Over Victory in Politics

Author

Justin Giboney

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 24:10-12, Proverbs 16:8, Romans 12:17-18, Psalm 72:1-4, Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:13-16

When in conflict we should demonstrate that our public witness is more important than winning a political battle. This means that if our side has to do something unloving or corrupt to win, then it’s ...

liturgy

Living as Jesus Commands Us

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 18:9-14, James 4:6, Proverbs 3:34, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Micah 6:8, Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Peter 5:5-6

Almighty God, we take pride in our self-sufficiency while we look down on the weak who cannot provide for themselves. We praise others for their efforts, yet we demand perfection from our own families...

liturgy

Gracious God, you tend to the earth as

Author

Chip Hardwick

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 1:9, James 5:4, Psalm 24:1, Isaiah 5:7, Micah 6:8

Gracious God, you tend to the earth as your vineyard, longing for it to bring fruit. You want our society and our lives to look more and more like the Kingdom of Heaven. We work against your plans, so...

liturgy

Lord, Teacher, Savior, Friend: We need

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 28:19-20, James 5:15, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Micah 6:8, Mark 2:1-12, Ephesians 1:7

Lord, Teacher, Savior, Friend: We need Your grace, which forgives our sins; Your truth, which anchors our lives; Your presence, which calms our fears; Your call, which gives us purpose; Your hope, whi...

liturgy

Prayer for Peace Among the Nations

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 4:7, James 3:18, Romans 14:17, Matthew 5:9, Jeremiah 29:7, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 2:4

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the ki...

liturgy

You give us prophets, holy God, to cry

Keywords

Scripture

Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8, Jeremiah 1:7-8, Ezekiel 2:4-5, Isaiah 6:8, Zechariah 7:9-10, Matthew 23:34

You give us prophets, holy God, to cry out for justice and mercy. Open our ears to hear them, and to follow the truth they speak, lest we support injustice to secure our own well-being. Give prophets ...

Quote

Author

Phillip Yancey

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:6-7, Philippians 2:6-7, Matthew 2:1-12, Mark 5:25-34, Matthew 5:3-10, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 61:1

Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.

blog

Sermon Illustration Tuesday (S.I.T.) for the week of 6/23

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Justice

Scripture

Galatians 3:28, Romans 12:21, James 2:1-4, Jeremiah 22:3, Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8

One night I went to church One night I went to church. They had a mass meeting. And I went to church, and they talked about how it was our right, that we could register and vote. They were talking a...