Proper 20 (A) sermons
If Only, Proper 20 (A) – Sep. 20, 2026
[RCL]: Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 A thread of human discontent runs through scripture. Doesn’t it also run through our lives? Since the beginning, since the munching of forbidden fruits, the grasping for birthrights, the wannabe dreamers, the freed who’d rather have melons and leeks…we have been those who suffer from…
Satisfaction, Proper 20 (A) – 2023
[RCL] Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 “I can’t get no satisfaction,” says Mick Jagger in his most famous song. That is exactly what our scriptures are about today. We have a passage from the Book of Exodus in which the Israelites are so unhappy and ungrateful that they actually wish out…
The Economics of God, Proper 20 (A) – 2020
[RCL] Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 The economics of God are not like our human economics. Time after time, we humans just do not get the economics of God. In Scripture readings for today, we have reminders of the ways we miss the point about God’s economics. We also have a…
Gratitude, Proper 20 (A) – 2017
Children’s books seem to fall into categories: one appears to be about obedience or learning to follow the rules, a great number are about bravery and perseverance, others are about understanding the world around you, but a great many of the books for children today are about teaching our children that they are loved unconditionally….
An Undeserved Gift, Proper 20 (A) – 2014
How long have you been a member of this church? Or are you a first-timer? Look around. How long do you think those sitting near you have been members of this church? Somewhere in the crowd is someone who has been here the longest. And somewhere is someone who has been a member for the…
The Scene in Today’s Reading…, Proper 20 (A) – 2011
The scene in today’s reading from Matthew becomes more and more familiar. People are waiting for work. Waiting to be hired. Waiting to earn a day’s wage – which in those days was just enough to feed one’s family. The issue, then, is one of daily bread. Just like manna in the Exodus narrative. Just…
The Scene in Matthew, Proper 20 (A) – 2008
The scene in Matthew is becoming more and more familiar. People are waiting for work, waiting to be hired, waiting to earn a day’s wage – which in those days was just enough to feed one’s family. The issue then is one of daily bread. Just like manna in the Exodus narrative. Just as in…
About Ten Years Ago…, Proper 20 (A) – 2005
About ten years ago, in The Good Book: Reading The Bible With Mind And Heart, Peter Gomes wrote that what makes the Bible so compelling is the company of characters who, like ourselves, are so often both confused and confusing and yet play their part in the drama of human relationship to God. The stories…
A Grandmother Tells About…, Proper 20 (A) – 2002
A grandmother tells about growing up the oldest of four children. “My mother was always very fair,” she said. “She didn’t play favorites. We always knew that we could count on her to be fair. But my father — well, that was another story. The truth is, I grew up secure in the knowledge that…
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Kristen LeMay
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