For a few years now, I have been planning my sermon schedules about a year in advance. I take a few days of retreat in October, and read a lot of Scripture to see what patterns might emerge, which I then hammer out into a schedule that takes me through the liturgical year.
Every OTHER year, I cycle through the Revised Common Lectionary, a three year selection of texts. This last year of 2019, I used Year D (http://theyeardproject.blogspot.com), a collection of texts that are not used in years A, B, or C.
During the years I don’t use the Lectionary, I’m a bit more freeform. I end up asking my congregation for themes, ideas, and topics they’d like to see covered from the pulpit. 2020 is a non-Lectionary year, and so I’m completely on my own for developing what I plan to preach.
I’m glad to say I’ve completed those broad strokes, so I have a good idea of the direction we’ll be taking for 2020. Here’s the upcoming schedule for preaching at Warden Community Church:
2019-2020 Topical Studies OT READINGS NT READINGS
12/01/19 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Admit Your Need Deuteronomy 8:11-18 John 15:1-9
12/08/19 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Profess God’s Power II Chronicles 20:5-9 Philippians 4:10-13
12/15/19 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Seek The Spirit Isaiah 26:1-9 Ephesians 5:15-21
12/22/19 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Get Off The Throne Joshua 24:14-18 I Peter 3:13-17
12/29/19 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Admit You Trip Psalms 32:1-5 I John 1:5-10
01/05/20 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Refill Your Spiritual Supply Psalms 143:7-12 I Peter 2:1-5
01/12/20 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Get Your Mission Exodus 19:1-6 Acts 1:4-8
01/19/20 Daily Disciplines for the Christian Life: Putting It Together Habakkuk 3:8-13 Philippians 2:12-13
01/26/20 Joel’s Hope: A Call To Cry Joel 1:13-20 II Peter 3:8-13
02/02/20 Joel’s Hope: Rend and Repent Joel 2:12-17 Matthew 6:16-21
02/09/20 Joel’s Hope: A Word of War Joel 3:9-16 Ephesians 6:11-17
02/16/20 PULPIT SUPPLY (RadCon)
02/23/20 The Living Word: To Bear Witness Jeremiah 31:7-14 John 1:6-8; 15-18
02/26/20 Ash Wednesday
03/01/20 PULPIT SUPPLY (Cruise)
03/08/20 PULPIT SUPPLY (Cruise)
03/15/20 The Living Word: Being Born Again Genesis 12:1-4a John 3:1-13
03/22/20 The Living Word: Samaritan Setup Exodus 17:1-7 John 4:1-15
03/29/20 The Living Word: Going Past The Mountain Deuteronomy 12:5-8 John 4:16-30
04/05/20 The Living Word: More Than Hosannas I Kings 17:8-16 John 4:39-45
04/12/20 The Living Word: Walking And Working Exodus 12:3; 7-14 John 5:1-18
04/19/20 The Living Word: Hearing Voices Isaiah 25:6-9 John 5:25-36
04/26/20 The Living Word: Missing the Message Deuteronomy 18:15-18 John 5:37-47
05/03/20 The Living Word: Words in the Dust Isaiah 43:16-21 John 8:1-11
05/10/20 The Living Word: What Can’t You See 1 Samuel 16:1-13 John 9:12-41
05/17/20 The Living Word: The Gate of Grace Ezekiel 34:11-16 John 10:1-6; 19-21
05/24/20 The Living Word: Walking In The Light Ezekiel 37:1-14 John 11:3-16
05/31/20 The Living Word: The Voice of Thunder Jeremiah 31:31-34 John 12:16-36
06/07/20 The Living Word: Hate Vs. Love Proverbs 8:22-31 John 15:18-27
06/14/20 The Living Word: Sorrow’s Change Psalm 104:26-35 John 16:1-3; 12-24
06/21/20 The Living Word: The Loss of the World Isaiah 63:7-14 John 16:25-33
06/28/20 PULPIT SUPPLY (Annual Meeting)
07/05/20 The Living Word: A Kept People Psalm 1:1-6 John 17:10-19
07/12/20 The Living Word: One Rough Night 2 Samuel 23:1-7 John 18:9-32
07/19/20 The Living Word: Swayed by the Crowd Lamentations 3:1-9 John 19:1-16
07/26/20 The Living Word: The Best Morning EVER Jeremiah 31:1-6 John 20:1-18
08/02/20 The Living Word: Love, Love, Like Psalms 30:7-11 John 21:1-19
08/09/20 Who I Am In Christ: Accepted Isaiah 56:1-8 John 15:12-17
08/16/20 Who I Am In Christ: Adopted Deuteronomy 7:6-8 Ephesians 1:3-10
08/23/20 Who I Am In Christ: Assured Jeremiah 30:18-22 Philippians 1:3-11
08/30/20 Who I Am In Christ: Secured Psalms 34:15-22 Romans 8:1-8
09/06/20 Who I Am In Christ: Significant Isaiah 65:19-23 I Corinthians 3:10-17
09/13/20 Who I Am In Christ: Seated Isaiah 6:1-4 Ephesians 2:1-7
09/20/20 Amos: A Migrant Worker’s Word Amos 1:1-5 I Corinthians 3:7-15
09/27/20 Amos: A National Judgment Amos 2:6-16 Ephesians 3:14-19
10/04/20 Amos: A Reason for Rebuke Amos 3:1-8 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
10/11/20 Amos: A Cattle Call Amos 4:1-5 Philippians 2:14-18
10/18/20 Amos: Seek The Right Amos 5:4-14 Hebrews 4:12-16
10/25/20 Amos: Sing The Blues Amos 6:1-7 1 Timothy 6:6-19
11/01/20 Amos: Accused and Ejected Amos 7:10-15 Matthew 20:8-16
11/08/20 Amos: A Dark Day on the Way Amos 8:1-12 Colossians 1:15-28
11/15/20 Amos: A Nation Restoration Amos 9:8-14 I Peter 5:6-10
11/22/20 TripAdvisor: Heaven Isaiah 25:8-12 John 3:31-36
11/29/20 TripAdvisor: Hell Daniel 12:2-3 Matthew 25:41-46
A Transformed Life 