Matthew 25:1-13 Dear Partner in Preaching, I am writing this one day before the 2020 election in the US, and you may be reading it on election day and likely preparing your sermon in its aftermath. Suffice it to say, we want to very much to come up with a meaningful sermon and, at just the same time, likely feel a tad inadequate to the task. (Or at least I do!) And… I’m not sure that Jesus’ parable of the ten bridesmaids offers a whole lot of help! Having said that, there is one element of this parable – illumined for me by my former colleague, Dirk Lange, that seems worth lifting up. While Dirk wrote this a dozen or so years...

Matthew 25:31-46 Dear Partner in Preaching, What surprises me about this familiar and daunting passage is, well, the surprise. The surprise of both groups alike. Think about it: “when did we…” and “when didn’t we…” are only a sliver apart. Neither group denies its behavior. One group did indeed feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit the imprisoned and more. But they didn’t think much of it. And the other group did not do these things…and did not think much of it either. So they’re not surprised by the report of their actions. Rather, they are surprised that the Son of Man was present, which I find incredibly...

Dear Partner in Preaching, Do you like surprises? I’ll be honest, I’m a little conflicted about them. Actually not all that conflicted, as I really like surprising others – with an unexpected visit or gift, for instance – but I really don’t like being surprised myself. A bit hypocritical, perhaps, but there you go. I think it’s that I like being prepared, feeling more or less ready for what’s coming, and surprises undermine that kind of confidence. I ask this question because I think this passage turns on the matter of surprises. Notice that both those identified as sheep and those named goats are surprised by what Jesus says....