Help Needed - Pleeaasse Someone Help

The last couple of weeks I have had a really hard time writing my Sunday sermon.  The texts have not been all that inspiring (yes, I do know that they were inspired by God, but that really hasn’t helped me much in dealing with them), and I have struggled to come up with a preaching theme and then actually putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, as the case may be.

So I am asking for your help, my gentle readers — yes all four or five of you.  Below are the texts I will be using.  Since the texts for the Revised Common Lectionary (which I usually use) did absolutely nothing for me, I have decided to use the alternate gospel text for this Sunday and a couple of readings from the Episcopal lectionary instead.  If you have a few moments, please read them over and tell me what you make of them.   As mentioned in my last post, this week’s theme is:  The Problems and Promise of Healing.

Some questions to mull over could include:

• What questions do they raise for you about healing?
• What is the place of the gift of healing in today’s church?
• What are some of the problems and/or perils of healing?
• What does healing even mean?
• What is the promise of healing?
• What questions or issues about healing would like to see addressed in a sermon?
• When someone talks about healing, what images, stories, or maybe even “Sermon illustrations” come to your mind?

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Acts 14:8-18

In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, `Stand upright on your feet.’ And the man sprang up and began to walk.

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, `The gods have come down to us in human form!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice.

When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, `Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good-giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.’

But even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Revelation 21:10, 22 - 22:5

And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day-and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

John 5:1-16

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids-blind, lame, and paralyzed [waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at certain times into the pool, and troubled the water: And whoever stepped into the water first, after it had been troubled, was made whole of any disease he had.]

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, `Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, `Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, `Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a Sabbath.

So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, `Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, `Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath.

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