Featured image: https://images.knowing-jesus.com/i/hebrews-2-15-freed-from-fear-of-death-yellow-7548
THEMES/IDEAS
Collect form
One commentator notes that Hebrews consists essentially of three things: Scriptural quotes/interpretation, theology, and exhortation. To me, this boils down to who God is/what God does and who we are and what we need to do/can do. This relates to the possibility of looking at Hebrews through the construct of a Collect, an originally Latin Roman Catholic prayer a particular form, basically consisting of an address of God that mentions the attributes of God that relate to the petition (O God, who….) and then a petition (empower us….) and a purpose clause (so that…). We are referring to this as “Who God is and what God does, and what we need and why.” This seems to encompass a lot of the book of Hebrews as it develops its theology of who God is and what God does in order to talk about what we need to do/can do and why. [For a more detailed explanation of the form of a collect (with 5 parts, adding an address of God, a conclusion calling on the mediation of Christ and an Amen) see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collect
Christmas
This pericope is set for the first Sunday of Christmas in the RCL. (My husband and I are planning a Christmas in July for the last Sunday of the month; you could pair this whole series with Christmas/incarnation themes).
The folks at Working Preacher have commentaries for both the NL and the Christmas setting; this link has a few lines from each commentary and the links to each of them.
For the Christmas setting, see also http://www.textweek.com/yeara/christma1.htm
Vv. 10-12
Verses 5-12 were included in the RCL with 1:1-4. See http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/hebrews1_2.htm
and the blog from last week for details.
Other exegetical resources for Hebrews 2 are at the bottom of this blog…
HYMNS for Hebrews 2:10-18
(Numbers are from the Presbyterian Hymnal/1990)
2.10a
180 The God of Heaven
185.5-10 Psalm 33 (The .5-10 means verses 5-10 are particularly pertinent)
224 Bless the Lord, My Soul and Being
267 All Things Bright and Beautiful
271.1 Many and Great, O God, Are Thy Things
288 I Sing the Mighty Power of God
290 God Created Heaven and Earth
293 This Is My Father’s World
294 Wherever I May Wander
455 All Creatures of Our God and King
467.1+2 How Great Thou Art
2.10b
11.3 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?
75.1+4 O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair
140.2 Holy, Holy
155.3 Rejoice, the Lord Is King
341 Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!
346.2 Christ, You Are the Fullness
388.4 O Jesus, I Have Promised
389.4 O Jesus, I Have Promised
426.5 Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak
441.5 I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord
485 To God Be the Glory
492.3 Baptized in Water
518.4 Sheaves of Summer
2.11-13
385.3 O God, We Bear the Imprint of Your Face
2.11b-12,17a
55.4 That Boy-Child of Mary (Bold type means the whole hymns is particularly pertinent)
157.1 Our King and Our Sovereign, Lord Jesus
518.4 Sheaves of Summer
2.14a
4.2 Creator of the Stars of Night
5.2 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
14.1 Savior of the Nations, Come
27 Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
29.3 Go, Tell It on the Mountain
36.2 In the Bleak Midwinter
41.2 O Come, All Ye Faithful
49.2+3 Once in Royal David’s City
2.14b-15
9.2 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
14.2 Savior of the Nations, Come
20.3 Watchman, Tell Us of the Night
26 Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
28.3 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
31.3 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
32 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
90.2 Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!
91.2 Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!
105 Because You Live, O Christ
107 Celebrate with Joy and Singing
108 Christ is Alive!
109 Christ Is Risen
110 Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands
112 Christ the Lord Is Risen Again
113 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!
118 The Day of Resurrection!
119.2 The Strife Is O’er
120R Hail Thee, Festival Day!
121.3 That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright
155.2 Rejoice, the Lord Is King
165.4+5 When in the Night I Meditate
281.3 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
290.4 God Created Heaven and Earth
360.5 Hope of the World
383 My Faith Looks Up to Thee
406 Why Has God Forsaken Me?
495 We Know That Christ Is Raised
533.2 O Perfect Love
538.3 Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
540.4 God Be with You Till We Meet Again
582 Dying, You Destroyed Our Death (Memorial Acclamation)
601.5 Song of Zechariah (Benedictus)
2.17
3.1 Comfort, Comfort You My People
26 Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
85 What Wondrous Love Is This
103 Deep Were His Wounds, and Red
140.3 Holy, Holy
144.1+4 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
296.2 Walk On, O People of God
341.1 Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!
355 Hear the Good News of Salvation
395.2+3 Have Mercy, Lord, on Me (Take Pity, Lord)
466 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
467.3 How Great Thou Art
485.1 To God Be the Glory
2.18
77.1 Forty Days and Forty Nights
80 Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley
81.2 Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
83.2 O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High
97.1 Go to Dark Gethsemane
360.3 Hope of the World
388.2 O Jesus, I Have Promised
389.2 O Jesus, I Have Promised
403 What a Friend We Have in Jesus
BULLETIN COVERS/IMAGES
https://images.knowing-jesus.com/Hebrews/2
SERMONS
Complete sermon on the pericope (2nd one on the page); Christmas context
http://day1.org/623-the_future_of_preaching
Audio sermon from Princeton Seminary on the Fellowship of Suffering
https://preachingandworship.org/api/lc/94c5581e083ea2a5305a320a2da4968d5d2ba8c2e9d62
Another audio from Princeton, this one says it’s the worship service but it’s only 21 mins long so maybe not; with Chuck Colson reflecting on being in prison
http://commons.ptsem.edu/id/01638
Typed sermon from Arthur Landwehr sermon collection. “God Give So You Can,” Hebrews 2:9-13. Refers to a novel from 1964! Methodist pastor in Chicago.
45 minute audio of 1956 sermon from Princeton on Hebrews 2 addressing the faithfulness of God
http://commons.ptsem.edu/id/02544
An order of worship around Hebrews 2 from Calvin Symposium on Worship
The theme that year was Hebrews, so other pages may be of interest for the series.
PRAYERS
This set of prayers has one for each verse of Hebrews 2
https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Hebrews/2
Offering prayer from UMC Discipleship
Dear God, for whom and through whom all things exist, you are the Sovereign of the universe! Yet you have named us among your beloved children and call us to live as brothers and sisters of Christ. On this World Communion Sunday, we rejoice that you gather us around the Table of your Son, the risen Lord. May our offerings reach out to bring hope and grace to our near and distant neighbors, whom you know and love. We pray in the most excellent name of Jesus. Amen. (Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12)
Reflection with prayer on the exact passage:
https://doers.org/february-14-hebrews-210-18/
Worship pieces (prayers, etc.) based on Hebrews 1-2, https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/6271/worship-elements-october-7-2018
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
(See bottom of page for exegetical resources for Hebrews 2)
My husband, who is preaching this next Sunday, felt like the assigned Hebrews pericope had a lot of overlapping themes with Psalm 69, which he also preached. See blog for 6/23 at https://wordpress.com/post/bjhlog.wordpress.com/224 for those themes to see if you agree and if any of those resources are helpful.
He is actually preaching Isaiah 40:25-31 and Hebrews 2:1-4 instead, with a theme of God not being done yet/who will pass the story on? Here’s the liturgical resources I wrote for those passages:
Call to Worship (for “other possibilities”; from Isaiah 40:27-28)
Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.
Don’t you know?
Haven’t you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God;
he created all the world.
He never grows tired or weary.
He strengthens those who are weak and tired.
Those who trust in the Lord for help are renewed
We rise on wings like eagles.
We will run and not get weary;
We will walk and not grow weak.
ALL: AND TOGETHER WE WILL PRAISE THE LORD!
Prayer of Confession
Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.
O God, at times we allow ourselves to be distracted.
We forget to look for your work in the world.
We slide away from you, drawn by other pastures.
Forgive us. Re-focus and strengthen us.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.
We rejoice in the great salvation first announced by the Lord Jesus himself, and passed down to us by those who heard him speak. Thanks be to God for the Good News:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Hymns (for the “other possibilities”)
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
How Great Thou Art
Lift High the Cross
I Love to Tell the Story
On Eagles’ Wings
BULLETIN COVER (for the “other possibilities”)
We are using a photo of the congregation (serendipitously taken today!) to illustrate “Who is passing the story on.”
EXEGETICAL RESOURCES
Hebrews 2:10 on Jesus our Pioneer
https://preachingandworship.org/api/lc/e4bc14f834c25d7e52848f1e346b531e5d2bac5655a5f
Hebrews 2:14 on the incarnation
https://preachingandworship.org/api/lc/82f6fd7e3af40cfbca5541bb745650105d2bac56558c0
The ones below were targeted for my husband’s sermon on Hebrews 2:1-4, but you can access the later verses on most of them as well….
Contextualization of Hebrews 2 in the larger context of Hebrews and the whole Bible
https://bible.org/seriespage/word-warning-and-exhortation-hebrews-21-4
Word study & devotional application of Hebrews 2
http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=38977&columnid=3803
Sproul’s verse-by-verse exposition of Hebrews 2
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/scripture/hebrews_2/?type=devotional&sort=scripture
Verse by verse commentary from a Free Methodist church
http://hillsdalefmc.net/2018/07/19/pay-attention-hebrews-21-4/
Sermon notes from Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/SermonNotes_Hbr/Hbr_7.cfm
Aquinas
https://dhspriory.org/thomas/english/SSHebrews.htm#21
Analysis drawing on a variety of commentators incl. word(s) study, discussions of other pertinent scriptural texts, illustrations & an extended section on “drifting away”
katyandtheword 
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