Licensed Readers under the WV-WMD Synodical Lay Worship Leaders are welcome to use this library to obtain sermons for use in public worship. Whenever a sermon is read for a church service, proper attribution is to be made. At no time should the work of another be presented as if it is one's own work. Proper attribution includes the author, title, date of publication, and publishing house.

This library is divided into two sections at present. The first section is a list of books currently recommended by the Commission for Synodical Lay Worship Leaders. The second section is a matrix of the principal days of worship with the appointed readings of Scriptures. Associated with these Scripture readings are sermons that can be found on-line.

As time goes on, this library will expand, offering new resources. Your input is welcome. You may contact The Rev. Sean Smith with questions, suggestions, etc..

Section I: Books of Sermons

These books may be easily obtained and, often, for very little expense from various on-line retailers. A congregation or a licensed reader may find it prudent to buy one or more for ongoing use. Indeed, anyone (preacher or person in the pew) may find these books salutary for devotion or study. We do not vouch for the quality of all the sermons in these books. The reader should work with his/her supervisor to determine appropriateness.

The links will open the title page and table of contents for each of the books. You can review what is available there, and use that to inform your purchasing decisions (or borrowing decisions should you decide to use a real library). Some of these texts might be found on the internet.

Additionally, the oldest books are keyed to the old one-year lectionary. Many of the books are keyed to the Common Lectionary, but the current resource is the Revised Common Lectionary. It may not be sufficient in all cases to simply look at the ecclesiastical date. Look at the text that is indicated. If you find that a particular ecclesiastical date does not have the same text listed in the book as the RCL indicates for use, look several Sundays before or after. You may find the desired text there (as the RLC shifted readings from the CL).

• The Gospel We Preach: Sermons on a Series of Gospels for the Church Year (Augustana Press: 1956)
• The Gospel We Preach: Sermons on a Series of Gospels for the Church Year, First Series (Augustana Press: 1960)
• The Gospel We Preach: Sermons on a Series of Gospels for the Church Year, Second Series (Augustana Press: 1958)
• Augsburg Sermons: Old Testament Lessons, Series C (Augsburg Publishing House, 1979)
• Augsburg Sermons: Epistles, Series C (Augsburg Publishing House, 1976)
• Augsburg Sermons: Gospels, Series C (Augsburg Publishing House, 1973)
• Augsburg Sermons 2: Gospels, Series C (Augsburg Publishing House, 1982)
• Augsburg Sermons 3: Gospels, Series C (Augsburg Fortress, 1994)
• Augsburg Sermons: Lesser Festivals (Augsburg Publishing House, 1977)

For sermons keyed to the lessons for ordinary time following Pentecost (year C), click here.

Section II: Online Sermons

All the sermons here are in the public domain and available on the web. As close as possible, the sermons are keyed to the Revised Common Lectionary currently in use in the ELCA. Sermons will be added to this page as the year(s) progress. If you have found sermons that you would like to recommend for this page, contact the Commission for Synodical Lay Worship Leaders (chair, The Rev. Sean Smith).