In the book of Matthew, John the Baptist, first comes on the scene after the story of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. That is Matthew jumps from the angelic annunciation to Joseph that his betrothed would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit, to the arrival of wise men who came sometime after that child […]
We are beginning our Advent, our new church year and the time in which we anticipate Christ’s historical and contemporary and future breaking into the human experience, right at the beginning of the gospel according to Luke. It’s a different place to do it. Many times we start with big cosmic stories of apocalypse. Other […]
I am indebted to one of the Wednesday Bible study participants who pointed me to an episode from the second season of the original Star Trek show. I have to admit up front that I am not a Trekkie so if I get some of the details or language of the universe of that show […]
Let’s be honest with one another. Joel is one of those books of the Bible that when it’s time to look for it, we just start a little more than halfway back, and just flip through the pages until we see the heading go back. I mean, unless you are one of those people who […]
Comedian Gianmarco Soresi has a bit in his stand-up routine about how he realized when he hit his thirties how difficult it is maintain friendships. It’s the kind of comedy bit where if you take the eventual punchline away (which is exactly what I’m going to do), it makes a quite touching point. He acknowledges […]
Rev. Stephanie Anthony: The prophet, Habakkuk, planted himself at a watch post to wait and see how God would answer him. When he had seen the violence that God’s people were experiencing at the hands of their enemies, he challenged God, “Will you not save us?” To Habakkuk it seemed like God was sleeping on […]
We started a new weekly Bible study on Wednesday afternoon, one that is similar to studies I have held in previous congregations, onae that is, maybe selfishly, a huge help to me. If you have a chance to stop by and check it out, all you have to do is bring yourself. Lunches are welcome […]
A Sermon based onJeremiah 8:18 – 9:1 Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown on September 21, 2025 by Pastor Stephanie Anthony In my note to the church included in the weekly eblast I shared a story from my own youth group days. It was in the spring of 1995, the Sunday evening after the […]
Scriptures:Colossians 3:1-4 & Luke 12:13-21 When my sister and I were teenagers, every once in a while we’d meet up in our parents’ bedroom, pull out our mom’s jewelry box, and sift through the contents. Taking turns, we’d pick through everything and put each piece in one pile or another – mine and hers – […]
Scriptures:Proverbs 25:6-7a & Luke 14:1, 7-14 As the minister officiating the wedding, I was once invited to the wedding receptions of couples I really didn’t know that well. On one occasion, the bride and groom were not members of the church I was serving, but had very close friends who were. They had found me […]