Tonight, as we step into the season of Lent, I’m encouraging us to try something new this year. There’s some truth that we as people – not just here at First Presbyterian – but we the people have experienced loss. I don’t know it’s the healthy thing this Lent to go into the season with […]
For the past couple weeks, Scripture has been leading us through light and epiphanies. This season of light has been one focused on helping us see the world we already live in with greater understanding… or at least a little more clarity. Two Sundays ago we stood with Isaiah and Matthew in a moment when […]
Take a moment and prayerfully consider what is happening in our country and world. Pay attention to your body as you do. What do you feel? What do you carry? Although this may not be true for everyone, taking a moment to really reflect might lead us into a moment of heaviness. Sometimes all of […]
The first Sunday after Christmas is always a little… barren. Let’s be honest about that. We were just here a few days ago. We lit candles on Christmas Eve. We sang Silent Night. We heard the angels, the shepherds, the good news of great joy. Some of us are still tired from hosting, traveling, cooking, or simply being around people for an extended period […]
Many of us might have learned that fear is a problem that must be overcome. Or that feeling fear is a negative emotion that we are supposed to push down. Or maybe we feel something along the lines of if we were truly faithful, truly trusting God; we would feel calmer, steadier, more certain, less […]
Of course, there are some passages in Scripture that are pretty intense, sometimes so much so that it causes us to fidget a little or sit up a little straighter when we hear them. Malachi gives us one of those moments, which is why I think it’s worth reading the passage again. These three verses […]
There’s usually a moment in big project when we stop and look around and wonder if it’s worth continuing. We begin with hope and excitement, with energy and vision, imagining the finished goal. But somewhere along the way, the excitement dulls or the frustration kicks in. And whatever we are working toward becomes harder to […]
When Paul writes his second letter to Timothy, he’s nearing the end of his journey. He’s tired, imprisoned, and uncertain how much time he has left. This work has cost him everything, but his faith is still alive and his ministry is still not over, even if it is coming to an end. So he […]
Scriptures:Matthew 10:26-39 & Acts 2:42-47 Welcome home! What a joy it is to gather here today – old friends, new friends, members, visitors – all of us together as one body. This is our Homecoming or Rally Day or Fall Kick-off; whatever we want to call it. But this is the Sunday when we celebrate […]
Scriptures:Isaiah 56:1-8 & Matthew 7:15-20 A few weeks ago, our high school youth went on our trip to Presbyterian Youth Triennium. In the weeks, and even the hours, leading up to the trip, there was plenty of excitement. But most of our youth were also pretty honest with me: they were nervous. They were anxious […]
