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 […]
Scriptures:Amos 8:1-12Luke 10:38-42 Today I begin with a quote I came across online that has been echoing in my heart all week; words from a Christian pastor and theologian who practiced what he preached even when it cost him everything. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was German pastor during the rise of Nazi Germany when the church was […]
Today is Pentecost: a day when we remember how God’s Spirit moves in the world, breaking through our expectations, lighting hearts on fire, and creating a new kind of community. On that first Pentecost, the Spirit empowered ordinary people; people of every age, background, and language; to speak God’s love and promise in their own […]