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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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: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: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 […]
Scriptures:Isaiah 58:9b-14 & Luke 13:10-17 I am a member of one of those generations that has the questionable habit of mindless scrolling on my phone. I’m sure there are plenty of downsides, but one of the upsides is the diversity of people I have to learn from right at my fingertips – people who teach […]
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 […]
