Tag: sermon
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Fear is the Killer
Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him,“My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are.…
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Peace and War: Son of Jesse
Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, just as Jesse had directed him. And he reached the encampment as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines, army against army. Then…
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Lessons Learned
Sermon based on text from Luke 14:1, 7-14 And it came to pass that Jesus was going to the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the sabbath to break bread, and they all were watching him closely. He began to tell a parable to those who had been invited, remarking how…
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Yet He Could Not Escape Notice…
From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice. But a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him,and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now…
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You Are Enough
Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the…
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God is in the Struggle
“That which does not kill you makes you stronger” is one of those “power sayings” that often get bandied about in polite society, a sort of talisman against the challenges of daily life. In fact, the phrase has its origins in the work of Freidrich Neitzsche, who includes it in a list of aphorisms in his…
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Que Será Christians
In my family, my parents liked to give each of their beloved children a “theme song.” And so it was that, growing up, my sister was haunted by family members singing “Rocky Raccoon,” and I found myself treated to regular group-singings of Doris Day’s mid-century hit, “Que Será.” I found myself thinking about that song…
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Ask Anything: Why Don’t Presbyterians Kneel When We Pray?
When you pray do you: -pray a prewritten prayer, like the Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23? -did you have to learn how to pray, or did you always know? -do you follow a pattern or use a specific order? -do you say whatever is on your mind? -do you say anything? Or are you quiet?…
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2/14 Sermon: Shine
Sermon preached at Belvidere for Transfiguration Day. Alex thought it would be fun to tape the Children’s sermon too, so here it is.
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Gratitude: A Christmas Eve Reflection on the Lukan Story
It doesn’t start off sounding like a particularly special or noteworthy story—“In those days, a decree went out from Emperor Augustus, that all the world should be registered.” No warning that this story is THE story, just information, a setting, a time and a place. A map, if you will, of the various pieces and…
Deeper in me than I 