OLD FIRST GATHERED AND AT WORSHIP You will not need this order of service for worship; what you need will appear on your screen, but if it might be easier for you to follow along off a paper, please print this service. Preparation — Have you created your own “sacred worship...
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Yes, it sounds an awful lot like our tagline #LoveFirst. Go figure! But notice their is an apostrophe on Jesus and an “s” on First. The lectionary offers a series of Gospel readings for this Epiphany season that can be understood as “Jesus’ Firsts.” As in: Jesus’ First Miracle, Jesus’...
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This summer Michael will be preaching a sermon series: “Grace Notes: Singing our Faith.” It will take a look at the stories behind some of our favorite hymns, and a few you might not like so much! They will be simpler (shorter!) sermons set in simpler services for summer Sundays.* We...
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Margaret E. was back in town from Nashville where she is finishing her last year at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She jumped right into our Lenten sermon series on “Covenant,” tackling the 10 Commandments. I thank her for preaching for us: she did a wonderful job, doing...
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(Michael on Sunday, 02.18, in an impromptu moment from the pulpit, challenged the congregation — as part of their Lenten observance — to be present for all 6 of the sermons in the series. He then went on and said, he’d take all those who heard all 6 sermons to dinner...
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James Alison begins with an interpretation of the parable of the Unjust Judge and the Importunate Widow. He sees this as an example of our reluctance to become insistent desirers and to accept less than we deserve. He suggests that we dare to want more. Then he discusses Jesus’ sayings...
Read moreThe sermon on Reformation Sunday — October 30 — will be about the ministry of all Christians: by our baptisms, we have all called to minister in Christ’s name. Another way to think about this: our church’s ministry is the sum total of all that each of us does in...
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Before the 2nd congregation I served, Arthur Wells wrote me about the pastorate ahead of me (perhaps foreseeing it wasn’t to be an easy run!): Ministry is never always easy. Misunderstanding and mistrust persist. Unkind things will be said. Difficult responses will occur. But...
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I don’t think Jesus is saying we all have to be ascetics, but his use of the image of slaves does suggest we can be enslaved to our stuff: What we think we own often turns out to own us. Then is the only way to be faithful some vow of poverty by which one is left...
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It’s the faith that we have as a deep pool, A resource without end, A reserve constantly renewed by God That we are called to dip into and to live by, Really live by.
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