Today we begin our summer sermon series on the Book of Acts. I was brought up as a good Presbyterian child. What I knew about the Bible was through the sermons delivered on Sunday and the wonderful Hebrew Bible stories brought to life by my Sunday School teacher Mr. Landgraf. The Rev. Henry Anderson’s sermons
The Gospel of John is not the easiest gospel to read. Having been written a generation after the synoptic Gospels, it contains theology and mysticism that is not found in the other three Gospels and is harder to decipher. Where the other Gospels tell the where and when of the story, John tries to explain
In his Wednesday morning blog, Catholic Priest and Theologian Richard Rohr made the conclusion that because Jesus’ fundamental vision was that all people are ‘children of God’ whenever he met a person he would have therefore believed that God was somehow present in them. And any of us who take or have taken a yoga
At our zoom coffee hour last week, I shared that I had cried that morning. I don’t stay up late normally and in this time of physical distancing, my bedtime has even gotten a little earlier. But I have always been a morning person and have been enjoying getting up a little bit earlier these
This Sunday has several code names in church circles. Like the Sunday after Christmas, it is often referred to as a Low Sunday, meaning that after filling the church pews last Sunday, ….it will be a low attendance Sunday this week. It is also emotionally a low day after the high of the holiday the
So, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb of Jesus and finds that things are not right. She does not enter, but sees that things have been moved… the rock that covers the entrance is moved… It looks suspicious!!!….there has definably been a change since she last saw it. She runs to where the apostles (who
When I pulled up my file on the 1st Sunday of Lent for Year A, I saw that the last time this cycle came up, I preached on the story of Eve… and I confessed that and, well, now that you know me better this should not come as a surprise – but…… if I
Sometimes the assigned lectionary readings obviously go together. The weeks where the Hebrew Lesson, the Psalm, the Epistle, all contain a theological theme are easy to hear what the message of the week should be. This Sunday’s passages from Isaiah and Matthew speak to a time we have been waiting for now being here. They
I want to start by thanking the Forest City String Band for leading us in music as we worship today. You are, by far my very favorite band and it is so nice of you to take time out of your schedules and come down here once a year. You are my very very favorite
January 12, 2020 Isaiah 42:109 and Matthew 3:13-17 ‘Branded in Baptism’ The Rev. Martha M. Shiverick This Sunday is called Baptism of the Lord Sunday. It is not just the Sunday that we talk about Jesus’ baptism, but it is also the Sunday when Pastors are to teach and remind their congregations of the meaning