John 1:1-18 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Psalm 130:5-8 I wait for the Lord Chrismon – Chi-Rho And Lived Among Us Things change when someone comes to live with us. They change when we have company for the weekend. They change when we host a missionary, or a student. Things change when we bring a child home as our…
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Ezekiel prophesies to the dry bones and they are raised to new life. John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection and the life Chrismon – Alpha and Omega How Far is Too Far? Like last week’s passage, this one we may remember from childhood. We may well remember singing about how the toe bones connect to the foot bones, which connect to the…. Beyond…
Week 5 of the Solas – Soli Deo Gloria Hebrews 13:20-21 Isaiah 43:1-13 Sermon Notes – Soli Deo Gloria points to three things: first, that everything we do ought to be done for God’s glory; second, that glorifying God serves a missional purpose; and third, that we look forward to the time when we can see the fullness of God’s glory. It may be too…
Week Three of the Solas – Solus Christus Hebrews 4:14-5:10 Sermon notes – It sometimes is hard to get an audience with someone in authority. It seems that the higher up people are, the tougher it is for a regular person to be able to talk to them. Someone else is answering their phones and emails and keeping their calendars, and if you aren’t deemed…
Week 1 on the Solas – “Sola Gratia” – From Reformed Worship, June 2017 Ephesians 2:1-10 Sermon notes – While the world may teach us that “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” according to Scripture – the greatest gift of all – grace itself is freely give, Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, “For it is by grace you have been saved,…
In the Beginning – The First First Presbyterian Genesis 1:1—2:4a Creation by word; light, life; it was good. (John 1:1-5) Once Upon A Time We tell stories about how we get here, or how we got here. We tell the story of creation as one such beginning, and the story of Jesus as another beginning. Sometimes the beginning isn’t the beginning, as we find…
Galatians 3:1-9, 23-29 Neither slave nor free Faith and Law Faith and law have been held in tension in our theology since, well, since Christ. We heard the tension in the Jerusalem Council, and in the readings from last week. We have struggled with the law given, the law broken, and the place of justice, grace, and forgiveness. We have struggled with…
Galatians 1:13-17; 2:11-21 Paul’s former life, conflict with Peter at Antioch, by faith Insider and Outsiders This is the oldest, or earliest text in the New Testament. Galatians is at the beginning of what we have – ~54 AD, a mere 21 years after the crucifixion and resurrection. As such, it sheds some light on how the church was working or not…
May 7, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:26-39 Adaptation This is a challenging story. For those of us who struggle to tell the story of God’s love and grace, even the idea of going up to a complete and total stranger to talk to them about their faith and our faith may be a show stopper. For others, approaching an official may be…
April 30, 2017 Third Sunday of Easter 5 th Sunday Music Service Mark 16:1-7, Matthew 28:1-7, Luke 24:1-9 #236 – The Strife is O’er #246 – Christ is Alive Christ the Lord is Risen Today