“The Great Jungle Journey” Our July/August newsletter described what the theme of our cooperative Vacation Bible School in July was going to be, and what the lesson the Presbyterians would teach was going to be about. Now we can tell you how it went and share a few photos: 47 children enjoyed games, crafts, [...]
It’s not too late to contribute to the Presbyterian Church USA’s “Peace and Global Witness Offering.” Each congregation is asked to designate 25% of the offering, to go to a particular effort to promote “health, wholeness, and harmony” (the biblical definition of “peace”). This year our 25% will go to HOPE Domestic Violence services, which [...]
By this time in Jesus’ ministry, the time of his final journey to Jerusalem, he was well-known as a teacher and a healer throughout the countryside around Jerusalem and Galilee. By this time, it would come as no surprise when he was recognized and approached by those wanting help. In this story, the ones wanting help are ten people suffering from a bad skin disease, ten whom we have come to know as “lepers.” Lepers, as you may know, may have been the most feared and rejected members of Middle Eastern society. Some people thought their disease was a punishment sent by God because they were bad people; others thought the condition was terribly contagious. It turns out both were wrong. Whatever the reason, they were outcasts, “untouchables,” given up as permanently lost and virtually dead. If we were to describe them in the “Upstairs Downstairs” terms of last month’s sermon, we would have to put them in the lowest basement. […]
Ahhh, another Fall Campaign: so exciting! Actually, I really like the theme the Stewardship Committee has presented throughout 2018 at various times and in a variety of ways. “Where Is Your Heart?” comes from our Matthew, chapter 6, passage and is focused on verse 21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Notice that it doesn’t say that the treasure follows the heart, but that the heart follows the treasure. It points to what is central in our lives, whatever our most important treasure is: is it money?; is it family?; is it cars?; is it God and the will of God? […]
As most of you know, my past three sermons are a part of a series about Old Testament women. To this point, I have been rescuing them from the bad rap they have received by some biblical scholars and commentators down through the ages. We have heard of Eve, Sarah and Hagar, and Tamar. Today I will jump way ahead in scripture and talk about Esther as it is also in the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday. While there are no known documents of a historical nature concerning Esther, she is very important to the Jewish faith story and consequently our faith too. This story tells of the salvation of the Jewish people, residing as refugees in Persia, from certain death. The King in the story is Ahasuerus. His Persian name was thought to be Xerxes who reigned from 479 to 465 B.C. […]