“Show your colors” seems like a playful subject. This sermon will turn playful and light and then serious and dark and then return to playful. There is more to color than meets the eye. Colors have a power in our lives that philosophers and scientists have long documented. We are influenced by colors. For example, […]
The New Testament writers insist that we are at war — a cosmic war — that determines the fate of the universe. Why are we so attracted to movie thrillers like Star Wars and yet so detached from New Testament apocalyptic scenarios? Rather than read the New Testament texts literally, we are going to read […]
Please listen to the sermon delivered by our pastoral candidate, Rev. Dr. Robert Collins. There will be a short business meeting following worship on August 19th where a membership vote will be taken.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33 Baptists have never “cottoned” to priests. The words of Jesus about calling no man “father” have been taken literally. Putting aside our allergic reaction to the office of “priest,” we have a “high priest.” Hebrews 5 tells us that Jesus is our high priest after the order of Melchizedek. […]
Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 13:14-21 The wilderness is no place for the weak. Label the wilderness, like March Madness for favorites (one of the most solemn and joyful festivals in our liturgical calendar): Danger Zone. Moses’ sister, Miriam, soprano diva of Israel, died there. His brother Aaron, stripped of his priestly vestments, died there. […]
The season of Lent invites us to turn inward and reflect on the depth of human sin. The Exodus reading reminds us forcefully that we are far too casual about God’s commandments and so apt to change commandments, temples, and churches into objects of our own idolatry. The fourth gospel’s account of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple […]
Legend says that as Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the courthouse during the trial of the Chicago Black Sox, as they were known, a young boy begged of him, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.” Well, Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, […]
Genesis 7:1-5; Genesis 9:8-17 What are we to make of the story of a world-wide flood? There are two main currents of thought about the flood and we will dive in and see where each takes us.
2 Kings 2:1-12 As Elijah disappears in a whirlwind, Elisha is now on his own. Our story has a prequel: One day, years earlier, Elijah passed by Elisha and threw his mantle over him. Pay attention to this mantle because it is everything to everyone ever touched or called. Let’s suppose that one Sunday morning, […]
A preacher gravitates between wanting to be the beloved pastor and the one who is in trouble if he doesn’t preach the gospel. Talk about a difficult place to be stuck. How about these apples: In trouble with God if the preacher doesn’t preach the gospel; in trouble with the congregation if the preacher does […]