If you were good enough, there would be no need of confessing Christ at all. It is just because you are not good enough, that Christ says to you, “Follow me.” He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It is not the perfect people whom He wants in His church, but those who have a deep sense of their own imperfection, and who believe that His strength is made perfect in weakness.
Washington Gladden
January 10, 2021
January 10, 2021 “Spirit of Gentleness” Genesis 1:1-5 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 I have a bottle of River Jordan water on my bookshelf. Actual, official, certified Jordan River water. The bottle was clear. The water was…reasonably clear. The top was sealed and waxed and on label is said that it was actual Jordan River water where Jesus was baptized. We read of that story in the Bible. I am not about to doubt the authenticity of the water nor the…
January 3, 2021
January 3, 2021 “Pass it On” Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:1-18 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, how appropriate is it that as we begin a brand-new year, our Gospel lesson for today starts with the words, “In the beginning…” This is the beginning of a new year – a fresh start after a year like no…
December 20, 2020
December 20, 2020 “Entering the Story” 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Luke 1:26-38 Luke 1:46b-55 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, it was just a short walk from the guest house where I was staying in Nazareth five years ago to the Church of the Annunciation – a beautiful basilica built over the spot in the village of Nazareth…
December 13, 2020
The Messenger of the Messenger Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:19-28 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That is what the Gospel of Mark says in verse 4 of chapter 1. A question I get all the time is: Did the Jews baptize like we do? To answer that question let me tell you a story about Muslims. Every year we take the Confirmation…
Blue Christmas Service
December 6, 2020 Blue Christmas Service “What Are We to Say?” Luke 1:26-38 Romans 8:31-32, 37-39 Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, oh God, our strength and our redeemer. AMEN So, each year as I prepare the Blue Christmas service, I spend time reflecting on the past year. I think about those we lost in our church family. I think about all that has…
December 6, 2020
“What Was, and What Will Be” Isaiah 40:1-5 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, about a week ago, I sat in on a Zoom meeting with Rev. Tussing, Amy LaDu, Gregg Dudash, and our current confirmation class. One of the things the confirmands had been asked to do was to submit a photo…
November 22, 2020
“Sheep and Goats” Ezekiel 34:1113, 16, 20 Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, also known as Christ the King Sunday. That means it is the final Sunday of the church year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Avent, and thus the start of a new church year. Next…
November 15, 2020
November 15, 2020 Them That’s Got Shall Get Judges 4:1-7 Matthew 25:14-30 So Billie Holliday wrote and sang: “Them’s that got shall get, Them’s that not shall lose” So the Bible Says. I have heard that line or variations of it over the years and it seems to indicate that those who have much will just keep getting more and those that have little will get less. Now, just what folks are talking about gaining and losing is not clear…