In several places in the Bible provide brief overviews of Israel's history. Psalm 105 and 106 are but two examples. Here, before a gathering of Israelites in Antioch, on the sabbath, in the synagogue, Paul recounts highlights of Israel's history. He does it in such a way such as to make his case that Jesus …
Intimacy with God
Psalm 139:1-14 "1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on …
Liminality
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; …
Who Will We Be?
In Sunday's message I introduced the notion of circumstantial rites of passage. These are those moments of disorientation when we are confronted with a life circumstance that nothing in our past has prepared us to face. The tragic events of 9/11 was one of those times of disorientation for us as individuals, for us as …
Sunday Morning Worship 1.10.21
Good morning, everyone! Please find below the link to yesterday's worship. My apologies for the delay in posting this. It took nearly eleven hours to upload it! God bless! Prayer Concerns/Scripture Reading https://youtu.be/qNy_0TiJo94
When the Flood Waters Come
Psalm 69:1-5, 13-16 1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim …
The Power of “Yes”
The passage below follows Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. After being told by Jesus to get up and go on to Damascus and await further instructions, Saul obeyed the Lord. Acts 9:10-19 "10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” …
Words to Comfort and Encourage
In light of the deeply disturbing events we witnessed yesterday, these familiar words seemed an appropriate place to turn. Psalm 23 "1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in …
The Pathway of Faith
Luke 6:27-31 "27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold …
Nuggets of Wisdom
Proverbs is one of the five "Books of Wisdom" found in the First Testament. The other four are Psalms, Job, the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. Tradition holds that the wisdom literature was written by "sages" to address how to live the virtuous life in relationship to God. I can't think of a better beginning …