January 7, 2007: Baptism of the Lord
Sermon: "Quantum Leap", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
On this ordination Sunday, we also remember the baptism of Jesus. It was at his baptism that God calls out, "This is my beloved Son." It is in our own baptisms that we too are named as God's children and called to lives of service. Just as God was faithful to the Israelites in calling them out of Babylon, so too God continues to call us from the north, south, east, and west to feast together as God's people.
January 14, 2007: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Good Wine, Great Service", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: John 2:1-11
As his first public miracle, Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. This miracle, this sign, becomes symbolic of Christ's overflowing grace in our lives. But it took stewards to share the wine; it took disciples to share the loaves and fish of another of Jesus' miracles. It takes those who have received God's overflowing grace to be involved in great service in response
to this grace.
January 21, 2007: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "All Eyes on You", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 4: 14-21
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus begins his public ministry by attending Sabbath worship in his home synagogue in Nazareth. He stands to read the scriptures, and begins with these words from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” All eyes were fixed upon him. Jesus has a relationship, a connectedness to the Spirit, to the Scriptures, and to the fulfillment of God’s call, as should we, as his followers.
January 28, 2007: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Speaking the Truth in Love ", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 4: 21-30
As Jesus returns to his hometown synagogue in Nazareth, he reveals that the fulfillment of God’s kingdom comes in him. The hometown crowd is deeply offended at this. They cannot believe the very Incarnation of God comes in the person of Jesus. He becomes a stumbling block in their faith and they try to get rid of him. There are many things that people allow to become stumbling blocks in their faith – including the incarnation ways in which God may choose to speak to us today. And yet God still uses ordinary and common folk to speak God’s word of truth.
February 4, 2007: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "If You Say So", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 5: 1-11
After fishing all night and not catching anything, Jesus tells Peter to put his boat out into deeper waters and to let down his nets. When he does, he catches so many fish that the nets begin to break and Simon Peter has to call James and John to help bring in the load. In spite of the fact that he was tired and had already fished all night, Peter was obedient and did as Jesus said and then experienced the miraculous, even as Jesus calls him to be one who will go on to catch people.
February 11, 2007: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Blessings and Woes", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Luke 6: 17-26
Luke's gospel says more to us about social justice than any of the other gospels. He is champion of the poor, outcasts and sinners. In this text Jesus turned the popular theology of the day on its head as he heaped blessings on the poor and woes on the rich. How do we translate that in our unsettled world?
February 18, 2007: Transfiguration of the Lord, Faithspeak 2007
Sermon: "Fond Memories, Fonder Hopes", Dr. Michael Lindvall
Lesson: Luke 9: 28-36
There are two things we can do with sweet memories of high points in life. One choice is Peter's initial reaction to the Transfiguration. Let's just retreat and go there and stay there. It's very alluring to hunker down with sweet memories of the past and just settle in when the future veritably swarms with unknowns.The other choice is to use those fond memories to nourish even fonder hopes for an even more glorious future. In those times when your faith has gone dry, remember a time when your faith has shone bright and clear. And because that was true, you can trust that it can be real again.
February 25, 2007: 1st Sunday in Lent
Sermon: "An Opportune Time", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 4: 1-13
As Jesus moves through the temptations in the wilderness, one of the things He comes to terms with is His limited mortality as a "son of man" - that one day Jesus of Nazareth will die. Thus He lives His life with high and holy intentions. The season of Lent calls us to self examination as we consider how we shall live our lives. Lent itself is an opportune time.
March 4, 2007: 2nd Sunday in Lent
Sermon: "God's Gathered", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 13: 31-35
This is difficult text, Jesus calls it like he sees it. Herod is a fox, representative of the worldly powers that seek to control and harm. Jesus refers to himself as the hen, the almost defenseless birth that gathers her brood under her wings for protection, and would give up her life for her chicks. A fitting image for the compassionate Christ who gathers us under his wings for protection from the wily foxes of this world, and in the end, gives his life for us.
March 11, 2007: 3rd Sunday in Lent
Sermon: "Worse Sinners", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 13: 1-9
In this gospel text, Jesus responds to one form of the age-old the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people." He uses the parable about a caring and loving gardener and the image of a fig tree. It suggests that while God may not keep bad things from happening to us, God goes with us through those experiences, having been there in the life and death of Jesus Christ, even as he goes to his own death upon a tree.
March 18, 2007: 4th Sunday in Lent
Sermon: "Great Expectations and the U-Turn", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Luke 15: 1-2, 11-32
It has been called the parable of the Prodigal Son, the Waiting Father, or even the parable of Two Brothers. It doesn't matter which you like, the parable leaves us to ponder who we are and what God's grace and forgiveness can do for us. It is a parable with no names, just titles. There are some surprises in store for you.
April 1, 2007: Passion/Palm Sunday
Sermon: "Stones Shout Out", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 19: 28-40
As Jesus enters into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he lives into God's will for his life as he lives life in all of its fullness, even as he moves to the cross. We are invited to join him in the journey of faith.
April 8, 2007: Easter/Resurrection of the Lord
Sermon: "The Empty Tomb", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: John 20: 1-18
While some today would suggest that Jesus never rose, that his bones have been found, the empty tomb and the hope that it offers to those who believe remains at the very center of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul says that if Jesus didn’t truly rise from the dead, then we are to be pitied. But the truth of the empty tomb is this: that Jesus Christ did rise and because of that we have hope now and in the world to come.
April 22, 2007: 3rd Sunday of Easter
Sermon: "Hungry Hearts", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: John 21: 1-19
Scholars say that Ch. 21 of John's gospel is an epilogue. Everything suggests that may be true. If it weren't there, however, we would have missed a most remarkable opportunity to see how Jesus responds to the needs of his disciples, challenges them, and then sends them off to die for the sake of his name. Tending and feeding the hungry hearts of this world is not a job for the skidish who do not know who they are or to whom they belong.
April 29, 2007: 4th Sunday of Easter
Sermon: "Great Acts: Resurrection", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Acts 9: 36-43
Following Pentecost the early Church experienced the great acts of God's Spirit among them. In today's text, God raises Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead through the work of Peter. God calls to new life this faithful servant so that she might continue her ministry of charitable acts. We, who were once dead in our sin, in Christ have been given new life so that we too might live to serve God.
May 6, 2007: 5th Sunday of Easter
Sermon: "Great Acts: Inclusion", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Acts 11: 1-18
This second of a three part sermon series explores the great act of the Spirit in calling the church to be inclusive. The Spirit calls Peter to have fellowship with and to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile. Peter doesn't want to, but has a vision in which the Spirit makes it clear: "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." The early Church moves to becoming "a big tent" where all are welcome.
May 13, 2007: 6th Sunday of Easter
Sermon: "Great Acts: Vision", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Acts 16: 9-15
Today is the third and final sermon in a three part series on the great acts of the Holy Spirit at work in the Early Church following the gift at Pentecost. Paul is directed by the Spirit, in the form of a dream, to go to Macedonia, where he meets a God worshiping woman, Lydia, who becomes the first Christian convert in Europe. She opens not only her heart to Christ, but also her home to Paul and company and demonstrates the gift of hospitality, as her home becomes the first church in Philippi.
May 20, 2007: 7th Sunday of Easter
Sermon: "Indescribable Gifts", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Matthew 9:35-10:1
How do we take the amazing words of the gospel, written for another time and place, and find a way for it to have meaning and purpose for our lives today? Jesus was a master at helping us do just that. He can take the images of sheep without a shepherd, a harvest ripe for picking, and help us discover that we are the ones who are called to shepherd, and labor in the fields of life. Paul's letter to the church at Corinth helps us claim our indescribable gifts.
May 27, 2007: Day of Pentecost
Sermon: "Babel Redux", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Acts 2: 1-8, 12-13
In the Genesis story, as humanity seeks to make a name for themselves by building a tower that reaches to heaven, God confuses their languages. Pentecost serves as the undoing of the Genesis story as God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, again unifies the people of God, creating the Church.
June 3, 2007: Trinity Sunday
Sermon: "1+1+1=1", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: John 16:12-15
Today is Trinity Sunday. It is the only Sunday in the church liturgical calendar that is dedicated to a doctrine, rather than an event in the life of Jesus or the Church. We remember on this day one of the essential tenets (beliefs) of our faith – the Trinity. We believe in One God who is made known in three persons – The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We affirm this belief throughout our lives – beginning at our baptism, which is done in the name of the Triune God, to our very death, at which the commendation is also done using the Trinitarian formula.
June 10, 2007: 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "A Widow's Wonder", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 7:11-17
Widows are at the center of concern in both of today's texts. The prophet Elijah and Jesus both perform miracles in providing for the widows. They serve as the conduit of God's love and grace in others. So too we are called to be conduits of God's grace through word and deed, so that others too might experience the Widow's Wonder.
June 17, 2007: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "A Sinner Forgiven", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 7:36-50
Luke tells us about a woman, a sinner, who attends a dinner party at the home of Simon, the Pharisee. Jesus is invited. This woman, during the party, begins to cry and to bathe Jesus' feet with her tears, then dry them with her hair, and then anoints them with oil. Jesus uses the experience to contrast her lavish acts of love with Simon's role as host. She has been forgiven much, and thus she celebrates that love with her whole being. What about you - do you lavish your love upon God who has forgiven you?
June 24, 2007: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Life in the Raw: The Psalms Speak" (Part 1), The Rev. Sally Brown
Life in the raw is what they are. These poems, prayers, hymns, spiritual songs reveal the best and worst of our human experience with a God whose steadfast love is in tension with the reality of sin and judgment. I thank God that the Psalms are an open book to the soul of humanity. For ancient Israel and now, they are timeless..
July 1, 2007: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Life in the Raw: The Psalms Speak" (Part 2), The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 96
The most loved of all books of the Bible comes to life in us. As we explore Part 2 of this sermon, we discover once again that the steadfast love of God is often times the only thing that sustains us through life. As we look at experiences in our own midst we will discover that the Psalms speak clearly, especially in the midst of our, pain, doubt, and anger. When all is said and done the Psalms inspire us to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
July 8, 2007: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "In Remembrance", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: John 6: 48-58
In the words of institution to the Lord's Supper we hear these words. "Do This In Remembrance of Me." The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper invites us to remember the past, to celebrate the present, and to look with joy to the future. As we remember the past, we give thanks for the saving death of Jesus Christ. In the present, we know that it is the sacrament of Bread and Cup that binds us together as brothers and sisters in Christ. As we look to the future, we do so with joy knowing that one day we will again celebrate this meal with Christ at his heavenly banquet table.
July 15, 2007: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "The Good Sam Club", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 10:25-37
Jesus, through the parable of the Good Samaritan, invites each of us to be members of the Good Sam Club – willing to help our neighbor in need. But he also wants us to realize and to know that when we, on our journey in life, end up “half dead” along the wayside, he comes, as the Good Samaritan, to heal our wounds, and to load us on to his donkey called Grace, and to carry us.
July 22, 2007: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "So, Who Washed the Dishes?", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Luke 10:38-42
The story of Mary and Martha is a pleasant little story that often gets a bad wrap because we make assumptions about what it means. I have tried to find a nugget of truth in it that is new, at least for me. Jesus offers us more than we can ever imagine or deserve. Does he wash dishes? I'll just bet he does.
July 29, 2007: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Persistent Prayer", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 11:1-13
Jesus gives us the model prayer - the Lord's Prayer. It is a powerful prayer that speaks to the personal nature of God, to God's provisions for our lives, to God's gracious pardon, and to God's protection. Jesus challenges us to be persistent in our prayers - to keep knocking, knowing that it is Jesus Christ who opens the door.
August 5, 2007: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "A Bigger Barn?", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 12:13-21
In response to a question about inheritance, Jesus tells a parable about building bigger barns. It raises the question: When is enough stuff enough? We are challenged to share all that we have in life.
August 12, 2007: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Trust and Obey", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 12:32-40
The author of Hebrews proclaims: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." It the midst of life's dark times, it is our faith that sustains us. Jesus, in Luke's gospel, says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." What a promise to God's faith-filled people!
August 19, 2007: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Surrounded", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 12:49-56
Too often we move through life living lives of casual faith – of simply functional faith. The author of Hebrews call us to remember once again that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the communion of us, who cheer us on as we run the race with perseverance, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
August 26, 2007: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Praiseworthy", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 13: 10-17
In today's gospel lesson, Luke recounts the healing by Jesus of a woman who had been bent over with a disease or deformity for 18 years. Not only is the healing itself miraculous, but just as important is that Jesus names her as a daughter of Abraham, a child of the covenant, a child of the promise. Jesus names each of us as his own, so that no matter how the world might see or label us, we are a child of God!
September 2, 2007: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Paper Plates and Fine China", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Luke 14:1, 7-14
St. Francis of Assis said, "Preach the Gospel at all times -- if necessary use words." If we take that to heart we will realize what Jesus expects of us. Preaching is not only a pulpit function, but is a lifestyle for all of us. It is living into God's word. Luke's gospel lesson for this day shows Jesus in action as well as providing necessary words for us to hear and act on. What happened at a dinner party where Jesus was guest? A lesson in humility.
September 9, 2007: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Costly Discipleship", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 14:25-33
As large crowds follow Jesus, he does not make the call to discipleship easy, but rather asks those who would follow to count the cost. And so millions and millions have done so over the centuries. One to do so was missionary Jim Elliot, who was killed by a native tribe in South America as he went to share the gospel. Jim counted the cost. He wrote in his journal, not long before he left for South America these words: "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
September 16, 2007: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Lost and found", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 15:1-10
Jesus tells two parables about the lost – the lost sheep and the lost coin. They are told so that those who think they are among the found, the Pharisees, may come to understand that they too have been lost. The fact is that each of us, in our own ways, gets lost. The great news of the Gospel is that God is like the persistent shepherd, like the determined woman, both of whom seek out what was lost until it is found. So it is with God and us.
September 23, 2007: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "God's Investment", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Luke 16:1-15
One would think that by the time we get to the 16th chapter of Luke's gospel that we would have gotten his message loud and clear. Obviously, Luke thinks otherwise, because he continues to remind us of some things we would rather not hear. This parable is about money, how we manage it in a crisis, how we plan for the future, but most of all how we attend to those who need us. It is more about eternal things than earthly things. Confusing as it is, this parable reminds us that God's Investment in us requires faithful accountability.
September 30, 2007: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Forewarned!", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 16:19-31
In the gospel lesson Jesus tells the parable about the rich man and Lazarus. It was this very parable that spoke to Dr. Albert Schweitzer and led him to leave all that he had in England to minister in central Africa. It raises again the question of how those who “have” will reach out and minister to those who don’t. It leaves us with the question, “What did you do for Lazarus?”
October 7, 2007: World Communion Sunday
Sermon: "World Communion Sunday", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 17:5-6
Timothy, Paul's faithful companion, was nurtured in the faith by his grandmother and mother, Lois and Eunice. Each of us in the same way have been nurtured by others in the faith. Our cry is that of the disciples, "Increase our faith." And so God does, through the witness of those who have nurtured us, and through the work of God's Spirit.
October 14, 2007: Children's Sabbath
Sermon: "Listening for God's Voice", Avery Baker, Blaine Finstein
Lesson: Luke 10:30-42; 17:11-19
Children's Sabbath - coming soon.
October 21, 2007: Pulpit Exchange Sunday
Sermon: "Keeping Track", Dr. Bob Crilley
Lesson: Matthew 20: 1-16
Jesus' parable about the laborers in the vineyard receiving a full days wage regardless of their start time shows the owner's extraordinary generosity. The laborers compare themselves and are envious because they believe it is not fair. It's the comparing that causes all the conflict. If you want to be miserable in life, start comparing yourself to other people, because you will always be able to find someone that has something that you don't. There's a whole other way to see your life - not as an entitlement, but as a gift. Learn to want what you already have and you will discover you already have everything that you could possibly want.
October 28, 2007: Reformation Sunday and All Saints Remembrance
Sermon: "Humbled Exultation", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 18: 9-14
The Pharisee and tax collector of this parable are not two possibilities between which we can choose, and by choosing the right one ensure our own righteousness. This is not a text in which we can find models for emulation or avoidance, by which we can make ourselves godly. Luke’s gospel is not a how-to manual for wannabe saints. This may be hard to admit but: it’s not all about us. We may call this the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, but really, it’s the story of the God who is not impressed by our righteousness and chooses to justify those with nothing to offer. The story points not to what human beings ought to be but to who God is. God is the one who justifies those who know nothing but their own need. God is the one whose compassion flows for those who have nothing to offer.
November 4, 2007: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Living Our Lives for God: The Gift of Our Money", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Matthew 19:16-30
Jesus encounters a young man who has many possessions. In response to this man's question of what he is lacking even though he has kept all the commandments, Jesus tells him to go and sell all he has and give the proceeds to the poor, and then come, and follow him. The man walks away in grief because he has so much. When it comes to our lives of stewardship, Jesus challenges us to be living our lives for God rather than being possessed by our possessions. His promise: "For us it is impossible, but with God, nothing is impossible."
November 11, 2007: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Living Our Lives for God: The Spirit's Breath", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: John 3:1-12
This is the second in a series of sermons about Stewardship. The theme Living Our Lives For God is expressed in Giving of our Money, Giving of Ourselves. (2 sermons). This sermon points out that unless we have Spirit’s Breath within us, we may miss the message of giving all together. Our Creator God, made good on the promise to breathe the breath of life into humanity, so that we would become a living soul. God renews us and invigorates our breathing with the Spirit’s Breath. Thanks be to God for that great gift to us all.
November 18, 2007: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon: "Living Our Lives for God", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Matthew 16: 21-28
In the Old Testament, the sacrifices made to God were those of dead animals. Paul invites us to make of ourselves a living sacrifice to God – of all that we are and all that we have. It is the same invitation that Jesus makes when he invites him to follow him by taking up the cross. For it is when we seek to find our lives that we lose them, and when we lose our lives, give our lives to others and God in service, that we are found. St. Francis said, “For it is in giving that we receive, and it is in dying to self, that we are born again to a living hope.”
November 25, 2007: Christ the King
Sermon: "You Were Expecting...", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 23: 32-43
On this Christ the King Sunday, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross. The two thieves hanging on either side of Jesus have a choice, as their final decision in life, of which kingdom they will be a part. One seeks to follow Christ the King and asks to be remembered when Jesus enters his heavenly kingdom. We too must decide to name Jesus as King.
December 2, 2007: 1st Sunday of Advent
Sermon: "Are You Ready?", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Matthew 24:36-44
On this First Sunday of Advent, we are invited by the texts to remember that Jesus comes not only as the Babe of Bethlehem, but is also coming again in glory. While we live our lives as if in “the days of Noah”, it is because of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus that our ordinary lives are transformed.
December 9, 2007: 2nd Sunday of Advent
Sermon: "The Voice", The Rev. Sally Brown
Lesson: Matthew 3: 1-12
Even in the hustle and bustle, we seem to mellow with the sounds, smells, well deserved vacation time, family gatherings, that come with celebrating Christmas. We sing the songs of “sweet baby Jesus,” who was born in a manger bed. Trouble is, we get caught in the peaceable kingdom mode, and fast forward the announcement of the scruffy, locust eating , loud mouthed John the Baptist who cries out, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Prepare the way of the Lord! He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire! He will separate the wheat from the chaff.” These words are not peaceable kingdom words, but challenge us to find peace and hope in a world where there seems to be so little of both. The voice calls us to be responsible servants of our Lord.
December 16, 2007: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Sermon: "Holiness Happens", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 1: 26-38
Both the prophet Isaiah and Luke tell us that Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary. For many the Virgin Birth becomes a tough place of faith. Yet it is Jesus' birth that points most importantly to the incarnation, God with us in the flesh. It is an event in which holiness happens.
December 23, 2007: 4th Sunday of Advent
Sermon: "What's in a Name?", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Matthew 1: 18-25
In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus this one who is born in Bethlehem is known by two names. Joseph is instructed in a dream to name the child to be born to Mary, “Jesus”. This was a common name, closely related to the Hebrew name, “Joshua” – which means God saves. But Matthew also makes reference to the Prophet Isaiah and the name Immanuel, or Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” The joy of this name is that it reminds us that God is with us always and in all circumstances.
December 24, 2007: Christmas Eve
Sermon: "A Christmas Peace", Dr. John W. Miller
Lesson: Luke 2: 1-14
We come here this peaceful night because we believe in the Prince of Peace. We also come longing for a peace that sometimes feels out of reach. And so we ask, where does this peace come from? When we work for justice and righteousness, peace comes. Peace needs to begin and end with forgiveness. For us to be in right relationships with each other we need to forgive again and again. It's a peace that doesn't go out after we extinguish the candles. May the Peace of Christ which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds centered on the Prince of Peace so that through your life you might do acts of justice, live a life of righteousness and know a Christmas peace. Merry Christmas.
December 30, 2007: 1st Sunday after Christmas
Sermon: "Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable", Josh Robinson, Seminarian
Lesson: Matthew 2:13-23
The author of Matthew is writing to a community of new Christians about 50 or so years after the resurrection of Jesus. Knowing they are well versed in Jewish scriptures, he is focused on reassuring them that Jesus is the Messiah who fulfills the prophecies and has come to bring restoration and redemption for all. They are a community of Christians similar to us, in that they struggled to know how to live in the footsteps of Christ in a world that seems to be unstable and scary. Matthew writes to them to assure them that the man named Jesus born in Bethlehem and who came from Nazareth, was indeed their promised king and savior.
Josh Robinson is a second year student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the Master of Divinity Program.
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