Renew and Rejoice

The Rev. Sally E. Norris O God of amazing grace, we are grateful to be gathered in your presence to reflect on your word together. May your truth and inspiration find a place in our hearts and minds. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts together, be…

Keeping Commandments

John 14:15-21 May 14, 2023Dr. John A. Terry, Interim Pastor I am going to speak at some length about the scripture beforereading it. Last I preached and again today we have the same chapterfrom the Gospel of John and next Sunday we will press further into theGospel of John. Here is the reason. There is…

Holding Doubts While Keeping Faith

Dr. John A. Terry, Interim Pastor May 1, 2022 John 21:19-31 Let me mention several things about this passage before it is read: John 21:1-19 1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples bythe Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gatheredthere together were Simon Peter, Thomas called…

Abundant Life

  April 30, 2023  The Rev. Dr. John A. Terry, Interim Pastor  John 10:1-10  Today’s gospel lesson is from John 10:1-10. When Jesus taught this lesson, he used words and images those in the first century would understand. There are sheep and a shepherd; there is the voice of the shepherd; there is the sheepfold…

Known in the Breaking

April 23, 2023 Dr. John A. Terry, Interim Pastor Luke 24:13-35 This third Sunday in the season of Easter, we have the third storyof what happened that Easter day. The first story was of Easter morningat the grave. The story last week was set in a room behind lockeddoors on Easter evening with disciples sheltering…

The Promise Luke 1:39-55

Here is the story of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary’s relative, Elizabeth, mother of John whom we know as John the Baptist.  Mary and Elizabeth were related.  They could have been cousins or, given the age difference, Elizabeth could have been Mary’s aunt. This passage tells of miracles and surprised and reversals.  There was…

The Voice Luke 3:1-6

I want to give you an introduction to the several people mentioned in this scripture passage.  The lesson begins with the words: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…”  The Roman Empire had gone through the death of Augustus Caesar.  Emperor Tiberius Caesar was the successor of Augustus Caesar.  We know him…

False Positives Luke 21: 25-36

We begin the church year by looking ahead to the end, to how in God’s time the world as we know it will be transformed.  Jesus said these words near the end of his earthly ministry.  He knew how easy it is to be distracted by the trials and tribulations of our life and times. …