Sermons on Old Testament
Wandering Heart…Teach Me
We are quickly approaching the events of Holy Week but make one last stop with Peter and Jesus as Peter asks a sincere question of his teacher…how many times do I forgive?
Wandering Heart…I’m Fixed Upon It
Today’s scripture passage opens our eyes to the fact that Peter, while he had the right words, didn’t entirely have the right understanding. He was “fixed” on the notion of a Messiah who would free them from Roman rule, but Jesus had other plans. Peter’s experience invites us to reflect on our experience. What happens to us in the face of tough times? How do we hold the reality of suffering, our own or others, alongside a belief in a loving God?
Wandering Heart…Praise the Mount
Today we consider Jesus question, “Who do you say that I am?” along with Simon’s response. This interaction invites us to reflect on our own faith journeys. When have we seen Jesus clearly and how do we speak with conviction about what we know? What we believe?
Wandering Heart… Rescue Me from Danger
What does it mean to be “rescued” or “saved” by Christ? How do we trust in God’s saving power while bearing witness to so much suffering in the world?
Wandering Heart… Jesus Sought Me
As we explore Peter’s calling we’ll also reflect on the beginning of our faith stories. When and how did Jesus seek us? How are we responding to God’s call?
How Does a Weary World Rejoice? Acknowledge…
What is joy? How do we receive it? Is it even possible in these difficult times? How does joy change us? How does it change the world?
Holy Ground
Today we explore the Bible passage about Moses and the burning bush. How does God reveal God’s self to us? Where and how are we invited to take off our shoes in recognition that we are standing on holy ground? And what are the invitations God extends to us in this time and place?
Resisting Return
It can be tempting to get stuck in a cycle of slaving away and planning for the future. The Israelites were instructed to collect only the manna that they needed. In seasons of rest, how can we be intentional with actively resting? What practices or societal pressures threaten to draw us back into the “rat race”? How should we believe or how should we live if we were to take this admonition seriously?
Surely
Today we explore these questions about rest through the lens of the prophet Elijah and the much cherished psalm, Psalm 23. Is rest really that important? What happens to us when we don’t honor the rhythms of life to which God calls us? What is the personal and communal fallout when we fail to rest?
What Is New, and What Is Old?
Throughout the Sundays of August, we’ll explore the notion of rest and renewal from a biblical and theological perspective. What is God’s hope and intention for the rhythms of our human lives? What is Sabbath and what difference does it make to us as Christians in 2023?