This web page records the anthems and special music used during worship at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church.

Recent Services

July 13, 2008

Lectionary Day:
Sermon Title: "The Messiah Who Cares About Feet"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" ⁷Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." ⁸Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." ⁹Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." ¹²After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:1-17 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "How Beautiful Are The Feet of Them"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "For The Beauty of the Earth" (Hymnal #2)
Anthem: "Standing on the Promises"
Hymn: "Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord" (Hymnal #306)
Closing Hymn: "Rise Up, O Men of God" (Hymnal #352)
Response: refrain of "I Love to Tell The Story" (Hymnal #383)

July 6, 2008

Lectionary Day:
Sermon Title: "Worship the God Who Is Able"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. ¹⁶I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, ¹⁷and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. ¹⁸I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "It Is Well With My Soul"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O Beautiful For Spacious Skies" (Hymnal #510)
Anthem: "I Know Whom I Have Believed"
Hymn: "Here, O Lord, I See Thee Face To Face" (Hymnal #442)
Closing Hymn: "Be Still My Soul" (Hymnal #374)
Response: "Let There Be Peace on Earth"

June 29, 2008

Lectionary Day: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "Every Reason To Laugh"
Sermon Theme: Faith is not individual - it is communal. One of the first and best Gifts God gives us is each other.
Scripture:

¹After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." ²He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." ³So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. ⁴On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. ⁵Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." ⁶Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" ⁸Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. ⁹When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ¹¹But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." ¹²He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." ¹³And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴So Abraham called that place "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Genesis 22:1-14 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Father, Protect Your Children" (A & A #111)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "It is Good To Sing Thy Praises" (Hymnal #20)
Anthem: "Offertory"
Hymn Sing Sunday
Closing Hymn: "Jesus Calls Us" (Hymnal #269)
Response: refrain of "He Leadeth Me" (Hymnal #338)

June 22, 2008

Lectionary Day: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "The Father’s Example" (pulpit supply: Rev. Brenda Loyal)
Sermon Theme: When worship is over, the service begins.
Scripture:

¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. ⁵Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be associated with them. ⁸For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light-- ⁹for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. ¹⁰Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; ¹³but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." ¹⁵Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:1-20 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Victory In Jesus" (A & A #55)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" (Hymnal #31)
Anthem: "A Jubilant Song"
Hymn: "Come, Labor On" (Hymnal #287)
Closing Hymn: "God of Grace and God of Glory" (Hymnal #358)
Response: refrain of ""

June 15, 2008

Lectionary Day: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "The Twelve"
Sermon Theme: We are called to be disciples in our own time and place.
Scripture:

¹Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. ⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' ⁸Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
Matthew 10:1-8 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "This Kingdom" (CCLI Printout)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Faith of Our Fathers" (Hymnal #348)
Anthem: "If God Is Building When We Build"
Hymn: "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (Hymnal #350)
Closing Hymn: "A Charge To Keep I Have" (Hymnal #301)
Response: refrain of "Jesus is Tenderly Calling" (Hymnal #267)

June 8, 2008

Lectionary Day: 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "All Are Welcomed"
Sermon Theme: We welcome others in the name of the one who welcomed us.
Scripture:

⁹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. ¹⁰And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹²But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." ¹⁸While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." ¹⁹And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, ²¹for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." ²²Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. ²³When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. ²⁵But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "He Touched Me" (Red Book #20)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty" (Hymnal #40)
Anthem: "I Have Felt The Touch of God"
Hymn: "O Master Let Me Walk With Thee" (Hymnal #304)
Closing Hymn: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" (Hymnal #399)
Response: refrain of "Take The Name Of Jesus" (Hymnal #411)

June 1, 2008

Lectionary Day: 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "God's Kingdom"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

²⁴He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' ²⁸He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' ²⁹But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" ³¹He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³²it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." ³³He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." ³⁴Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.
Matthew 13:24-34 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "In The Garden" (Redbook #20)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "God Himself Is With Us" (Hymnal #13)
Anthem: "Consider the Lilies"
Hymn: "Praise Ye The Lord, The Almighty" (Hymnal #1)
Closing Hymn: "I Love Thy Kingdom Lord" (Hymnal #435)
Response: refrain of "Take The Name of Jesus" (Hymnal #411)

h2>May 25, 2008

Lectionary Day: 2nd Sunday After Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Faith Beyond Worries"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

²⁴"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:24-34 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "My Country, Tis of Thee" (Hymnal #513)
Anthem: "We Bring Our Thanks"
Hymn: Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross" (Hymnal #376)
Response: Refrain of "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross"

May 18, 2008

Lectionary Day: Trinity Sunday
Sermon Title: "On the 8th Day of Creation"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, ²the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. ³Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. ⁴And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5 (NRSV)

¹¹Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³All the saints greet you. ¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
II Corinthians 13:11-14 (NRSV)

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Praise Ye The Triune God" (A & A #99)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Holy, Holy Holy!" (Hymnal #11)
Anthem: "Live a Life of Praise"
Hymn: "Come, Thou Almighty King" (Hymnal #244)
Closing Hymn: "On Our Way Rejoicing" (Hymnal #80)
Response: Refrain of "On Our Way Rejoicing"

May 11, 2008

Lectionary Day: Pentecost Sunday
Sermon Title: "Come Holy Spirit"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. ⁵Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" ¹³But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." ¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. ²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. ²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Ye Shall Be Witnesses" or "A Prayer for Pentecost" from (A & A)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Breathe On Me Breath of God" (Hymnal #235)
Anthem: "Breath on Me, Breath of God"
Special: A Pentecost Drama
Closing Hymn: "Seal Us, O Holy Spirit" (Hymnal #238)
Response: refrain of "Seal Us, O Holy Spririt"

May 4, 2008

Lectionary Day: 7th Sunday After Easter
Sermon Title: "The Habit of Prayer"
Sermon Theme: Like the disciples of old, devote your self to prayer, awaiting what God will do next.
Scripture:

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." ¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. ¹³When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Acts 1:6-14 (NRSV)

¹After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. ⁶"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
John 17:1-11 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "A House of Prayer" (Alleluia & Amen #124)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "More Love To Thee" (Hymnal #397)
Anthem: "Go Forth and Tell"
Hymn: "Sweet Hour Of Prayer" (Hymnal #398)
Closing Hymn: "Be Known To Us In Breaking Bread" (Hymnal #466)
Response: Refrain of "Let Us Break Bread Together" (Hymnal #447)

April 27, 2008

Lectionary Day: 6th Sunday After Easter
Sermon Title: "The Gospel Quilt"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

²²Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.' ²⁹Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
Acts 17:22-31 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "To God Alone Be The Glory" (Alleluia & Amen #71)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Praise The Lord, Ye Heavens" (Hymnal #3)
Anthem: "More Precious" (Rainbow Book)
Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "I Love To Tell The Story" (Hymnal #383)
Response: refrain of "I Love To Tell The Story"

April 20, 2008

Lectionary Day: 5th Sunday After Easter
Sermon Title: "The Lord's Lottery"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

²Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. ⁴Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." ⁷To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," ⁸and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
I Peter 2:2-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Living Stones"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "We Praise Thee, O God" (Hymnal #17)
Anthem: "Awake, Awake"
Hymn: "All The Way My Saviour Leads Me" (Hymnal #365)
Closing Hymn: "Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation" (Hymnal #433)
Response: refrain of "My Hope Is Built" (Hymnal #368)

April 13, 2008

Lectionary Day: 4th Sunday After Easter
Sermon Title: "White Water Rafting"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹⁷If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. ¹⁸You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. ²¹Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. ²²Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. ²³You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
I Peter 1:17-23 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Worthy Is The Lamb"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" (Hymnal #379)
Anthem: "The Blood of Jesus" (Rainbow Book)
Hymn: "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus" (Hymnal #349)
Closing Hymn: "My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less" (Hymnal #368)
Response: Refrain of "My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less"

April 6, 2008

Lectionary Day: 3rd Sunday After Easter
Sermon Title: "This Church, NOW!" (Pulpit Supply: Rev. Brenda Loyal)
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ²He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. ³He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." ⁴Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ⁵Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." ⁷So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." ¹⁰I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. ¹¹Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' ¹²Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NRSV)

¹You were dead through the trespasses and sins ²in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- ⁹not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Have I Done Any Good In The World Today"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" (Hymnal #187)
Anthem: "Lord, Here Am I"
Hymn: "Breathe On Me, Breath of God" (Hymnal #235)
Closing Hymn: "Here I Am, Lord" (Hymnal #)
Response: ""

March 30, 2008

Lectionary Day: 2nd Sunday of Easter
Sermon Title: "Behind Closed Doors"
Sermon Theme: The last thing you can afford to lose is hope.
Scripture:

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." ²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." ²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:19-31 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "We Bear The Strain of Earthly Care" (Hymnal #227)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (Hymnal #385)
Anthem: "Help My Unbelief"
Hymn: Hymn Sing Sunday
Closing Hymn: "Thine Is The Glory" (Hymnal #209)
Response: Refrain of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

March 23, 2008

Lectionary Day: Easter Sunday
Sermon Title: "God Hears The Cry"
Sermon Theme: The Resurrection is not just a wonderous fact in history; it is a glorious reality here and now.
Scripture:

¹After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Matthew 28:1-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Majesty"
Opening Hymn of Resurrection: "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today" (Hymnal #204)
Anthem: "Let The Trumpet Sound"
Hymn: "The Strife Is O'er, The Battle Done" (Hymnal #203)
Closing Hymn: "The Day of Resurrection" (Hymnal #208)
Response: Refrain of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

March 20, 2008

Lectionary Day: Maunday Thursday
Sermon Title: Almost Declined
Sermon Theme: "I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble" - Helen Keller
Scripture:

²³For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ²⁷Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
I Corinthians 11:23-28 (NRSV)

¹Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" ⁷Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." ⁸Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." ⁹Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." ¹²After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:1-17 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: Near The Cross (Alleluia & Amen, #131)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Amazing Grace" (Hymnal #275, Second Tune)
Anthem: There Is Power In The Blood (Red Book, #130)
Hymn: "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" (Hymnal #201)
Closing Hymn: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" (Hymnal #198)
Response: Refrain of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

March 16, 2008

Lectionary Day: Palm / Passion Sunday
Sermon Title: "Success and the Gospel"
Sermon Theme: The world offers many models for success, but Paul gives but one model - the example of Jesus and His humility.
Scripture:

⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, ⁸he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross. ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Song Is Love Unknown" (Verse 3 & 5)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Praise The Lord, His Glories Show" (Hymnal #4)
Anthem: "On Humble Beast Now Rides the King"
Hymn: "Rejoice, Ye Pure In Heart" (Hymnal #407)
Closing Hymn: "My Jesus, I Love Thee" (Hymnal #405)
Response: Refrain of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

March 9, 2008

Lectionary Day: 5th Sunday in Lent
Sermon Title: "The 7th and Greatest Sign"
Sermon Theme: "Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up" - Proverbs 12:25
Scripture:

¹Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. ⁷Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." ⁸The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" ⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." ¹¹After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." ¹²The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." ¹⁷When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." ²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" ²⁷She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." ²⁸When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." ²⁹And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³²When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." ³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." ³⁵Jesus began to weep. ³⁶So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" ³⁷But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" ³⁸Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." ⁴³When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." ⁴⁵Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
John 11:1-45 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Song Is Love Unknown" (Verse 4)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" (Hymnal #85)
Anthem: "Lazarus Come Forth"
Hymn: "Saviour Like A Shepherd Lead Us" (Hymnal #380)
Closing Hymn: "Who Is On The Lord's Side?" (Hymnal #355)
Response: Refrain of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

March 2, 2008

Lectionary Day: 4th Sunday in Lent
Sermon Title: "Seeing Clearly"
Sermon Theme: We see not when our vision is 20/20 but when our inner vision can discern truth from lie.
Scripture:

¹As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. ⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, ⁷saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. ⁸The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" ⁹Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." ¹⁰But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" ¹¹He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." ¹²They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." ¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." ¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. ¹⁷So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." ¹⁸The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" ²⁰His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." ²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." ²⁴So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." ²⁵He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." ²⁶They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" ²⁷He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" ²⁸Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." ³⁰The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³²Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." ³⁴They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. ³⁵Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" ³⁶He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." ³⁷Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." ³⁸He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. ³⁹Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." ⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" ⁴¹Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.
John 9:1-41 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Song Is Love Unknown" (Verse 4)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Christ of the Upward Way" (Hymnal #295)
Anthem: "Grace Like Rain"
Hymn: "O For a Closer Walk With God" (Hymnal #319, Second Tune)
Closing Hymn: "A Parting Hymn We Sing" (Hymnal #443)

February 24, 2008

Lectionary Day: 3rd Sunday in Lent
Sermon Title: "It's The Content That Counts"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹⁵As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." ¹⁷When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, ¹⁹the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
Genesis 15:15-21 (NRSV)

⁵So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. ⁷A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." ⁸(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." ¹¹The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" ¹³Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." ¹⁵The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." ¹⁷The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" ¹⁹The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." ²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." ²⁵The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." ²⁶Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." ²⁷Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" ²⁸Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ²⁹"Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" ³⁰They left the city and were on their way to him. ³¹Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." ³²But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." ³³So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" ³⁴Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. ³⁵Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. ³⁶The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." ³⁹Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of his word. ⁴²They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
John 4:5-42 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Song Is Love Unknown" (Verse 2)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "The God of Abraham Praise" (Hymnal #89)
Anthem: "Fill My Cup Lord"
Hymn: Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say" (Hymnal #316)
Response: Refrain of "More About Jesus Would I Know" (Hymnal #316)

February 17, 2008

Lectionary Day: 2nd Sunday in Lent
Sermon Title: "From Above"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." ³Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ⁴Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" ⁵Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' ⁸The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:1-17 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "God So Loved The World"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "More About Jesus Would I Know" (Hymnal #316)
Anthem: "God of Eternity"
Hymn: "Bless, O My Soul! The Living God" (Hymnal #8)
Closing Hymn: "O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee" (Hymnal #304)
Response: Refrain of "More About Jesus Would I Know"

February 10, 2008

Lectionary Day: 1st Sunday in Lent
Sermon Title: "An Odd Beginning"
Sermon Theme:
Special Note: This will also be a special service for wedding vow renewal. Scripture:

¹On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ²Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." ⁴And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." ⁵His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." ⁶Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. ⁹When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." ¹¹Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Going To The Chapel"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Now Thank We All Our God" (Hymnal #9)
Anthem: "As The Bridegroom To His Chosen"
Hymn: "O For A Heart To Praise My God!" (Hymnal #325)
Closing Solo: "O Perfect Love" (Anthony Awtrey)
Response: Refain of "More Love To Thee" (Hymnal #397)

February 3, 2008

Lectionary Day: Last Sunday In Epiphany
Sermon Title: "It's Hard To Be Humble"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

⁶"With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" ⁸He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:6-8 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Tribute" (A & A #27)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "How I Love Thy Law, O Lord" (Hymnal #253)
Anthem: "Offertory"
Hymn: "Rock of Ages, Cleft For Me" (Hymnal #271)
Closing Hymn: "Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart" (Hymnal #236)
Response: Refrain of "I Love To Tell The Story" (Hymnal #236)

January 27, 2008

Lectionary Day: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "A Dream Come True"
Sermon Theme: At the center of Christianity stands a decision - the decision - about following Jesus.
Scripture:

¹But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. ²The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined. ³You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
Isaiah 9:1-3 (NRSV)

¹²Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ¹⁵"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- ¹⁶the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." ¹⁷From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
Matthew 4:12-17 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "The People That In Darkness Sat"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (Hymnal #141)
Anthem: "Jesus, Our Song In The Night"
Hymn: Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "I Am Thine, O Lord" (Hymnal #320)
Response: Refrain of "I Am Thine, O Lord"

January 20, 2008

Lectionary Day: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon Title: "The Reluctant Prophet"
Sermon Theme: God's good news always precedes God's commandments.
Scripture:

¹The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, ²"Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." ³So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. ⁴Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" ⁵And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. ⁶When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. ⁸Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. ⁹Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish." ¹⁰When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
Jonah 3:1-10 (NRSV)

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' ³¹I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." ³²And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." ³⁵The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" ³⁹He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). ⁴²He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
John 1:29-42 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "When the Saints Go Marching In" (Red Book #149)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Rejoice, The Lord Is King" (Hymnal #140)
Anthem: "Just As I Am"
Hymn: "We Bear The Strain of Earthly Care" (Hymnal #227)
Closing Hymn: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" (Hymnal #21)
Response: Refrain of "O Zion Haste" (Hymnal #491)

January 13, 2008

Lectionary Day: Baptism of the Lord
Sermon Title: "Samuel Needed Voice Mail"
Sermon Theme: The Gospel of Jesus Christ knows no boundaries, submits to no divisions, and makes no distinctions.
Scripture:

¹Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. ²At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; ³the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. ⁴Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" ⁵and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. ⁶The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
I Samuel 3:1-10 (NRSV)

³⁴Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Acts 10:34-43 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "In Jordan's Stream" (Red Book #361)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "God of Grace and God of Glory" (Hymnal #358)
Anthem: "Down To The River To Pray"
Hymn: "I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say" (Hymnal #280)
Closing Hymn: "Jesus Calls Us" (Hymnal #269)
Response: Refrain of "Jesus is Tenderly Calling" (Hymnal #267)

January 6, 2008

Lectionary Day: Epiphany
Sermon Title: "Come Look"
Sermon Theme: The good news of Jesus will light your path to give you a vision of God's good future
Scripture:

¹Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. ²For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. ³Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ⁴Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. ⁵Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. ⁶A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Isaiah 60:1-6 (NRSV)

¹In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." ⁹When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: ""
Opening Hymn of Praise: "" (Hymnal #)
Anthem: "Be Exalted"
Hymn: "" (Hymnal #)
Closing Hymn: "" (Hymnal #)
Response: ""

December 30, 2007

Lectionary Day: 1st Sunday after Christmas Day
Sermon Title: "It's Still Christmas"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." ⁹When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" (Red Book #281)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O Come, All Ye Faithful" (Hymnal #170)
Anthem: "Christmas Hymn"
Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning" (Hymnal #175)
Response: Refrain of "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

December 24, 2007

Lectionary Day: Christmas Eve
Sermon Title: "Angel Stories"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "O, Holy Child of Bethlehem"
Opening Carol of Praise: "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" (Hymnal #151)
Anthem: "Carols Around"
Lesson: John 1:1-5
Carol: "Watchman, Tell Us Of The Night" (Hymnal #149, Verse 1)
Lesson: Isaiah 9:2,6
Carol: "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Hymnal #171, Verse 1)
Lesson: Hebrews 1:1-2
Lesson: Luke 1:30-31
Carol: "The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came" (Choir)
Lesson: Luke 2:1-6
Carol: "Mary Had A Baby" (Choir)
Lesson: Luke 2:8-14
Carol: "Angels From The Realms of Glory" (Hymnal #168, Verses 1 & 2)
Lesson: Luke 2:15-20
Carol: "Gentle Mary Laid Her Child" (Hymnal #167, Verse 2)
Lesson: Matthew 2:1-2,9-12
Carol: "What Child Is This?" (Hymnal #159, Verse 3)
Lesson: Titus 2:11-14
Carol: "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" (Hymnal #163, All Verses)
Carol: "Silent Night" (Hymnal #154)

December 23, 2007

Lectionary Day: 4th Sunday of Advent
Sermon Title: "God: With Us"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Redeemer, Come"
Opening Carol of Praise: "Angels We Have Heard On High" (Hymnal #158)
Anthem: "Will We Know Him"
Carol: "Hark, The Herald Angel Sing" (Hymnal #163)
Carol: "Good Christian Men, Rejoice" (Hymnal #165)
Response: Refrain of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Hymnal #166)

December 16, 2007

Lectionary Day: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Sermon Title: "The Perfect Gift"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

³Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. ⁴Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." ⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; ⁶then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; ⁷the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. ⁸A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. ⁹No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. ¹⁰And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:3-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Sweet By and By"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" (Hymnal #151)
Anthem: "O Come, Divine Messiah"
Carol: "Watchman, Tell Us Of The Night" (Hymnal #149)
Carol: "Joy To The World" (Hymnal #161)
Response: Refrain of "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" (Hymnal #166)

December 9, 2007

Lectionary Day: 2nd Sunday of Advent
Sermon Title: "In A Perfect World"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. ²The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. ³His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; ⁴but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. ⁵Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. ⁶The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. ⁷The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. ⁹They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Isaiah 11:1-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Redeemer, Come" (All & Amen #130)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (Hymnal #147)
Anthem: "In the Silence, Wondrous Love"
Hymn: "Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming" (Hymnal #162)
Closing Hymn: "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (Hymnal #160)
Response: Refrain of "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" (Hymnal #166)

December 2, 2007

Lectionary Day: 1st Sunday of Advent
Sermon Title: "Flee To The Mountains"
Sermon Theme: These weeks of Advent can be a time of spiritual preparation, if we take a moment each day to pay attention to God's presence with us.
Scripture:

¹The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ²In days to come the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. ³Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ⁴He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ⁵O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Come, Thou long-expected Jesus"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation" (Hymnal #433)
Anthem: "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come"
Hymn: "Jesus, Lover Of My Soul" (Hymnal #216)
Closing Hymn: "It Is Good TO Sing Thy Praises" (Hymnal #20)
Response: ""

November 25, 2007

Lectionary Day: Christ the King
Sermon Title: "Connected To Christ"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹¹May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:11-20 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Rejoice, the Lord Is King" (All & Amen # 51)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Come Christians, Join To Sing" (Hymnal #131)
Anthem: "Rejoice, the Lord Is King"
Hymn: Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "Fairest Lord Jesus" (Hymnal #135, First Tune)
Response: Refrain of "Jesus is Tenderly Calling" (Hymnal #267)

November 18, 2007

Lectionary Day: 25th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Work-a-lcholic"
Sermon Theme: God will one day bring all things to close, but in the meantime we have important work to do.
Scripture:

⁶Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. ⁹This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. ¹¹For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. ¹²Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
II Thessalonians 3:6-13 (NRSV)

¹⁹When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people. ²⁰So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. ²¹So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. ²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" ²³But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, ²⁴"Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's." ²⁵He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." ²⁶And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Luke 20:19-26 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Because He Lives" (Red Book #73)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O God, Our Help In Ages Past" (Hymnal #111)
Anthem: "Echo Anthem (Praise Him)"
Hymn: "O Jesus, I Have Promised" (Hymnal #307)
Closing Hymn: "Be Not Dismayed Whate'er Betide" (Hymnal #124)
Response: Refrain of "Be Not Dismayed Whate'er Betide" (Hymnal #124)

November 11, 2007

Lectionary Day: 24th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Stand By Me"
Sermon Theme: No matter what we are going through, we can survive - we can stand firm and hold fast - through Christ
Scripture:

¹As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, ²not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. ³Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. ⁴He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. ⁵Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? ¹³But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. ¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
II Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17 (NRSV)

²⁷Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him ²⁸and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; ³⁰then the second ³¹and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. ³²Finally the woman also died. ³³In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." ³⁴Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; ³⁵but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. ³⁷And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."
Luke 20:27-38 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Armed Forces Medley"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "God Of Our Fathers" (Hymnal #515)
Anthem: "A Joyful Song"
Hymn: "Take My Life, And Let It Be" (Hymnal #310)
Closing Hymn: "I Need Thee Every Hour" (Hymnal #324)
Response: Refrain of "I Need Thee Every Hour"

November 4, 2007

Lectionary Day: 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Vertically Challenged"
Sermon Theme: Will my obituary read like a resume I might write for my next job, or like a testimony to the greatness and goodness of God?
Scripture:

¹He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." ⁶So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." ⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." ⁹Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."
Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Zacchaeus"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "All People That On Earth Do Dwell" (Hymnal #24)
Anthem: "Poor Man Lazrus"
Hymn: "Who is on the Lord's Side" (Hymnal #355)
Closing Hymn: "Blessed Assurance" (Hymnal #139)
Response: refrain of "Blessed Assurance"

October 28, 2007

Lectionary Day: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Gather In God's Grace"
Sermon Theme: Stand before God, knowing God stands with you and for you.
Scripture:

⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
Luke 18:9-14 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Sweet Hour Of Prayer"
Opening Hymn of Praise: "I Greet Thee" (Hymnal #144)
Anthem: "This Is My Prayer"
Closing Hymn: "A Mighty Fortress" (Hymnal #91)
Response: Refrain of "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" (Hymnal #403)

October 21, 2007

Lectionary Day: 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "The Scariest Drug"
Sermon Theme:
Scripture:

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
I Timothy 6:10 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Let the Words of My Mouth" (All & Amen #62)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "I Am Thine, O Lord" (Hymnal #320)
Solo: "God Will Take Care of You" (Anthony Awtrey)
Hymn: "Am I Soldier of the Cross" (Hymnal #353)
Closing Hymn: "Seal Us, O Holy Spirit" (Hymnal #238)
Response: Refrain of "Seal Us, O Holy Spirit"

October 14, 2007

Lectionary Day: 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Make Mine 'Mega-Sized'"
Sermon Theme: God's healing brings us SHALOM - a wholeness in everything we are. Consider this great gift in everything you do.
Scripture:

⁴Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NRSV)

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ⁶The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. ⁷"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? ⁸Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? ⁹Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"
Luke 17:5-10 (NRSV)

Opening Hymn of Praise: "O For A Heart To Praise My God" (Hymnal #325)
Choral Introit: "Jesus Paid It All" (Red Book #67
Hymn: "There Is A Place of Quiet Rest" (Hymnal #318)
Anthem: "Just As I Am"
Closing Hymn: "Rise Up, O Men of God" (Hymnal #352)
Response: Refrain of "More Love To Thee" (Hymnal #397)

October 7, 2007

Lectionary Day: 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Nike Is Right"
Sermon Theme: Think not of how much faith you have. Think, rather, of living that faith.
Scripture:

¹⁶He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; ¹⁷my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; ¹⁸so I say, "Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the LORD." ¹⁹The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! ²⁰My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. ²¹But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: ²²The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; ²³they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." ²⁵The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. ²⁶It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:16-26 (NRSV)

¹Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! ²It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. ⁴And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive." ⁵The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ⁶The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:1-6 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Psalm 103" (All & Amen #6)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "O Worship The King" (Hymnal #26)
Anthem: "Consider The Lilies"
Hymn: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" (Hymnal #198)
Closing Hymn: "A Parting Hymn We Sing" (Hymnal #433)
Response: "Jesus Loves Me" (Hymnal #465)

September 30, 2007

Lectionary Day: 18th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "How Do We Know?"
Sermon Theme: Hope, not suffering, is the real difference between heaven and hell, in this life or the next.
Scripture:

²Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. ³Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, ⁴is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, ⁵and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; ⁷for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; ⁸but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. ⁹But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
I Timothy 6:2-10 (NRSV)

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. ²²The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' ²⁵But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.²⁶Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' ²⁷He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- ²⁸for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' ²⁹Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' ³⁰He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Luke 16:19-31 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "Day By Day" (All & Amen #128)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "God Himself Is With Us" (Hymnal #13)
Anthem: "Lord, Here Am I"
Hymn: Hymn Sing
Closing Hymn: "Lord, I want To Be A Christian" (Hymnal #317, verses 1-3)
Response: "Lord, I want To Be A Christian" (Hymnal #317, verse 4)

September 23, 2007

Lectionary Day: 17th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Who's Fooling Who"
Sermon Theme: It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
Scripture:

¹Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. ²So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' ³Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' ⁵So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' ⁶He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' ⁷Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' ⁸And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. ⁹And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. ¹⁰"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. ¹¹If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹²And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? ¹³No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "In The Garden" (Redbook #20)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "There's A Wideness In God's Mercy" (Hymnal #110)
Hymn: "Break Thou The Bread Of Life" (Hymnal #250)
Anthem: "Be Exaulted"
Closing Hymn: "Seal Us, O Holy Spirit" (Hymnal #238)
Response: Refrain of "Seal Us, O Holy Spirit" (Hymnal #238)

September 16, 2007

Lectionary Day: 16th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "Who Is In Your Balcony?"
Sermon Theme: God is revealed in church, school, and community
Scripture:

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. ⁴In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children--"My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; ⁶for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts."
Hebrews 12:1-6 (NRSV)

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." ³So he told them this parable: ⁴"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:1-7 (NRSV)

Choral Introit: "My Heart" (All & Amen #37)
Opening Hymn of Praise: "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" (Hymnal #379)
Anthem: Presented by Joyce Lim's choir
Hymn: "Amazing Grace" (Hymnal #275)
Closing Hymn: "Take The Name Of Jesus With You" (Hymnal #411)
Response: Refrain of "Take The Name Of Jesus With You"

September 9, 2007

Lectionary Day: 15th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title: "What's Worth Living For?"
Sermon Theme: The digital age demands authentic, organic community
Scripture:

⁴When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God ⁵because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. ⁶I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. ⁷I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
Philemon 1:4-7 (NRSV)

²⁵Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So

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