| Today begins the second week of Advent, the season of 4 weeks that prepare us to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. I am writing this without knowing whether we will be able to gather in a sanctuary to celebrate this time or if we will be confined to our homes due to snowy weather. But either way, this is a time of preparation. | December 9, 2018 |
| This week I had lunch with a pastor friend of mine after a meeting we attended in Columbia. My friend pastors a church that was once a fast-growing church in a dynamic area of Columbia. As a child growing up around Columbia, I remember this particular area being the center of activity and commerce. It was THE place to shop and live. | December 2, 2018 |
| This past Thursday you may have gathered together with family or friends to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. Many folks are traveling home today after spending the last few days with family in other communities. Thanksgiving is set aside as a time to connect to family and express appreciation and thanksgiving. | November 25, 2018 |
| These words from James can be interpreted in a very harmful way. We are going to watch a video of how one interpretation of these words can lead one into very poor theology that leads someone away from a relationship with Jesus Christ. | November 11, 2018 |
| Rev. Charles Reeb, a United Methodist pastor in Georgia, tells this story from his days in college. He says that when he was in college, he went to a pool party. He remembers it as being tame by college standards for even the parents were home. | November 4, 2018 |
| James clearly is not someone who has a high opinion of long-range plans. He knows that our plans and hopes and dreams can change quite quickly. Let us watch one clip of a family whose lives changed dramatically after a visit to the hospital to deliver their baby. | October 21, 2018 |
| This passage begins by telling us that Jesus is on a journey. I like hearing that. Because knowing that Jesus is on a journey allows me to be on my journey as well. On this journey a man runs up to Jesus, kneels before him, asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. | October 14, 2018 |
| For the past two weeks the eyes of the country have been on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as they testified before a Congressional Committee. The country listened as they shared their accounts of what happened 35 years ago, when she said he sexually assaulted her at a house party, and he said neither the party nor the assault occurred. | October 7, 2018 |
| So, to prepare for the message this week, I did some research…on Twitter and Facebook. I know…it can be a dangerous thing wandering around on social media, and I would not recommend that you do your own research there, but there I was wandering around. | September 30, 2018 |
| This is a passage of Scripture which makes me really uncomfortable because of something that happened this week in the parking lot of this church. A scene that happened right out here behind you. | September 23, 2018 |
| Today I want to allow the Ephesians passage that we read to lead us into a familiar story from the Old Testament that we are about to read and then we will journey back into the Ephesians text. The Old Testament text is a familiar one, but I hope to provide some information today that will invite us to read this story in a very different way than we have ever read it before. | September 9, 2018 |
| This second passage that we will be reading is a text which is controversial. It is referred to a lot in conversations concerning the proper roles in marriage. The 5th chapter of Ephesians is usually said with some sense of dread by many. We are going to be reading several verses but only one of these verses gets the focus and that is verse 22 in chapter 5. | August 26, 2018 |
| We have heard this week the disturbing report of clergy sexual misconduct and abuse. The report documents abuse of over 1,000 children by rape, child pornography, and very sadistic acts of violence by priests. These priests used their positions and authority to lure children into vulnerable situations and took advantage of them. | August 19, 2018 |
| As many of you know, I served as a commissioner to the most recent General Assembly of our Presbyterian Church USA denomination. We met in St. Louis where 580 delegates and then about 175 advisory delegates made decisions for our denomination. | August 12, 2018 |
| I’m going to be using this Scripture to reflect on an experience I had this week spending time outside a facility which gets a lot of attention in our culture. This past Wednesday I accepted an invitation to stand outside of a clinic where abortions are performed. | August 5, 2018 |
| Today we continue reading through the letter to the Ephesians which is found in the New Testament. Letters in the Bible are also called Epistles. The letter to the Ephesians is written by Paul or maybe a close associate of his. He is writing to a diverse Christian community living in a port city alongside the Aegean Sea. | July 29, 2018 |
| Today we continue reading the letter written to the Christians in the town of Ephesus and in the surrounding countryside. We know this letter in the Bible today as Ephesians. Ephesus was a coastal community located in what is now modern-day Turkey which is across the Aegean Sea from Greece. | July 22, 2018 |
| Beginning today we are going to spend several weeks reading through most of the letter to the Ephesians. Reading through a book of the Bible in the summer may be difficult because many of us are in and out in July. I am aware of this and will do my best to fill in any gaps from previous readings. | July 15, 2018 |
| The text that we are about to read will be coming from the 6th chapter of the gospel of Mark. The gospel of Mark records several obstacles that people are encountering in hearing the good news. The gospel of Mark records the crowds being concerned that Jesus is forgiving sins. | July 8, 2018 |
| As some of you may know, I spent 9 days last week serving as a commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). This is the highest governing body of our denomination. This morning I will share briefly about my experience at General Assembly and what I learned by being in the middle of the most controversial topic to come before the Assembly this year. | July 1, 2018 |
| This morning we are going to be reading from the 3rd chapter from the gospel of Mark. Last week we read two stories of Jesus carrying out a healing on the Sabbath and affirming his disciples for picking grains to eat on the Sabbath. | June 10, 2018 |
| The gospel text we are going to read this morning will come from the 2nd and third chapters of Mark. In this text, the gospel writer Mark will describe Jesus taking part in 2 events on the Sabbath. | June 3, 2018 |
| The text we are about to read contains two verses that will be familiar to many of us. We will read two verses that have been used as the primary verses for a lot of Christians. | May 27, 2018 |
| Today is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost Sunday is based on the text that we are about to read from Acts. We will be told that a crowd gathers on the day of Pentecost which is the festival that was celebrated 50 days following the festival of Passover. You may remember that the disciples gathered in the upper room on Passover for what would be their final meal with Jesus before his crucifixion and resurrection. | May 20, 2018 |
| Our second reading this morning will tell the story of the first recorded faith crisis in the early church. This reading will be found in the book of Acts. The Book of Acts is commonly called “The Acts of the Apostles.” This is the book in the Bible which tells the dramatic story of the birth and expansion of the church. | May 13, 2018 |
| Our second reading today will come from the gospel of John. Like the other three gospels that tell us stories about Jesus’ life and ministry, John is not just describing historical events. John is also writing to a specific community addressing specific issues. | May 6, 2018 |
| Our second reading today will come from the book of Acts. The New Testament begins with the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which are centered around the 3 years of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The book of Acts follows and shares stories from the early church after the death and resurrection of Jesus. | April 29, 2018 |
| Our second Scripture is going to focus on the image found in the 23rd Psalm that we used this morning as our Call to Worship. The image of God and Jesus as shepherd. Shepherds were not looked upon very favorably by others during the time of Jesus. | April 22, 2018 |
| Last Sunday while I was away on vacation Letarshia preached an excellent sermon based on John’s version of events after the death and resurrection of Jesus. She shared from John 19 about Jesus appearing to the disciples who were locked in a room with fear. She shared about how we lock ourselves in a box with fear, doubt, and unbelief. | April 15, 2018 |
| Each of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of women coming to the tomb after Jesus had been crucified on a cross. The four gospels do have some differences concerning how many women came, what their names were, and who they encountered once they arrived at the tomb. | April 1, 2018 |
| Today is Palm Sunday so that means we read from one of the four gospels in the New Testament about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us stories from the birth of Jesus toward his resurrection. | March 25, 2018 |
| The text that we are about to read was written during a rather difficult time for God’s people living in Jerusalem and in the country called Judah. Israel and Judah were one country after King Solomon and David but then Israel was conquered in 721 BC by the Assyrians. | March 18, 2018 |
| This next Scripture we will be reading will refer us back to the first Scripture that we read this morning. We will see a reference to the serpent and Moses story. Then this Scripture we are about to read will guide us into what may be the most famous Scripture in the Bible for Christians. | March 11, 2018 |
| Our second Scripture is the foundation for our first reading from Romans 4:13-25. Our second reading is the story of Abraham and Sarah found in Genesis in the Old Testament. Abraham is first introduced to us in the Bible not as Abraham but as Abram. Sarah is first introduced not as Sarah but as Sarai. | February 25, 2018 |
| We approach the next scripture with the stains of another act of extreme violence in our country. This time it’s a school shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 students and teachers were killed by a 19-year-old young man with anger issues and a semi-automatic weapon. | February 18, 2018 |
| Today on the church calendar is Transfiguration Sunday. Bet you did not know that. This is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. Lent begins the period of 40 days excluding Sundays leading up to Easter Sunday. | February 11, 2018 |
| Today we continue reading from the first chapter in the gospel of Mark. Last week we read from the first chapter about Jesus encountering four men and inviting them to follow him. To change the direction of their lives and come and follow him. These four fishermen chose to make this change and follow Jesus. | January 28, 2018 |
| In the first scripture we read, we heard an invitation from Jesus given to 4 men. Only four men. Four fishermen. Four fishermen who were given an invitation to leave their boats, leave their livelihoods, leave their families, and come and follow Jesus. We heard an invitation that Jesus was inviting them to change from fishing for fish to fishing for people. | January 21, 2018 |
| This passage we are about to read stands as one of the classic battlegrounds for debates over baptism. This Scripture is cited on whether or not people should be re-baptized if they were baptized as an infant, whether water baptism is enough or if baptism should also include the speaking in tongues. | January 7, 2018 |
| We now turn to the passage of Scripture which we always read on Christmas Eve and that is Luke’s version of the birth of Jesus. We always read Luke’s version because only Matthew and Luke record any information about the birth of Jesus. Matthew’s version, however, is very short compared to Luke and lacks any real details about the birth. | December 24, 2017 |
| Today we are going to turn to a story about Mary. We don’t get a whole lot of information about Mary in the Bible. Last week we read from the gospel of Mark and we learned that the birth of Jesus is not mentioned at all in that gospel. | December 17, 2017 |
| Our second reading is from the gospel according to Mark. There are a couple of observations which you will immediately notice about this gospel. Our reading this morning will be the first 8 verses of this gospel. | December 10, 2017 |
| Professor Carla Works asks us to “Imagine that you spent a year and a half getting a new church up and going. When you left to tend to other missions, the church was growing. Leaders were emerging, and the congregation was relatively healthy. All seemed well when you moved away to serve God in other ways. | December 3, 2017 |
| Over the past couple of months, we have been reading through the gospel of Matthew. Today we will be wrapping up this series. I hope that by reading through most of the gospel that we have been able to pick up on some themes and get a sense of its construction. | November 19, 2017 |
| We have been reading through Matthew over the past several weeks here at Allison Creek and today we move into the 23rd chapter. In the last couple of weeks, we have been hearing Jesus offering lots of challenges to the religious leaders. | November 5, 2017 |
| We resume our readings from the gospel of Matthew today. We have been reading through this gospel over the past couple of months. Today we hear more from the 22nd chapter. | October 29, 2017 |
| The first scripture we read from the Old Testament book of Isaiah lays out a vision of the peaceable kingdom. A world in which animals of various kind live together in harmony. In looking to the animals overcoming their hostilities, the prophet Isaiah gives us guidance that we should strive to overcome our differences as humans as well. | October 22, 2017 |
| We have been reading through the gospel of Matthew over the past few weeks by following the lectionary, the passages assigned to each Sunday of the year. Today we move into the 22nd chapter. In this section of Matthew Jesus uses three parables to challenge the religious leaders in the Temple. Last week we read the second of these three and today we read the third. | October 15, 2017 |
| Over the past few weeks we have been reading through the gospel of Matthew. We have been following the lectionary which are the scriptures assigned to each Sunday of the year. Today we continue reading from the 21st chapter. | October 8, 2017 |
| We have been reading through the gospel of Matthew over the past few weeks. Today we turn to a couple of stories which are found in the 21st chapter. I am going to expand what I read from what is printed in the bulletin because these two stories impact one another. | October 1, 2017 |
| We turn now to the gospel lesson for the day. We have been reading along through the gospel of Matthew over the past several weeks. Today we venture into the 20th chapter. | September 24, 2017 |
| We continue reading today from the gospel of Matthew. We have been following along with the lectionary, the Scriptures assigned to each Sunday, as they have been guiding us through the gospel of Matthew. Today we come to a text from the 18th chapter. | September 17, 2017 |
| Over the past several weeks we have been reading through the gospel of Matthew. We have been following the lectionary readings which are the passages assigned to each Sunday of the year. Today we move into the 18th chapter of Matthew. | September 10, 2017 |
| We continue reading from the gospel according to Matthew today. We have been reading through much of this gospel over the past several weeks as we have been following the lectionary, the passages assigned to each Sunday of the year. | September 3, 2017 |
| Today we continue reading through the gospel of Matthew by following the lectionary, the passages of Scripture assigned to each Sunday of the church year. Today we pick up a reading from the 16th chapter of the gospel of Matthew. | August 27, 2017 |
| The last couple of weeks have seen more acts of violence and terrorism around the globe. Last weekend we mourned the terrorism which was carried in Charlottesville, Virginia by white supremacists and this week we mourn the terrorism carried out by Muslim extremists in Spain. | August 20, 2017 |
| We continue reading this week from the 14th chapter of Matthew. Last week in worship we read from earlier in this chapter the story of Jesus feeding over 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and two fish. | August 13, 2017 |
| Today we are going to be reading from the 14th chapter of the gospel of Matthew. This chapter is a contrast between a party offered by the Roman ruler named Herod and one offered by Jesus. The 14th chapter begins with a story of jealousy and manipulation by an insecure political leader. | August 6, 2017 |
| This morning I am going to invite you to watch a TED Talk. Some of us are very fam with TED Talks while others of us may be watching our first one ever today. TED st for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. TED Talks are short lectures given by famous people and everyday people that are meant to be “ideas worth spreading.” | July 30, 2017 |
| Last week we read a parable from the 13th chapter of Matthew and today we are reading another one. The 13th chapter contains several parables. Parables are stories that Jesus tells using every day images that have layers of meaning to them./td> | July 23, 2017 |
| We are about to read a parable that is pretty familiar to many of us. Even if you did not grow up in the church you may have heard about a story that Jesus told about a sower sowing some seeds./td> | July 16, 2017 |
| I spent last week on the Arizona/Mexican border. The trip turned out to be part vacation, part sabbatical, part continuing education, and part mission trip. I learned a lot and this morning I share some of those learnings so that, hopefully, we are all challenged to view some issues from a different perspective. | July 9, 2017 |
| Our next reading comes from the gospel of Matthew. The text we will be reading are instructions that Jesus gives to his disciples as they prepare to go out and share with others. The 10th chapter of Matthew is a chapter of transition for the followers of Jesus. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any day of the year. | June 25, 2017 |
| Today’s is Father’s Day. Father’s Day is kind of a weird day. Most of us know what to do for Mother’s Day. It’s easy to show love to our Mothers. Kids make the cute cards. Mom’s get taken out for lunch. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any day of the year. | June 18, 2017 |
| Our second reading today comes from the Old Testament book of Numbers. In this portion of the scriptures, Moses is leading the Israelites out of slavery toward the Promised Land. But the journey is hard and the people are complaining. They are starting to reimagine their history that life was not so bad when they were slaves in Egypt. | June 4, 2017 |
| We turn now to our second Scripture which is a reading from 1st Peter. Peter is one of the original 12 disciples that we may know as Simon Peter. Many scholars think that this letter was actually penned by a person after Peter’s death writing in Peter’s name. No matter when it was written or by whom it is addressed to Christians facing persecution. | May 28, 2017 |
| Our second Scripture is from the gospel of John. This passage is part of what is called the farewell discourse where Jesus is describing events connected to the end of his life on earth. He is preparing his disciples for a time when God will no longer be incarnated in a particular person in their presence. Jesus is trying to prepare them for what comes next. Jesus needs for them to realize that there is something beyond his crucifixion. | May 14, 2017 |
| The gospel lesson we are about to read is one that is read a lot within a couple of weeks after Easter. It is a story that is only found in the gospel of Luke and not in the other 3 gospels. This is a story which Luke tells immediately after he tells the story of the women finding the empty tomb. | April 30, 2017 |
| I invite us to turn now to the story which comes immediately after the Easter story in the gospel of John. John is the only one to record this story we are about to read about Thomas and his doubts. The term “Doubting Thomas” is a common phrase in our society’s lexicon. Many use that term and don’t know where it originates. | April 23, 2017 |
| While the men were hiding the women came forward to deliver the greatest news that the world has ever received. The news that the tomb is empty and that Jesus Christ is alive. | April 16, 2017 |
| A lot takes place between the time that Jesus enters Jerusalem with people waving palm branches and before his empty tomb is found by women. A lot takes place. And it’s important to not just skip over from the fun parade with the waving branches which we all enjoy to the Easter celebration with the pretty dresses and Easter egg hunts. So before our next reading from Scripture let’s fill in the details of what happens. | April 9, 2017 |
| Raise your hand if you feel as though you are impatient? It looks like we tend to be an impatient crowd. And in our American culture we are trained to be impatient. We expect problems to be solved quickly. We expect answers quickly. We expect to see results quickly. Amen? We do not like to wait. | April 2, 2017 |
| As many of you know, I recently returned, along with 4 others from Allison Creek, from a trip to Liberia. We went to Liberia for a great vacation but also because in the woods over here is the Clay Hill graveyard. Clay Hill contains the graves of about 300 African-Americans who were buried there in the 1800s. 166 of their descendants boarded the Edith Rose ship in 1870 and set sail for Liberia to begin a new life. | March 26, 2017 |
| When I was about 8 years ago I would ride the school bus home from school. I was the last one to get off of the bus so my bus ride was rather long. My bus crisscrossed throughout the countryside of Hopkins, SC outside of Columbia. During that particular schoolyear one of guys on my bus, Darryl, said that his dog had just had puppies and he wanted to know if anyone wanted one. My bus driver, Tanya Clarkson, was very excited to get one of the puppies. Tanya was a high school student back when students drove school buses. So when we arrived at Darryl’s house we waited as he brought 3 puppies onto the bus. One was given to Tanya. One was given to Matt. And one was given to me. Yes, I arrived home that day from school with a brown mutt. I named that mutt Tanya after my bus driver that I had a crush on and Tanya was my one and only dog for the rest of my childhood. | March 1, 2017 |
| Today’s worship is about experience and touch. We have been invited to have ashes placed on our heads or on our hands and experience what it means to truly be repentant of behavior which keeps us from seeing God’s call upon our lives. | February 26, 2017 |
| Next we turn to another of the parables that Luke records Jesus saying. We have been reading several of Jesus’ parables over the past few weeks. Parables are stories that Jesus shared that used everyday images to communicate deeper meanings. | February 19, 2017 |
| The passage we are about to read is commonly read at weddings and is called the “love chapter” by many. It is appropriate to read these words at a wedding but these words were not originally written to two people getting married. These words were originally written to a church which was not getting along with each other. A church in conflict. | February 12, 2017 |
| Last week we learned that the gospel according to Matthew records Jesus preaching what we call the Sermon on the Mount. It is found in chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the gospel of Matthew. It is called the Sermon on the Mount because Jesus ascends a tall hill and preaches a sermon to the crowd that is gathered around him. Matthew records Jesus beginning with the Beatitudes where Jesus shares about who is blessed and he ends the sermon with our reading for today. | February 5, 2017 |
| Last week we heard a wonderful children’s sermon from Lois Pederson about being the light of Christ to others. She shared a quote from a famous college football coach about letting the light inside of us shine brighter than the light that shines on us. We sang that favorite song of many of us about letting our light shine. | January 29, 2017 |
| Our next reading will be from the gospels. We are in the midst of a series in worship where we are reading lots and lots of the parables that Jesus told. Parables are stories that Jesus told using everyday images to convey deeper messages. | January 22, 2017 |
| We now turn to the gospel lesson found in Luke. A version of this story is found in all 4 of the gospels. However, the other 3 gospels include this story toward the end of their gospels. The other 3 gospels also include details which connect this story as a predictor of Jesus’ death. Luke doesn’t do that. | January 15, 2017 |
| I invite you to think about a person in your life that had a great impact on your Christian faith? What one person does your mind drift to? Was it a parent? Was it a youth leader? Was it a camp counselor? Was it a coach? Was it some older adult that took you under their wing? Was it another person your age that influenced you by their life story? Maybe a celebrity? Was it a person that is much younger than you are? | January 8, 2017 |