With this sermon we begin a series that focuses on the early chapters of Genesis, in the stories of pre-history and some of the ancient context for them. This one centers on the first creation narrative—the epic poem of Genesis 1. Specifically we’ll look at what it meant for something to “exist” in the ancient Near East and what their definition of existence might teach us today.
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Three great religions trace their origins to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism and Christianity get to Abraham through Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. Islam gets there through Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar.
Who was Hagar? What does the Bible say about her and what does Islam teach about her? Can we learn from her story? Join us on Sunday to learn about the other woman who birthed a nation.
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The main things I learned about Zacchaeus growing up came from the song we sang in Sunday School about him. We learned from that song that Zacchaeus was so short, he had to climb a tree to be able to see Jesus passing by. But Jesus noticed him up in the tree, told him to come down, and honored Zacchaeus by going to dinner at his house, which made Zacchaeus very happy.
That song encompasses all the elements of the story (from Luke 19:1-10) except for, you know, the main point. What is the main point of that story and why is it relevant today?
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When God plucked Abraham out of his home in the city of Ur and told him to go to a new land, God promised that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham was 75 years old; but he got up and went. As we celebrate our graduates, we’ll look at what it means to be blessed, and the calling that we all share to use those blessings for the good of the world.
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The culmination of our Easter celebration is the day of Pentecost. While the dove is a common symbol of the Holy Spirit, so is fire, which is why the United Methodist logo has a flame in it. Acts 2 describes the Holy Spirit as descending on Jesus’ disciples with a rushing wind and tongues of flame, accompanied by a miracle of speech as the disciples began speaking in other languages. Join us in exploring the message in the miracle.
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While Jesus’ ascension into heaven is a moment that fills Jesus’ disciples with awe and wonder, they did not get to go along with him. They are still very much earthbound and wondering how to move forward. Acts 1:14 tells us that they “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” But what does that mean?