by Stacey Hilliard | Aug 28, 2022 | Sermons
Last week’s sermon focused on the necessity of keeping religion and government separate. But if “separate” means each kept in its own bubble, we lose the key function of the separation: to keep each other free from the abuse of power inherent in idolatry. To serve that function, religion and politics can’t be enemies lobbing grenades at each other; they must be in dialogue.
The bridge between religion and politics is those of us who inhabit both spheres. We are citizens of a nation and also adherents of a religion. Yet we have been told for many decades that it is impolite (or worse) to talk about either religion or politics. Which means we have developed no skills for doing so. And it shows. This sermon proposes ways we might change that.
— Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Aug 21, 2022 | Sermons
In this continuation of our look at idolatry, we acknowledge that it would be disingenuous to only point our fingers outward. As I indicated in the first sermon in this series, the most insidious idols are things that, in their proper place, are beautiful, good, and holy. Last week we saw how the bronze snake God told Moses to make to serve as a channel of God’s healing in the wilderness eventually came to displace God and became an idol. Centuries after Moses, King Hezekiah had to destroy it for that reason.
Across the millennia, the Christian church has been battered and bruised by idols allowed to run rampant in our midst. We are on the precipice of repeating one of the most harmful mistakes in the history of the church: making God’s altar synonymous with the government of a nation. Sunday we’ll look at why this is such a problem and how we can be on our guard.
— Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Aug 14, 2022 | Sermons
Last week was focused on learning that idolatry isn’t about what a thing is but about how it functions in our lives. This week we’re going to zoom in closer to see how idols behave so that we can identify them before they get out of hand. Of course the easiest way to spot an idol is if you have a little black terrier named Toto who can run up and pull back the curtain. But, if Toto is unavailable, there are some definite signs that something other than God has elbowed its way into the top spot. Join me Sunday to learn to spot them.
— Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Aug 7, 2022 | Sermons
This sermon begins a series on the initial few commandments that are meant to guard against idolatry. Why? Because life in the United States in 2022 is beset with idols, and it is killing us in both our private and public lives…we’re going to begin with a broad look of what idolatry is and isn’t, with some contemporary examples. Across the weeks we’ll move into why we create them, how to recognize them, and, most importantly, how to strip them of their power.
— Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Jun 26, 2022 | Sermons
In preparing for today’s baptism, I was reminded of the famous dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 about being born both physically and spiritually. This sermon takes a look at that conversation, as well as what science is learning about spirituality and the human brain.
— Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Jun 20, 2022 | Sermons
This week’s sermon is a continuation of the David story. Last week, little David was the hero; this week King David breaks almost every commandment in the book. You can read the whole sordid tale in 2 Samuel, chapters 11-12. You may find yourself wondering how someone who can go so far off the rails can remain in God’s good graces. The answer lies in David’s ability to truly repent. It’s a process for him to get there, requiring an outside intervention from the court prophet. Exploring that struggle can help us better navigate the tangle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and consequences when we’re the ones who have messed up.
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