They say the church is no longer needed today. That it has long served its purpose.
They say the church is just an ancient thing. That its teachings and beliefs are no longer relevant.
They say the church’s mission is no longer worth it. That no one is paying attention anymore, so the church would be better off just not trying.
Do you really believe any of that? Continue reading “God Needs You … We Need You”
Most of the New Testament was written by Paul. We have approximately 13 letters written or dictated by Paul, so … Continue reading Connecting with Those Who Are Not Here
As we pick up the story of David, today, we find David seemingly on top of the world. It seems like he has it all.
David, as we saw last week, is king of all Israel and has ended the civil war between Israel and Judah. His military secured the borders of this united nation through victories against the likes of the Ammonites and Philistines. Furthermore, God gave David a promise that his kingdom would never end. A promise that would be the forerunner for the hope of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would come from David’s lineage.
While so much was going right for David, things were starting to bubble up that showed that not all was going well for him. This mostly came when David began to focus more on his own needs than the needs of the people. David wanted to build a temple for God, even though the Lord never asked for one. He sends his military into battle, but stays home contrary to the practices of the rulers of that time. David was becoming more relaxed and acted as if nothing would or could stop him and his kingdom. Continue reading “Sunday Sermon: David and Bathsheba”
In my office, I have a list of sermon topics for the next few weeks. Topics that have been prayed over and approached with a hope of seeking what God desires to say to us for that specific Sunday. That list has sermon topics and passages through the end of the summer.
Sometimes, though, plans need to change. Today is one of those Sundays. If all things were the same, we would continue our series on the “Life of David” by looking at the story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17. We would have marveled at David’s ability to defeat Goliath and, perhaps, say something about how God enables us to overcome the overwhelming challenges we face.
That would have been a nice message, but it would not be appropriate for this Sunday. We’ll get back to David next week, but for now I think it is important for us to reflect upon the events of this past week.
On Wednesday evening, nine people were killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., following a Bible study. Among the dead were pastors, parents, and people who had their whole life before them. The accused shooter, Dylan Roof, has been arrested. In the days since the shooting stories have come out that suggest this was a targeted event because of their ethnicity. Continue reading “Sermon: How Do We Respond?”
Sadly, we find ourselves shocked, saddened, and frustrated by another shooting in the nation. The shooting took place following a Bible Study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., which led to the deaths of several individuals. Among the dead is believed to be Clementa Pickney, 41, who was the church’s pastor and a state legislator.
The investigation is ongoing and is focused on the alleged shooter, Dylan Roof, 21. In this difficult time, we each have our questions and frustrations about why someone would do such a thing. Yet, we must use this time, even in our questions, to come together as a community. We must no longer see ourselves as disconnected parts of a whole. We must see ourselves as children of God, loved by God, and connected to one another through Jesus’ love for all people.
We can begin to do this through prayer. What follows are a collection of short prayers for various groups and individuals involved with this tragedy. I invite you to use these prayers during your devotion time and to offer them as your own prayers. Continue reading “Prayers in Response to the Charleston Shooting”
Shannon Blosser 