Worship Service Archive
Sunday, June 24, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 4) - Torture and Death: Any Last Words?
Scriptures: Psalm 46:1-7, John 19:1-3, 16-30
This Sunday, we continue with the forth sermon in the series looking at the torture and death of Jesus. The gospels recount 7 last sayings of Jesus on the cross. In John’s gospel, three of these “last words” are recorded. We will look at His provision for His mother, His thirst, and His “finished” work. Come and journey with Christ as He only thinks of others as He dies. Come and worship with us as we ponder the words of our Savior and Friend.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 4) - Torture and Death: Any Last Words?
Scriptures: Psalm 46:1-7, John 19:1-3, 16-30
This Sunday, we continue with the forth sermon in the series looking at the torture and death of Jesus. The gospels recount 7 last sayings of Jesus on the cross. In John’s gospel, three of these “last words” are recorded. We will look at His provision for His mother, His thirst, and His “finished” work. Come and journey with Christ as He only thinks of others as He dies. Come and worship with us as we ponder the words of our Savior and Friend.
Worship songs:
Sunday, June 17, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 3) - Trial and Denial: What is Truth?
Scriptures: Psalm 25:1-5, John 18:12-38
This Sunday, we continue with the third sermon in the series looking at the trial and denial of Jesus. The longest night of Jesus’ life on earth is recounted in the 18th chapter of John. In secret, the priests protect their position and influence by eliminating Jesus. Meanwhile, the great disciple, Peter, denies that he even knows Jesus three times to save his own skin. Come worship with us as we explore the trail and denial of Jesus as we wrestle with Pilate’s age old question: “What is truth?”
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 3) - Trial and Denial: What is Truth?
Scriptures: Psalm 25:1-5, John 18:12-38
This Sunday, we continue with the third sermon in the series looking at the trial and denial of Jesus. The longest night of Jesus’ life on earth is recounted in the 18th chapter of John. In secret, the priests protect their position and influence by eliminating Jesus. Meanwhile, the great disciple, Peter, denies that he even knows Jesus three times to save his own skin. Come worship with us as we explore the trail and denial of Jesus as we wrestle with Pilate’s age old question: “What is truth?”
Worship songs:
Sunday, June 10, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 2) - Betrayal and Arrest: Whom Are You Looking For?
Scriptures: Isaiah 49:7-13, John 18:1-11
This Sunday, we continue with the second sermon in the series looking at the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. In the dead of night, He faced such an undeserved arrest with dignity and compassion for His captors, renouncing His rights and freely giving Himself over to the authorities. We can easily say that this is terrible and cast our moral judgements upon them, but in some ways we are all His captors because we are all the reason Jesus came to the world in the first place: to show us another way, another truth, another life to live. Come worship with us and discover God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness for you.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 2) - Betrayal and Arrest: Whom Are You Looking For?
Scriptures: Isaiah 49:7-13, John 18:1-11
This Sunday, we continue with the second sermon in the series looking at the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. In the dead of night, He faced such an undeserved arrest with dignity and compassion for His captors, renouncing His rights and freely giving Himself over to the authorities. We can easily say that this is terrible and cast our moral judgements upon them, but in some ways we are all His captors because we are all the reason Jesus came to the world in the first place: to show us another way, another truth, another life to live. Come worship with us and discover God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness for you.
Worship songs:
Sunday, June 3, 10:30am
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 1) - Prayer to Prepare: To Protect & Make Holy
Scriptures: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, John 17:11-21
Pastor Tim will be concluding our yearlong look at the Gospel of John with a nine part sermon series looking at the last five chapters (17-21) of this gospel entitled:
The Word That Does Not Die.
We begin this sermon series this Sunday in John chapter 17, which is Jesus’ impassioned prayer to the Father before His arrest, trial, torture, death, ultimate resurrection, and stories to follow. He makes two petitions: one for protection of the disciples and one for them to be sanctified, or made holy. This powerful prayer has echoed down the centuries as Jesus’ prayer for His followers and it applies to us today. Come worship with us and hear God’s words of protection and sanctification for you!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
The Word That Does Not Die (Part 1) - Prayer to Prepare: To Protect & Make Holy
Scriptures: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, John 17:11-21
Pastor Tim will be concluding our yearlong look at the Gospel of John with a nine part sermon series looking at the last five chapters (17-21) of this gospel entitled:
The Word That Does Not Die.
We begin this sermon series this Sunday in John chapter 17, which is Jesus’ impassioned prayer to the Father before His arrest, trial, torture, death, ultimate resurrection, and stories to follow. He makes two petitions: one for protection of the disciples and one for them to be sanctified, or made holy. This powerful prayer has echoed down the centuries as Jesus’ prayer for His followers and it applies to us today. Come worship with us and hear God’s words of protection and sanctification for you!
Worship songs:
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Sunday, May 27, 10:30am
Guest Speaker: Rev. Fela Barrueto By Night... For a Reason Scriptures: John 3:1-21 Rev. Fela Barrueto was born and raised in Lima, Perú. She currently lives in Fresh Meadows, NY, and works for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, as the National Coordinator for Prisoner Reentry/Immigration and Refugees Ministries. In 2004, she received her Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary). She was ordained to ministry in January 2011, and her main goal is to be an instrument of peace and justice, especially for the ever growing prison population and their families, as well as those marginalized and destitute. Worship songs: |
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Sunday, May 20, 10:30am
COMBINED SERVICE WITH MISIÓN BAUTISTA
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Scriptures: Acts 2:1-21
Join us this Pentecost Sunday for a combined worship service with our friends from Misión Bautista! Pastor Tim and Pastor Abner will be delivering a powerful message about the role of the Holy Spirit and unity among believers. Ice cream will be served outside following the service!
COMBINED SERVICE WITH MISIÓN BAUTISTA
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Scriptures: Acts 2:1-21
Join us this Pentecost Sunday for a combined worship service with our friends from Misión Bautista! Pastor Tim and Pastor Abner will be delivering a powerful message about the role of the Holy Spirit and unity among believers. Ice cream will be served outside following the service!
Sunday, May 13, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The “Great Unconcealer”
Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-18, John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
As we celebrate the lives of mothers and women who have been mother figures to us, we look at the passage in John where Jesus speaks of when the “Spirit of truth comes.” (John 16:13) This phrase in the Greek is “Alētheia,” which means “unconcealing” or uncovering that requires an effort on our part to engage and be open to learning the mysteries of truth. Like a good mother, God accompanies their child to create a safe space for exploration, discovery and growth. Come and learn of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Great Unconcealer of truth. One who strives to discover what matters most in life finds the answer to this struggle for meaning in Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is not with us now, but left His Spirit of truth who guides each generation along the way to uncover beauty, goodness and truth in life and teaches us to find God along the way. To see life and Jesus taught us to see it and bring glory to God.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The “Great Unconcealer”
Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-18, John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
As we celebrate the lives of mothers and women who have been mother figures to us, we look at the passage in John where Jesus speaks of when the “Spirit of truth comes.” (John 16:13) This phrase in the Greek is “Alētheia,” which means “unconcealing” or uncovering that requires an effort on our part to engage and be open to learning the mysteries of truth. Like a good mother, God accompanies their child to create a safe space for exploration, discovery and growth. Come and learn of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Great Unconcealer of truth. One who strives to discover what matters most in life finds the answer to this struggle for meaning in Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is not with us now, but left His Spirit of truth who guides each generation along the way to uncover beauty, goodness and truth in life and teaches us to find God along the way. To see life and Jesus taught us to see it and bring glory to God.
Worship songs:
Sunday, May 6, 10:30am
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
A Command... A Promise... A Warning
Scriptures: Isaiah 5:1-7, John 15:1-17
Jesus’ allegory of the Vine and the Branches is one of his most beloved and revealing teachings. The vine is Jesus, the vine grower is God the Father, and the branches are Jesus’ disciples. Behind this image Jesus is painting was a rich tradition in the Hebrew Scriptures, art and worship liturgy of Israel being God’s vine. In Isaiah 5, we see that Israel is God’s vineyard. Psalm 80 speaks of a vine that God brought out of Egypt and planted in a land that God cleared. Jeremiah laments that this choice vine become wild (Jeremiah 2:21). Hosea goes further and says that this vine has bared fruit to false gods (Hosea 10:1-2). Jeremiah warns that the faithless branches have been stripped away (Jeremiah 5:10) and Ezekiel shouts that the withered stem has been consumed by fire (Ezekiel 10:10-14).
The radical claim by Jesus’ telling of this commonly understood theme was that the truth of the symbolized vine is no longer Israel, but he, himself. The full connect to the Father is now in Jesus. Jesus’ command to “Abide in me” speaks to an intimate personal relationship with Jesus as the distinguishing characteristic in a believer’s life. Taking that step of faith does not go unrewarded, as Jesus makes the promise to those who not only “abide” but who takes Jesus’ words to heart will be transformed in our expectations and be given what we need. The warning speaks to the living of a fruitful life (a disciple) requires discipline. The concern of the allegory is not purity, but fruitfulness, which comes over a lifetime of fruit-bearing. Let Jesus speak to you in this text this week. Where do you need to be pruned? Where do you find joy? Jesus is patiently waiting to bear fruit in you!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
A Command... A Promise... A Warning
Scriptures: Isaiah 5:1-7, John 15:1-17
Jesus’ allegory of the Vine and the Branches is one of his most beloved and revealing teachings. The vine is Jesus, the vine grower is God the Father, and the branches are Jesus’ disciples. Behind this image Jesus is painting was a rich tradition in the Hebrew Scriptures, art and worship liturgy of Israel being God’s vine. In Isaiah 5, we see that Israel is God’s vineyard. Psalm 80 speaks of a vine that God brought out of Egypt and planted in a land that God cleared. Jeremiah laments that this choice vine become wild (Jeremiah 2:21). Hosea goes further and says that this vine has bared fruit to false gods (Hosea 10:1-2). Jeremiah warns that the faithless branches have been stripped away (Jeremiah 5:10) and Ezekiel shouts that the withered stem has been consumed by fire (Ezekiel 10:10-14).
The radical claim by Jesus’ telling of this commonly understood theme was that the truth of the symbolized vine is no longer Israel, but he, himself. The full connect to the Father is now in Jesus. Jesus’ command to “Abide in me” speaks to an intimate personal relationship with Jesus as the distinguishing characteristic in a believer’s life. Taking that step of faith does not go unrewarded, as Jesus makes the promise to those who not only “abide” but who takes Jesus’ words to heart will be transformed in our expectations and be given what we need. The warning speaks to the living of a fruitful life (a disciple) requires discipline. The concern of the allegory is not purity, but fruitfulness, which comes over a lifetime of fruit-bearing. Let Jesus speak to you in this text this week. Where do you need to be pruned? Where do you find joy? Jesus is patiently waiting to bear fruit in you!
Worship songs:
April Services
Sunday, April 1, 10:30am
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
"Come Forth" & "Appear"
Scriptures: Isaiah 49:7-13, John 20:1-18
We celebrate the Risen Christ this Easter! Please join us as we not only hear the familiar story of Jesus’ resurrection, but also hear a lesser known passage written in Isaiah to the devastated exiles who had lost their land, their king, and their Temple. The disciples and followers of Jesus felt heartbreak and despair on that Sunday morning, like the Hebrew’s in bondage in Babylon. As Jesus shows Himself to be alive once more, the passage in the 49th chapter of Isaiah speaks of a God who has answered them, who has helped them, who has kept them, and has given them as a covenant. God calls on them to courageously say: “to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Appear.'"
As we celebrate Jesus’ coming out of the tomb and appeared before the whole world demonstrating a power and love that the world had not yet imagined, Isaiah’s usage of two little Hebrew verbs also suggest the cosmic purposes of God for His people. The two mandates are first to “come forth” and free the prisoners- free people from their fear, anxiety, despair, hunger, poverty, shame and guilt. Second, we are to announce to the invisible, those in the shadows, at the margins of our society, “Appear!” The power of the resurrection and the life of Jesus is to authorize all persons, all exiles, all marginalized to be fully present and visible, to be fully reconciled to life in community.
So, as we celebrate the reality of Jesus’ coming forth out of the tomb and appearing to the world, we also understand our new role to utter and enact these two little verbs: come forth and appear, so that we might become the covenant that God is seeking in the dawning Kingdom of Heaven!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
"Come Forth" & "Appear"
Scriptures: Isaiah 49:7-13, John 20:1-18
We celebrate the Risen Christ this Easter! Please join us as we not only hear the familiar story of Jesus’ resurrection, but also hear a lesser known passage written in Isaiah to the devastated exiles who had lost their land, their king, and their Temple. The disciples and followers of Jesus felt heartbreak and despair on that Sunday morning, like the Hebrew’s in bondage in Babylon. As Jesus shows Himself to be alive once more, the passage in the 49th chapter of Isaiah speaks of a God who has answered them, who has helped them, who has kept them, and has given them as a covenant. God calls on them to courageously say: “to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Appear.'"
As we celebrate Jesus’ coming out of the tomb and appeared before the whole world demonstrating a power and love that the world had not yet imagined, Isaiah’s usage of two little Hebrew verbs also suggest the cosmic purposes of God for His people. The two mandates are first to “come forth” and free the prisoners- free people from their fear, anxiety, despair, hunger, poverty, shame and guilt. Second, we are to announce to the invisible, those in the shadows, at the margins of our society, “Appear!” The power of the resurrection and the life of Jesus is to authorize all persons, all exiles, all marginalized to be fully present and visible, to be fully reconciled to life in community.
So, as we celebrate the reality of Jesus’ coming forth out of the tomb and appearing to the world, we also understand our new role to utter and enact these two little verbs: come forth and appear, so that we might become the covenant that God is seeking in the dawning Kingdom of Heaven!
Worship songs:
Sunday, April 8, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Gift of a New Chance
Scriptures: Psalm 51:10-17, John 12:20-33
We have all needed a second chance at one time or another in our lives, right? We have an opportunity for a new beginning, a chance to start again, because God is a God of second chances. The text for this Sunday is speaks of this when Jesus speaks in a parable of the wheat grain falling to the earth and ceasing to be what it was and becoming something new and not previously imaged. Do you believe in a God that gives the gift of second chances? Come and hear powerful stories and discover that God is offering the gift of taking a new chance on you!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Gift of a New Chance
Scriptures: Psalm 51:10-17, John 12:20-33
We have all needed a second chance at one time or another in our lives, right? We have an opportunity for a new beginning, a chance to start again, because God is a God of second chances. The text for this Sunday is speaks of this when Jesus speaks in a parable of the wheat grain falling to the earth and ceasing to be what it was and becoming something new and not previously imaged. Do you believe in a God that gives the gift of second chances? Come and hear powerful stories and discover that God is offering the gift of taking a new chance on you!
Worship songs:
Sunday, April 15, 10:30am
Guest Speakers: Rev. Amy Manierre & Chaplain Phyllis Herz
Faith in Action Through the Lens of Disaster Spiritual Care
Scriptures: Psalm 4
Rev. Manierre is an ordained American Baptist Minister and a Board-Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains. She is a volunteer with the Red Cross serving as the North East Division Disaster Spiritual Care Advisor. Foundational to her work with the Red Cross is collaborative models that support disaster response and honor the importance of religious communities in disaster recovery.
Chaplain Phyllis Herz is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. She volunteers as the chapter lead for the American Red Cross Metro New York North Disaster Spiritual Care Team where, in addition to providing spiritual care in disasters, she recruits and helps guide fellow chaplains and clergy in both local and national disaster spiritual care. She works at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, New York, providing pastoral care to patients, staff, and families.
Worship songs:
Guest Speakers: Rev. Amy Manierre & Chaplain Phyllis Herz
Faith in Action Through the Lens of Disaster Spiritual Care
Scriptures: Psalm 4
Rev. Manierre is an ordained American Baptist Minister and a Board-Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains. She is a volunteer with the Red Cross serving as the North East Division Disaster Spiritual Care Advisor. Foundational to her work with the Red Cross is collaborative models that support disaster response and honor the importance of religious communities in disaster recovery.
Chaplain Phyllis Herz is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. She volunteers as the chapter lead for the American Red Cross Metro New York North Disaster Spiritual Care Team where, in addition to providing spiritual care in disasters, she recruits and helps guide fellow chaplains and clergy in both local and national disaster spiritual care. She works at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, New York, providing pastoral care to patients, staff, and families.
Worship songs:
Sunday, April 22, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
A New Commandment for a New Situation
Scriptures: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19, John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Love. Love is the truest mark of Christ’s disciple. Jesus says that “everyone will know that you are my disciple if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The newness of this commandment that Jesus gives to the disciples is in His example of that perfect love. Jesus, Himself, is the completion of the Law’s fullest intention: to love, to be in genuine and covenantal relationship with God and neighbor. By God becoming fully human, the “incarnation” radically expresses God’s fidelity to humanity and God’s hope for our lives. By loving one another, we are expressing our trust in God and that God has a wonderful purpose for our lives. Come and worship with us this Sunday as we discover together who, how, and why we are called to love!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
A New Commandment for a New Situation
Scriptures: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19, John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Love. Love is the truest mark of Christ’s disciple. Jesus says that “everyone will know that you are my disciple if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The newness of this commandment that Jesus gives to the disciples is in His example of that perfect love. Jesus, Himself, is the completion of the Law’s fullest intention: to love, to be in genuine and covenantal relationship with God and neighbor. By God becoming fully human, the “incarnation” radically expresses God’s fidelity to humanity and God’s hope for our lives. By loving one another, we are expressing our trust in God and that God has a wonderful purpose for our lives. Come and worship with us this Sunday as we discover together who, how, and why we are called to love!
Worship songs:
Sunday, April 29, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Way, Truth, and Life
Scriptures: Psalm 107:1-9, John 14:1-21
This Sunday’s text is popular at funerals as a comforting word of eternal assurance – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” This week, we not only look at the consoling words from Christ, but the hope of the “Advocate” and “the Spirit of Truth,” – the Holy Spirit is coming! How do we recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, even on those difficult, troubling days? Come and discover how the Spirit develops and demonstrates abundant love in our midst so that we can embody the way, truth and live of Christ.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Way, Truth, and Life
Scriptures: Psalm 107:1-9, John 14:1-21
This Sunday’s text is popular at funerals as a comforting word of eternal assurance – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” This week, we not only look at the consoling words from Christ, but the hope of the “Advocate” and “the Spirit of Truth,” – the Holy Spirit is coming! How do we recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, even on those difficult, troubling days? Come and discover how the Spirit develops and demonstrates abundant love in our midst so that we can embody the way, truth and live of Christ.
Worship songs:
Sunday, March 25, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Problem with "Hosanna!"
Scriptures: Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24, John 12:12-19
We now come to Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem this Palm Sunday! He has just come from Bethany, where His raising of Lazarus from the dead made him a first century rock star! The crowds shouted “Hosanna!” as a word of welcome greeting. Today, we use this often as a word of praise, but it was originally a word of pleading. It welcomed the one who arrived and called for the fulfillment of promises. Realizing this, we can see why the crowd who was so excited on Sunday shouting “Hosanna!” did not oppose the crucifixion of Jesus by Friday. Perhaps many of these same people, seeing that Jesus had not upheld their expectations of a political-militaristic messiah would have become disappointed to the point of shouting “Crucify Him!”
We have a similar problem with “Hosanna!” today; as we make God in our image, contort God to our desires, connect God to our tribal expectations. Let’s not limit the work of God in our lives and relationships with shortsighted understandings. Let us shout “Hosanna!” in faith and trust that wherever God wants to lead us, we will go! Let us welcome that reality this Palm Sunday!
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Problem with "Hosanna!"
Scriptures: Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24, John 12:12-19
We now come to Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem this Palm Sunday! He has just come from Bethany, where His raising of Lazarus from the dead made him a first century rock star! The crowds shouted “Hosanna!” as a word of welcome greeting. Today, we use this often as a word of praise, but it was originally a word of pleading. It welcomed the one who arrived and called for the fulfillment of promises. Realizing this, we can see why the crowd who was so excited on Sunday shouting “Hosanna!” did not oppose the crucifixion of Jesus by Friday. Perhaps many of these same people, seeing that Jesus had not upheld their expectations of a political-militaristic messiah would have become disappointed to the point of shouting “Crucify Him!”
We have a similar problem with “Hosanna!” today; as we make God in our image, contort God to our desires, connect God to our tribal expectations. Let’s not limit the work of God in our lives and relationships with shortsighted understandings. Let us shout “Hosanna!” in faith and trust that wherever God wants to lead us, we will go! Let us welcome that reality this Palm Sunday!
Worship songs:
Sunday, March 18, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Anointed
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:1-13, John 12:1-8
What does it mean to be anointed? Anointing was a common ancient cultural practice. Shepherds often poured oil on the heads of their sheep in order to protect them from insects that would burrow in their ears and kill them, contributing to anointing becoming symbolic of blessing, protection, and empowerment. The Jewish people anointed the altar when making sacrifices. Spiritually, anointing was related to the idea of strength or blessing. Priests were anointed with oil, later followed by Samuel anointing both Saul and later David (our text this week) as kings of Israel. This anointing signified a person as a chosen one among the people.
In the New Testament, we are told God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). In Acts 10:38 it says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power." This was a term used to emphasize Jesus as the chosen one of God.
In our texts for this week, we see the anointing of David and also Jesus with expensive perfume by his friend Mary, the sister of Lazarus. What do these passages say about the calling of the anointed? What is God calling you to become? What have you been anointed to do? Come and worship with us this Sunday as we explore these questions.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Anointed
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:1-13, John 12:1-8
What does it mean to be anointed? Anointing was a common ancient cultural practice. Shepherds often poured oil on the heads of their sheep in order to protect them from insects that would burrow in their ears and kill them, contributing to anointing becoming symbolic of blessing, protection, and empowerment. The Jewish people anointed the altar when making sacrifices. Spiritually, anointing was related to the idea of strength or blessing. Priests were anointed with oil, later followed by Samuel anointing both Saul and later David (our text this week) as kings of Israel. This anointing signified a person as a chosen one among the people.
In the New Testament, we are told God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). In Acts 10:38 it says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power." This was a term used to emphasize Jesus as the chosen one of God.
In our texts for this week, we see the anointing of David and also Jesus with expensive perfume by his friend Mary, the sister of Lazarus. What do these passages say about the calling of the anointed? What is God calling you to become? What have you been anointed to do? Come and worship with us this Sunday as we explore these questions.
Worship songs:
Sunday, March 11, 10:30am
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Weeping God
Scriptures: John 11:1-44
God is depicted in many ways in the Bible, too numerous to recount here: Creator, Mighty Warrior, Good Shepherd, and Loving Father to name just a very few. But what is the most profound to me is the image of Jesus weeping in John 11:35. The context of his tears was learning of the death of his friend, Lazarus. We all know what happened next, and certainly Jesus knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but He was present with those who were mourning. He was moved by their grief and sadness. He is moved by our grieving, and He brings resurrection and new life.
My prayer is that we might cling to the hope of that new day of life even in the midst of our tears and know that as we cry and lament, Jesus is ever present with us.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP SERVICE
The Weeping God
Scriptures: John 11:1-44
God is depicted in many ways in the Bible, too numerous to recount here: Creator, Mighty Warrior, Good Shepherd, and Loving Father to name just a very few. But what is the most profound to me is the image of Jesus weeping in John 11:35. The context of his tears was learning of the death of his friend, Lazarus. We all know what happened next, and certainly Jesus knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but He was present with those who were mourning. He was moved by their grief and sadness. He is moved by our grieving, and He brings resurrection and new life.
My prayer is that we might cling to the hope of that new day of life even in the midst of our tears and know that as we cry and lament, Jesus is ever present with us.
Worship songs:
Sunday, March 4, 10:30am
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
Believe the Works
Scriptures: Isaiah 52:7-10, John 10:22-42
We invite you to worship with us on this first Sunday of Lent as we celebrate communion with special choir music! Guest vocalists will be performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns, and edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem.
Worship songs:
WORSHIP AND COMMUNION
Believe the Works
Scriptures: Isaiah 52:7-10, John 10:22-42
We invite you to worship with us on this first Sunday of Lent as we celebrate communion with special choir music! Guest vocalists will be performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns, and edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem.
Worship songs:
December 2017 services
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Sunday, December 10, 10:30am
NEW THINGS Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-19, Luke 1:26-38 Holy scripture speaks of a God that is unchanging and also one who is always doing new things. How do the faithful reconcile these two, seemingly opposite, realities? One way to think about it is to see the difference in the Vision and Mission of God. The “vision” of God speaks to who God is, God’s inherent, loving nature and the “mission” of God is how God accomplishes the work of being a loving God seeking covenantal relationship with all of creation. Who God is doesn’t change, but how God interacts with creation is constantly changing and bringing new things into being. The birth of Christ is certainly a new way of demonstrating God’s love and compassion for the world. In this time of celebrating the presence of Emmanuel, remember that God can always do a new thing and bring a new world of God that is beyond our wildest imagination! When all seems impossible in the midst of our fatigue, self-sufficiency, and our cynicism, we do not believe that such newness can come. Yet as we wait during Advent, we received the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power who brings the Christ child hovered over the waters in Genesis to welcome creation, blew back the waters in Egypt to let our ancestors free, empowered the prophets to dangerous acts of obedience, equipped the disciples to cross cultural barriers and bring about the church. It is God’s Spirit that is constantly doing new things when all seems lost, all are exhausted, our imaginations fail and our lives shut down in despair. Discover a deep and abiding peace of the new things God is doing today and everyday, if we are willing to see and be made new! Worship songs and composers:
Sunday, December 17, 11am JOINT WORSHIP SERVICE WITH MISIÓN BAUTISTA Children's Christmas Pageant, live Nativity animals outside, catered luncheon for all after the service. Sunday, December 24 10:30am, THE POWER OF LIGHT Scriptures: Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:1-9 “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” – John 1:9 There is a power to light. Light is the precondition for all life. Photosynthesis, the process of plants transferring the energy of light into breathable air is an invisible reminder of this power. The Roman Empire recognized this power in their homage paid to Sol Invictus, “the unconquerable sun god,” in their mythology. Today, we are just beginning to understand the harm of light deprivation and many at the Arctic circle and others in winter find benefits in Light Therapy. John’s message in his Gospel is that justice is what shines in a morally corrupt society and that Jesus is the Son of Righteousness. There is power in the Light of Christ and that “light” is you! In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) May we have the courage to enthrone Christ’s Light in our hearts and minds in the midst of our dark world. --------- We celebrate with special string quartet and choir music! Guest vocalists perform arrangements of Christmas carols, sing beautiful hymns, and inspire the congregation with a glorious choral anthem. Additionally, we have invited a string quartet to bless us with their music in honor of our Savior's birth. Worship song titles and composers:
Sunday, December 24 7pm CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE Meditation Scripture: Matthew 1:20 We will read the story and sing the songs of this joyous season. Pastor Tim will have a brief meditation on the Angel who appears to Joseph in a dream to tell him not to be afraid, to take Mary as his wife, and explains that the child that she is carrying is from God. This child is a wonder, a gift that is bringing the possibility of movement beyond our fear and ourselves. The Holy Spirit is doing a new thing in their lives and seeks to create new possibilities for all creation! Sunday, December 31, 10:30am DECEIVING OR RESTORING Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3, John 7:1-24 As we close another year, we return to the Gospel of John. In chapter 7 Jesus is in tension with his family, yet again. Similar to the Wedding at Cana, where Mary insists that Jesus do something about the lack of wine, Jesus responds to his brothers insistence that he attend the a religious festival with “My time has not yet come.” And yet, Jesus performs the miracle of turning water to wine in secret, as well as attending the festival in secret. Instead of popular acclaim and the temptation of status and power, Jesus shows up in subtle and powerful ways. But, eventually, when he reveals himself, many saw his actions and words as deceptive. Jesus responds “Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.” No “fake news” here! Jesus is not deceiving but is wholeheartedly restoring the community back to God’s intentions through acts of Sabbath healing. May we be open to the restoring work God is wanting to do in us through this new year. “We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity.” --Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship song titles and composers:
November 2017 services |
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November 5 2017, 10:30am
SERMON: "STILL WORKING," AND COMMUNION The sermon this week is where Jesus performs his 3rd “sign” in the gospel of John and first major controversy with Mosaic law by healing a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. The man is healed and told to “stand up, take your mat, and walk.” Then the man is questioned by the religious authorities about his “work” on the Sabbath of carrying his mat. Everyone knew that this man had been paralyzed, but their work is one of enforcement of Sabbath law and he is condemned by them. The man seeks to avoid blame by essentially saying that he was just doing what he was told. Earlier he laid the responsibility of not being healed on others. Now he lays blame on his healer for breaking the Sabbath. The healed man failed to thank his benefactor or even catch his name! When Jesus encounters the man again, he warns him not to sin again. The man has not actively shown malice toward Jesus, but it appears that his passive attitude of exporting blame is seen by Jesus as irresponsible. After this encounter, the man takes his own initiative to identify Jesus as the one “responsible” of his violation of Sabbath law. At best this is a thoughtless act of compliance with the powers that be. At worst, it is collusion with Jesus’ enemies. Regardless, it is a disrespectful reaction to Jesus’ gracious gift. All of this must have been disheartening for Jesus. But perhaps most difficult to take was their insistence on a false understanding of the purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a gift to humanity, not a further obligation of hardship. Then Jesus really sets them off by saying: “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” (John 5:17) Jesus is saying that he and God are one and like the gracious gift given to the paralyzed man who poorly mannered in the face of the gift he has been given, the religious authorities are also missing the greater point of Sabbath rest by focusing on details of observance. It brings to my mind Matthew 12:30, where Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Jesus is doing the work of gathering his people together, but the authorities are using this gracious gift of the Sabbath as a means of scattering the people into further division and shame. God is still working on the Sabbath to gather us into his arms of love and fellowship every day because God does not need a break, but knows that we need a break from the values of Pharaoh as seen today in the nonstop production and consumerism. Let us accept this gracious gift with our whole hearts and thank God that God is still working! There will be special choir music on the themes of praise and thanksgiving with guest vocalists performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns and a choral anthem. Song titles and composers:
November 12, 2017, 10:30am SERMON: WHAT ARE THEY AMONG SO MANY? Jesus takes what we freely give and makes it more than enough. We, like the disciples, may point out the obvious: “What are they among so many?” Yet, Jesus takes our gifts and willingness to be of service and makes it enough. When Jesus fed the 5,000 he took the boy’s meager meal of fish and bread, blessed it and made it enough. Jesus is waiting to bless your gifts that are offered to God! Worship songs and composers:
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November 19, 2017, 10:30am
Guest Pastor Abner Cotto-Bonilla will preach
SERMON: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?
Scripture: John 11:17-37
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Pastor Abner's Bio
Abner E. Cotto Bonilla, Pastor of Misión Bautista Hispana de Westchester, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1984. Over the years, Abner held positions as Treasurer, Vice-President and President of Youth, Bible school teacher, coordinator and educator of the Institute of Theological Training and as Pastoral Assistant in the Baptist Church of Mamey in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.
Pastor Abner has been an educator at the Biblical Institute of the Theological University of the Caribbean in the Caguas region, Chaplaincy Assistant and Christian Values Teacher at CeDin (School Laboratory of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR) and Teacher of Christian Education at the Baptist Academy of Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico.
In his collaboration with the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico, he was also Promoter and President of the Union of Young Baptists of P.R and member of the Executive Board. He is the current President of the National Hispanic Caucus of ABC-USA.
Pastor Abner received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Pastoral Studies from the Theological University of the Caribbean in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. In the discernment to continue his studies at the Masters level to the United States, he arrived at Andover Newton Theological School (Newton, MA) in 2015 and then transferred to Yale Divinity School (New Haven, CT), where he is finishing a Master in Divinity degree. He is the Convener of the Student Founders Steering Committee at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School.
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Worship song titles and composers:
Song of response:
November 26, 2017, 10:30am
WORSHIP
Guest Pastor Abner Cotto-Bonilla will preach
SERMON: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?
Scripture: John 11:17-37
__________
Pastor Abner's Bio
Abner E. Cotto Bonilla, Pastor of Misión Bautista Hispana de Westchester, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1984. Over the years, Abner held positions as Treasurer, Vice-President and President of Youth, Bible school teacher, coordinator and educator of the Institute of Theological Training and as Pastoral Assistant in the Baptist Church of Mamey in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.
Pastor Abner has been an educator at the Biblical Institute of the Theological University of the Caribbean in the Caguas region, Chaplaincy Assistant and Christian Values Teacher at CeDin (School Laboratory of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR) and Teacher of Christian Education at the Baptist Academy of Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico.
In his collaboration with the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico, he was also Promoter and President of the Union of Young Baptists of P.R and member of the Executive Board. He is the current President of the National Hispanic Caucus of ABC-USA.
Pastor Abner received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Pastoral Studies from the Theological University of the Caribbean in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. In the discernment to continue his studies at the Masters level to the United States, he arrived at Andover Newton Theological School (Newton, MA) in 2015 and then transferred to Yale Divinity School (New Haven, CT), where he is finishing a Master in Divinity degree. He is the Convener of the Student Founders Steering Committee at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School.
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Worship song titles and composers:
- Come, Now Is the Time to Worship by Brian Doerksen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPWq8eM4lu8 - How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE - Lord I Need You by Matt Maher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA
Song of response:
- Grace Greater Than Our Sin by Daniel B. Towner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDdENxO6HVo
November 26, 2017, 10:30am
WORSHIP
October 2017 services
October 1, 2017, 10am
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS precedes worship
October 1, 2017, 10:30am, worship
SERMON: THE GLORY OF GOD–DISCRETELY REVEALED
Communion and Special Choir Music
The Wedding at Cana is the first “sign” of God’s Glory revealed through Jesus in the Gospel of John. But it isn’t what we might expect. No one is healed or fed. No large group is in awe of Christ’s act, only his mother, the disciples, and the servants who collected the water (and it was a lot of water, probably between 120-180 gallons!) The head steward, who is amazed by the quality of the wine, chastises the groom for not bringing it out earlier. He clearly doesn’t have a clue where it came from. But those closest to Jesus in this encounter know and they “believe.”
What do they believe? Do they see him as a miracle worker, similar to the Greek myth of Dionysus, who was the Greek god of grapes and wine? That story of Dionysus turning water to wine was a favorite around the Mediterranean back then. But this is different. The text says that this “revealed his glory.”
Do you take time to be close to Jesus and witness the “Glory of God”? Do you notice God’s glory in the simple, everyday acts of kindness? Do you see God at work in you as a collaborator in God’s Glory on this earth? Do you take the time to cultivate that sense of awe and joy so you can share in the grander glory of God? Perhaps the Wedding at Cana is an invitation to do just that.
The First Baptist Church Choir returns this morning. Guest vocalists will be performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns, and edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem.
Song titles and composers for this Sunday:
A nutrition educator from Eat Smart New York, Rebecca Radachy, will be on hand to give a brief presentation about Nourish Your Neighbor, an educational food drive initiative that encourages donations of healthy foods. Colorful grocery bags with shopping lists of suggested food items will be distributed to everyone in the congregation in anticipation of the food drive for the church's mission, Putting Families First: Food, Faith & a Future. The drive begins October 8 and concludes October 29.
October 8, 2017, 10:30am
CALLED AGAINST DISTORTION
Scriptures: Exodus 20:1-7, John 2:13-25
Jesus came to the Jerusalem temple and he looked all around. He came there because the temple is the citadel of meaning in that society, the symbolic expression of all that is true and good and beautiful, the ultimate hope and desire of God’s people for the presence of God. He did not like what he saw—a total distortion reflecting nothing of God’s hopes and desires for humanity living in covenantal, loving community. The temple had become a breeding ground for political power rearranging deeply held values trivialized by greedy, exploitative practices. The core of their faith hollowed out by aggressive commercial transactions. Jesus acted decisively against the distortion.
This Sunday, I want to think with you about the distorted society we find ourselves in where deep and sacred things are co-opted into ambitious self-advancement and the role of the church in the midst of such distortion. People who depart the life of distortion find themselves reconnecting to who they were made to be.
“The news is that God is calling us.
The news is that the world waits in hope;
The news is that our lives can be made new,
because the one who is foolish and weak and poor
is risen and invites us to his new life.”
--Walter Brueggemann
Worship song titles and composers for this upcoming Sunday:
October 15, 2017, 10:30am
COULD IT BE?
Scriptures: Psalm 121, John 3:1-17
For the next two Sundays Pastor Tim is preaching a mini-two part sermon series comparing the encounters of the wealthy, leader, connected Pharisee, Nicodemus and the outcast Samaritan Woman scratching out a living. These two stories are near each other in John’s Gospel, implying dramatic contrasts.
Nicodemus approaches Jesus on his own initiative, but Jesus takes the initiative to ask the woman at the well for a drink. Nicodemus comes at night. Jesus arrives at noon. Nicodemus is a respected leader in the community. The Samaritan woman is marginalized even in her own community. Jesus points Nicodemus to the uncontrollable nature of the Spirit using the image of wind and offers the woman the deep well waters of the Spirit.
We wonder along with Nicodemus in our bewilderment, our hope, our doubts: Could it be, that simple to be reborn – innocent, vulnerable, dependent – open to the wind of the Spirit? We discover alongside the Samaritan Woman at the well, the joy and freedom Christ offers to us in his big yes of his acceptance, compassion and love.
Worship song titles and composers:
October 22, 2017, 10:30am
THE BIG YES!
Psalm 95, John 4:5-42
We conclude Pastor Tim’s mini-two part sermon series comparing the encounters of the wealthy, leader, connected Pharisee, Nicodemus and the outcast Samaritan Woman scratching out a living. These two stories are near each other in John’s Gospel, implying dramatic contrasts.
Nicodemus approaches Jesus on his own initiative, but Jesus takes the initiative to ask the woman at the well for a drink. Nicodemus comes at night. Jesus arrives at noon. Nicodemus is a respected leader in the community. The Samaritan woman is marginalized even in her own community. Jesus points Nicodemus to the uncontrollable nature of the Spirit using the image of wind and offers the woman the deep well waters of the Spirit.
We wonder along with Nicodemus in our bewilderment, our hope, our doubts: Could it be, that simple to be reborn – innocent, vulnerable, dependent – open to the wind of the Spirit? We discover alongside the Samaritan Woman at the well, the joy and freedom Christ offers to us in his big yes of his acceptance, compassion and love.
Worship song titles and composers:
Song of response:
October 29, 2017, 10:30am
GO POWER!
Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25, John 4:43-54
In the second “sign” out of seven in the Gospel of John, Jesus told the royal official, when he asked him to come and save his son, “Go; your son will live.” And the man believed even though he did not see for himself. Similar to turning the water to wine at the Cana wedding, this is another discrete miracle. No one gathered saw the healing of this boy, but only later did the father realize that his son began to feel better at the hour Jesus told him to “go”.
That is a critical aspect of faith: to go. To go beyond what we understand, to go beyond what we see, to go beyond our doubts and fears. Jesus is calling his people to go! But we are not left alone in our journey; Jesus gives us “Go-Power!”
Worship song titles and composers:
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS precedes worship
October 1, 2017, 10:30am, worship
SERMON: THE GLORY OF GOD–DISCRETELY REVEALED
Communion and Special Choir Music
The Wedding at Cana is the first “sign” of God’s Glory revealed through Jesus in the Gospel of John. But it isn’t what we might expect. No one is healed or fed. No large group is in awe of Christ’s act, only his mother, the disciples, and the servants who collected the water (and it was a lot of water, probably between 120-180 gallons!) The head steward, who is amazed by the quality of the wine, chastises the groom for not bringing it out earlier. He clearly doesn’t have a clue where it came from. But those closest to Jesus in this encounter know and they “believe.”
What do they believe? Do they see him as a miracle worker, similar to the Greek myth of Dionysus, who was the Greek god of grapes and wine? That story of Dionysus turning water to wine was a favorite around the Mediterranean back then. But this is different. The text says that this “revealed his glory.”
Do you take time to be close to Jesus and witness the “Glory of God”? Do you notice God’s glory in the simple, everyday acts of kindness? Do you see God at work in you as a collaborator in God’s Glory on this earth? Do you take the time to cultivate that sense of awe and joy so you can share in the grander glory of God? Perhaps the Wedding at Cana is an invitation to do just that.
The First Baptist Church Choir returns this morning. Guest vocalists will be performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns, and edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem.
Song titles and composers for this Sunday:
- Psalm 100 by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaL_VeHil6U - Christ Is Enough by Jonas Myrin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZ-tBR7LJ0 - Unbroken Praise by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpvJDyLI07M
- Above All by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQqdMt0NNQ
A nutrition educator from Eat Smart New York, Rebecca Radachy, will be on hand to give a brief presentation about Nourish Your Neighbor, an educational food drive initiative that encourages donations of healthy foods. Colorful grocery bags with shopping lists of suggested food items will be distributed to everyone in the congregation in anticipation of the food drive for the church's mission, Putting Families First: Food, Faith & a Future. The drive begins October 8 and concludes October 29.
October 8, 2017, 10:30am
CALLED AGAINST DISTORTION
Scriptures: Exodus 20:1-7, John 2:13-25
Jesus came to the Jerusalem temple and he looked all around. He came there because the temple is the citadel of meaning in that society, the symbolic expression of all that is true and good and beautiful, the ultimate hope and desire of God’s people for the presence of God. He did not like what he saw—a total distortion reflecting nothing of God’s hopes and desires for humanity living in covenantal, loving community. The temple had become a breeding ground for political power rearranging deeply held values trivialized by greedy, exploitative practices. The core of their faith hollowed out by aggressive commercial transactions. Jesus acted decisively against the distortion.
This Sunday, I want to think with you about the distorted society we find ourselves in where deep and sacred things are co-opted into ambitious self-advancement and the role of the church in the midst of such distortion. People who depart the life of distortion find themselves reconnecting to who they were made to be.
“The news is that God is calling us.
The news is that the world waits in hope;
The news is that our lives can be made new,
because the one who is foolish and weak and poor
is risen and invites us to his new life.”
--Walter Brueggemann
Worship song titles and composers for this upcoming Sunday:
- For All You've Done by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbkLBwhqx_I - Better Is One Day by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5e3FynMX_4 - You Are My All In All by Dennis Jernigan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU
- Agnus Dei by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFzxazTQNM
October 15, 2017, 10:30am
COULD IT BE?
Scriptures: Psalm 121, John 3:1-17
For the next two Sundays Pastor Tim is preaching a mini-two part sermon series comparing the encounters of the wealthy, leader, connected Pharisee, Nicodemus and the outcast Samaritan Woman scratching out a living. These two stories are near each other in John’s Gospel, implying dramatic contrasts.
Nicodemus approaches Jesus on his own initiative, but Jesus takes the initiative to ask the woman at the well for a drink. Nicodemus comes at night. Jesus arrives at noon. Nicodemus is a respected leader in the community. The Samaritan woman is marginalized even in her own community. Jesus points Nicodemus to the uncontrollable nature of the Spirit using the image of wind and offers the woman the deep well waters of the Spirit.
We wonder along with Nicodemus in our bewilderment, our hope, our doubts: Could it be, that simple to be reborn – innocent, vulnerable, dependent – open to the wind of the Spirit? We discover alongside the Samaritan Woman at the well, the joy and freedom Christ offers to us in his big yes of his acceptance, compassion and love.
Worship song titles and composers:
- Beautiful One by Jeremy Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9bC9CRv9oU - Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLMpbaysw_w - Cornerstone by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI
- Lord Reign In Me by Brenton Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro9U3fJDrQQ
October 22, 2017, 10:30am
THE BIG YES!
Psalm 95, John 4:5-42
We conclude Pastor Tim’s mini-two part sermon series comparing the encounters of the wealthy, leader, connected Pharisee, Nicodemus and the outcast Samaritan Woman scratching out a living. These two stories are near each other in John’s Gospel, implying dramatic contrasts.
Nicodemus approaches Jesus on his own initiative, but Jesus takes the initiative to ask the woman at the well for a drink. Nicodemus comes at night. Jesus arrives at noon. Nicodemus is a respected leader in the community. The Samaritan woman is marginalized even in her own community. Jesus points Nicodemus to the uncontrollable nature of the Spirit using the image of wind and offers the woman the deep well waters of the Spirit.
We wonder along with Nicodemus in our bewilderment, our hope, our doubts: Could it be, that simple to be reborn – innocent, vulnerable, dependent – open to the wind of the Spirit? We discover alongside the Samaritan Woman at the well, the joy and freedom Christ offers to us in his big yes of his acceptance, compassion and love.
Worship song titles and composers:
- Hear Our Praises by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c94kMA5IgKo - Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqybaIesbuA - 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM
Song of response:
- Step By Step by David Strasser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF2pSvB-ztI
October 29, 2017, 10:30am
GO POWER!
Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25, John 4:43-54
In the second “sign” out of seven in the Gospel of John, Jesus told the royal official, when he asked him to come and save his son, “Go; your son will live.” And the man believed even though he did not see for himself. Similar to turning the water to wine at the Cana wedding, this is another discrete miracle. No one gathered saw the healing of this boy, but only later did the father realize that his son began to feel better at the hour Jesus told him to “go”.
That is a critical aspect of faith: to go. To go beyond what we understand, to go beyond what we see, to go beyond our doubts and fears. Jesus is calling his people to go! But we are not left alone in our journey; Jesus gives us “Go-Power!”
Worship song titles and composers:
- Lion and the Lamb by Leeland Mooring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ujBoud26k - Here I Am to Worship by Tim Hughes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxopsRSfdU - How Deep the Father's Love for Us by Stuart Townend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVabwSumMrs
- Step By Step by David Strasser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF2pSvB-ztI
September 2017 services
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September 3, 10:30am
Worship, Communion, Special Choir Music RISE, KILL, EAT Scriptures: Leviticus 11:1-23, Acts 10:9-16 At first glance, this sermon title may seem a little gruesome. (Or a lot! “Rise, Kill, Eat”, seriously? Is this some graphic take on violence with a Game of Thrones reference thrown in?) Whatever appears to be going on here, it seems to be a far cry from the kinder, gentler “Eat, Pray, Love” popularization of the spiritual search for meaning, romance, and food depicted by Julia Roberts in the film adaptation in 2010 of the popular book by the same name. We close our summer sermon series on the book of Acts with God’s challenging vision to Peter to reimagine what God has made clean. In this particular case, it’s food. Keeping kosher food laws did and remains a distinctive characteristic of being Jewish. But this passage goes beyond simply dietary restrictions to the very nature of God’s covenant promises to the world. Jesus was brought into our world for the whole world. So any tribal custom should never be a wall to a genuine relation with Christ. We are called and equipped to make disciples of all nations and that means breaking down barriers. The Gentiles (specifically Cornelius, a Roman centurion) who were eager to learn more about Christ struggled with cultural conformity to Judaism. It was a barrier to Christ that God intended to break. This vision of the clean animals is about bringing that barrier down once and for all. So as Peter was told to “Rise, Kill, Eat”, we each should rise to the call of radical community, kill the perceptions that keep us apart, and eat at the new table fellowship of God! The First Baptist Church Choir returns this morning. Guest vocalists will be performing original arrangements of contemporary worship songs, singing beautiful hymns, and edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem. Worship song titles and composers:
September 10, 10:30am Rally Day and Church Cookout SERMON: HERE FOR GOOD Blessing of the Backpacks Scripture: John 1:1-18 We are beginning a year-long sermon exploration of the Gospel of John this Sunday. So we start at the beginning, the very beginning –“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This gospel has no sentimental birth narratives like Matthew or Luke, but instead makes a theological, spiritual claim that Jesus (the Word) was with and is God. This is one of the most profound statements in the later remarkable understanding of the early Church of God as Trinity, Three and One. God is here, God’s been here for a long time, actually before time itself existed, at the “beginning” God already was. God is here for good. So this scripture speaks to us about our purpose and meaning in life. We, as followers of this eternal Christ, are "HERE FOR GOOD!“ We are HERE – for such a time as this. No to retreat from the world, but to enter in and be present, to embrace the world as it is and be a “light to the nations.” We are FOR – advocates for those who the world considers the “least of these.” We genuinely love those who are different, because they are God’s handy work, the evidence of God’s artistic skill and beauty. Leading us to GOOD – To often “the Good” and God are not seen as connected. Is that God’s fault or ours? The failure of a “good” response by the biggest church in America in the wake of the Harvey floods in Houston only reinforce what many already believe about the church. As we look at the Gospel of John this coming 2017-2018 year, we will be reminded again and again that Jesus is the fullest revelation of God’s heart. A good heart, where God and goodness are evident to all. There will be times when we fail to be good, we fail to reveal God to the world. So, for the coming year we, as an imperfect congregation in God’s grace, strive to be HERE, to be FOR, leading us to GOOD. Will you join us for this grace filled adventure to be a generous expression of Christian faith? The world needs you now, more than ever! “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” - John 1:16 Worship song titles and composers::
September 17, 10:30am WHAT IS A TESTIMONY? It has certainly been a trying year for our nation and world. With storms of Harvey and Irma as well as the storms of racial hatred demonstrated in Charlottesville, and the geo-political storm escalation of nuclear war threats on the Korean peninsula. It is clear that we live in scary times. What do we do in sure times of turbulence? Where do we turn? As we continue to look at the Gospel of John, we find that John the Baptist is being turned to as a sign of hope in troubled times. But he doesn’t take this responsibility upon himself, but instead gives a testimony to “the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” A “testimony” is a story. More specifically, your story! John’s story is one of being a “voice in the wilderness.” Not being caught up in the hype and the adoration that many had heaped upon him, but doing the work of his calling – “preparing the way of the Lord!” What is your story? What are you preparing for? Come and hear and be encouraged to find your story, your testimony! Song titles and composers:
September 24, 10:30am COME AND SEE Scripture: Psalm 40:1-11 Our text this week is when Jesus calls his first disciples. Leaving John the Baptist upon hearing him recognize Jesus as the “Lamb of God”, they ask where Jesus is “staying.” Jesus’ response is one for all his disciples, “Come and See.” Faith in Christ is lifelong journey. Jesus is not one that “stays” in one place long. He values vulnerable, intimate relationships over institutional rigidness. Becoming a disciple of Christ is best done through experiencing Christ. So we, like the disciples are beckoned to “Come and See.” Where does the adventure of faith lead, only God knows, but I know it will be a lot better than Nathanael imagined could come out of Nazareth – “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Jesus’ response remained, “Come and See.” Are you brave enough to do likewise? Make no mistake, the journey of faith takes courage to make each step. I may not know where you’ve been, but answering the call to “Come and See” Jesus is a step in the right direction, one in which you won’t regret, one in which, “You will see greater things than these.” Is it possible? Well, you just have to “Come and See.” Worship song titles and composers:
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![Painting by Domenico Fetti [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](/uploads/1/2/6/5/12658275/editor/domenico-fetti-peter-s-vision-of-a-sheet-with-animals-kunsthistorisches-museum-wien.jpg?1502304347)
Peter's Vision of a Sheet with Animals, painting by Domenico Fetti [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Blessing of the Backpacks will be part of this worship service.
Church cookout after worship. Grilled hot dogs and hamburgers are provided. Bring a favorite dish to share.
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August 2017 services
All August worship services are in Wilson House
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August 6
Guest pastor Tamara Kabemba will preach (Pastor Tim on vacation) Worship song titles and composers:
August 13 FATIGUE COMPASSION Worship and Communion Scripture: Isaiah 49:5-8, Matthew 14:1-21 We’ve all heard of “Compassion Fatigue” and maybe some of us have experienced it. It’s commonly characterized as a gradual lessening of compassion over time by an individual due to being overwhelmed by the needs seen and displayed in the media. Jesus became fatigued as well. When he heard that John the Baptist had been executed, “he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart.” (Matthew 14:13) Jesus was sad and needed to get away from the concerns of others to be by himself. But, he did not let this lessen his compassion, but in fact, this fatigue he felt fueled his compassion for the needy crowds as they followed him. He healed and fed them. You see, in the Greek, “compassion” meant a gut wrenching action due to their understanding of the bodily home for love and pity being your stomach and intestines. So, you see, it takes guts to be compassionate today as it did in Jesus’ day! Let us not let our compassion get fatigued as if it were some emotional response outside of us, but let the grief and sorrow and fatigue that we all feel from time to time fuel our compassion as Jesus did. Worship song titles and composers:
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 Pastor Benny Custodio
August 20
SERMON: COME AND SEE Guest pastor Benny Custodio Scripture: John 1:43-51 Worship song titles and composers:
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 Dr. Sarah Drummond
August 27
SERMON: CHRIST'S PARTNERS Dr. Sarah Drummond II Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Jesus was born and raised by parents in a community. He had a world-transforming ministry, died and was risen, and along the way cultivated the leadership of disciples who carried his ministry forward to this very day. Why, with all these profound truths evident in our tradition and scriptures, do we resort to Hallmark-card sentimentality when speaking of the relationship between Jesus and human beings? Read more about sermon. Dr. Drummond is Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs & Professor of Ministerial Leadership at Andover Newton Theological School. Biographical Information. Worship song titles and composers:
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July 2017 services
July 2
FROM BREATHING THREATS AND DESTRUCTION TO BREATHS OF LIFE AND INVITATION
Communion by Intinction
Psalm 40, Acts 9:1-19
Worship song titles and composers:
July 9
WAITING FOR THE PUNCHLINE
Psalm 22:25-31, Acts 8:26-40
My daughter loves to tell jokes and riddles. She reads them to me from her monthly Highlights Magazine. She even likes to make up her own. Sometimes they work, and sometimes... not so much, but they bring a laugh regardless!
Today’s passage in Acts 8 has three characters (a Jewish disciple of Jesus–Phillip, a wealthy Ethiopian Eunuch and the Holy Spirit). I firmly believe that God has a sense of humor and I’ve have been conditioned to wait for the punchline in this passage as these three “walk into the proverbial bar”.
Phillip is so open to the Spirit of God, that he puts aside his agenda for the day and goes where the Spirit has him go. The Ethiopian Eunuch is wealthy enough to ride in a chariot, educated enough to read Greek, devout enough to study Isaiah, and most importantly, humble enough to know when he cannot understand the text without help.
And then we have the third character in our little play, the Holy Spirit who creates an “accidental encounter” between these two that changes their lives and underscores the nature of God to share the Good News with the whole world, with no exceptions. We, the church, are the punchline we’ve been waiting for to be the hilariously, generous Body of Christ of radical inclusion that the world is ready for. Are you ready to be moved by the Holy Spirit?
Worship song titles and composers:
July 16
DO NOT HARM YOURSELF FOR WE ARE ALL HERE
Psalm 97, Acts 16:16-35
Worship song titles and composers:
July 23
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD
Psalm 66:8-20, Acts 17:22-31
Paul was in Athens observing the objects of worship when he came upon an inscription "to an unknown God." Like a good preacher, Paul took that opening and spoke of what was acknowledged as "unknown" as Christ. In many regards, the first century is very similar to emerging 21st century: many gods and many cultures with the same questions of meaning and purpose for life. Paul takes the natural curiosity of the Greek people and demonstrates God's loving narrative and how God's work is unfolding in their world. Today, we have the same questions and hungers. As Christians, we have the greatest story of God's redeeming love, but we need to follow Paul's example of being creative in telling it!
Worship song titles and composers:
July 30
Guest pastor Larry Milliken will preach
THE HANDS OF OUR LORD
Worship song titles and composers:
FROM BREATHING THREATS AND DESTRUCTION TO BREATHS OF LIFE AND INVITATION
Communion by Intinction
Psalm 40, Acts 9:1-19
Worship song titles and composers:
- For All You've Done by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbkLBwhqx_I - Forever Reign by Morgan Reuben
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f3sNiYpuF4 - Psalm 62 by Aaron Keyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSp-3kvKQZs
- Mighty To Save by Ben Fielding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y
July 9
WAITING FOR THE PUNCHLINE
Psalm 22:25-31, Acts 8:26-40
My daughter loves to tell jokes and riddles. She reads them to me from her monthly Highlights Magazine. She even likes to make up her own. Sometimes they work, and sometimes... not so much, but they bring a laugh regardless!
Today’s passage in Acts 8 has three characters (a Jewish disciple of Jesus–Phillip, a wealthy Ethiopian Eunuch and the Holy Spirit). I firmly believe that God has a sense of humor and I’ve have been conditioned to wait for the punchline in this passage as these three “walk into the proverbial bar”.
Phillip is so open to the Spirit of God, that he puts aside his agenda for the day and goes where the Spirit has him go. The Ethiopian Eunuch is wealthy enough to ride in a chariot, educated enough to read Greek, devout enough to study Isaiah, and most importantly, humble enough to know when he cannot understand the text without help.
And then we have the third character in our little play, the Holy Spirit who creates an “accidental encounter” between these two that changes their lives and underscores the nature of God to share the Good News with the whole world, with no exceptions. We, the church, are the punchline we’ve been waiting for to be the hilariously, generous Body of Christ of radical inclusion that the world is ready for. Are you ready to be moved by the Holy Spirit?
Worship song titles and composers:
- Beautiful One by Jeremy Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9bC9CRv9oU - Stronger by Ben Fielding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLnJfMMGoAY - As The Deer by Martin J. Nystrom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70
- Sanctuary by Randy Rothwell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxB9VH3cCN4
July 16
DO NOT HARM YOURSELF FOR WE ARE ALL HERE
Psalm 97, Acts 16:16-35
Worship song titles and composers:
- Hear Our Praises by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c94kMA5IgKo - How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE - Lord I Need You by Matt Maher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA
- Agnus Dei by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFzxazTQNM
July 23
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD
Psalm 66:8-20, Acts 17:22-31
Paul was in Athens observing the objects of worship when he came upon an inscription "to an unknown God." Like a good preacher, Paul took that opening and spoke of what was acknowledged as "unknown" as Christ. In many regards, the first century is very similar to emerging 21st century: many gods and many cultures with the same questions of meaning and purpose for life. Paul takes the natural curiosity of the Greek people and demonstrates God's loving narrative and how God's work is unfolding in their world. Today, we have the same questions and hungers. As Christians, we have the greatest story of God's redeeming love, but we need to follow Paul's example of being creative in telling it!
Worship song titles and composers:
- Lion and the Lamb by Leeland Mooring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ujBoud26k - Greater by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfYQwd0GQIk - Thy Word by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1LAc5DSCU
- Agnus Dei by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFzxazTQNM
July 30
Guest pastor Larry Milliken will preach
THE HANDS OF OUR LORD
Worship song titles and composers:
- Praise Him! Praise Him! by Chester G. Allen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfBqZktPvME - Better Is One Day by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5e3FynMX_4 - You Are My All In All by Dennis Jernigan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU
- Take My Life and Let It Be by Henry A. César Malan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ93HVuYd5Y
June 2017 services
June 4, 11am
PENTECOST: JOINT SERVICE WITH MISIÓN BAUTISTA
AND COMMUNION
Worship song titles and composers:
June 11, 10:30am
CUT TO THE HEART
Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Have you ever been “cut to the heart” when someone speaks? Maybe it was a scene in a movie, a line in a book, something you heard that just rang true for you.
In this Sunday’s text, immediately following the amazing act of the Holy Spirit being unleashed upon the world through the followers of Christ, Peter suddenly finds his voice and “cuts to the heart” of the matter.
When I have heard or read something that cuts me to the heart, I know that I need to respond. I just have to do something. My heart demands it! Peter, even though he vowed to stand by Jesus (Luke 22:33), would deny Jesus three times as predicted.
Few knew the conviction of guilt more than Peter. However, for this very reason he also knows the profound goodness of the good news! God’s love overcomes human betrayal! God’s love cuts to the heart of the matter: you are loved and nothing can separate you form the love of God. Now we got to do something about that reality!
Worship song titles and composers:
PENTECOST: JOINT SERVICE WITH MISIÓN BAUTISTA
AND COMMUNION
Worship song titles and composers:
- Espíritu de Dios Llena mi Vida
- Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLMpbaysw_w - Recibiréis Poder
- El Espíritu de Dios Está en Este Lugar
June 11, 10:30am
CUT TO THE HEART
Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Have you ever been “cut to the heart” when someone speaks? Maybe it was a scene in a movie, a line in a book, something you heard that just rang true for you.
In this Sunday’s text, immediately following the amazing act of the Holy Spirit being unleashed upon the world through the followers of Christ, Peter suddenly finds his voice and “cuts to the heart” of the matter.
When I have heard or read something that cuts me to the heart, I know that I need to respond. I just have to do something. My heart demands it! Peter, even though he vowed to stand by Jesus (Luke 22:33), would deny Jesus three times as predicted.
Few knew the conviction of guilt more than Peter. However, for this very reason he also knows the profound goodness of the good news! God’s love overcomes human betrayal! God’s love cuts to the heart of the matter: you are loved and nothing can separate you form the love of God. Now we got to do something about that reality!
Worship song titles and composers:
- All Are Welcome by Marty Haugen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sba9cHv9TG8 - Christ Is Enough by Jonas Myrin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZ-tBR7LJ0 - Cornerstone by Reuben Morgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI
- Draw Me Close by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbW5649wDY
June 18: FATHER'S DAY & CHURCH PICNIC
WORSHIP, 10:30am; SERMON: What Can Awe Do for You?
Church Picnic follows worship.
Psalm 103, Acts 2:42-47
Worship song titles and composers for this upcoming Sunday:
June 25, 10:30am
HOLY DETERMINATION
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, Acts 7:55-60
This week we jump from Acts 2 to Acts 7. The church is growing in the face of political opposition and the martyrdom of Stephen propels it even further as the infant church shows a holy determination that is not of its own doing. The first Christian martyr ignites in the faithful magnetic qualities of hope and love. What passions is God waiting to ignite in you?
Worship song titles and composers for this Sunday:
WORSHIP, 10:30am; SERMON: What Can Awe Do for You?
Church Picnic follows worship.
Psalm 103, Acts 2:42-47
Worship song titles and composers for this upcoming Sunday:
- Your Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wN-fspKg1Q - Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqybaIesbuA - 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
- Awakening by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_J9BI6AFO0
June 25, 10:30am
HOLY DETERMINATION
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, Acts 7:55-60
This week we jump from Acts 2 to Acts 7. The church is growing in the face of political opposition and the martyrdom of Stephen propels it even further as the infant church shows a holy determination that is not of its own doing. The first Christian martyr ignites in the faithful magnetic qualities of hope and love. What passions is God waiting to ignite in you?
Worship song titles and composers for this Sunday:
- Psalm 100 by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaL_VeHil6U - Here I Am To Worship by Tim Hughes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxopsRSfdU - How Deep The Father's Love For Us by Stuart Townend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVabwSumMrs
- All The Way My Savior Leads Me by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvi1UM_4YcM
May 2017 services
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Sunday, May 7, 10:30am
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE? Scripture: Psalm 130, Luke 13:10-21 “What is the Kingdom of God like?” Jesus asks what is on all our hearts. What does it mean to live in God’s Reign? Jesus compares it to the smallest of seeds or the fermentation process of making bread (yeast). Things you can’t see with the naked eye but are nonetheless at work in the world bringing about God’s Kingdom of faith, hope, and love. The amazing thing is that God gives us the possibility and responsibility to being that catalyst for total transformation! You want to change the world? Start right where you are, with you, in this moment, God has not abandoned you. God is gently nudging you toward the Kingdom – God’s desire for your life and our world together. The result is dawning around us, yet not fully visible, but promises to be beyond our wildest imaginations. Thanks be to God! Worship song titles and composers:
Sunday, May 14, 10:30am WHERE LOVE RESIDES: "O LORD, HEAR" (RIGHT HERE) Scripture: Daniel 9:17-19, Luke 17:20-21 The book of Daniel is one of the most fascinating and difficult to fathom today in all the Hebrew Scriptures. The last five chapters are wild visions of God’s decisive action breaking into our world. God is listening to God’s people. God’s face is shining upon the “desolated sanctuary” of the Babylonian Captivity of the Israelites. The writer in Daniel Chapter 9 is praying intensely for God to hear, forgive, listen, and act. Pastor Tim will explore this four-fold prayer: Hearing implies a personal presence, forgiveness leads to healing, listening brings understanding, and God’s action provides abiding hope. It all begins with God’s presence, where Love resides in this moment, the kingdom of God is among you! “Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say. ‘Look, here it is!’ or 'There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” —Luke 17:20-21 Worship song titles and composers:
Sunday, May 21, 10:30am THE PARABLE OF WELCOME Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:19-33, Luke 15:11-32 This week’s Sermon comes from the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is crucial to remember that what prompted this parable (and the others immediately preceding it) was the Pharisees criticizing Jesus for eating with “sinners.” Timothy Keller says that Jesus’ purpose in this parable “was not to warm our hearts, but to shatter our categories.” Our focus tends to cling to the younger brother who seeks to live life on his own terms with his greedy grab for his inheritance which of course we know, comes to a crashing end. Then there’s the older brother who has done “everything right” and responds to his father’s joy over reuniting with the younger brother with anger. As reunion feast ensues, the older brother remains outside, in the dark, unwilling to go in with a feeling of betrayal by the father. So the father, once again, goes to the older son and beacons him to come in. In that moment, he finds himself as far from the father as the yonder brother was in the pig pen eating animal scraps. When Jesus taught this parable, there are two groups near Jesus at the time. First were the tax collectors and sinners and the second was made up of Pharisees and teachers of the law. The tax collectors and various other “sinners” corresponded to the younger brother—people who had left traditional morality of their families and social connections and engaged in what others would consider “wild living.” The religious leaders, on the other hand, were represented by the older brother—the morally obedient who never turned from the traditional culture and religion. Whereas the first group seeks God through some kind of self-discovery, the second seeks God through a type of moral conformity. Jesus’ message to them and to us is that both approaches fall short. The power of the parable is in knowing the joyous, extravagant welcome of the father. The “Parable of Welcome” invites you to come where you are loved, forgiven, re-adopted and a party is thrown just for you. Welcome home! Why? Because that’s who God is … “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:32 Worship song titles and composers:
Sunday, May 28, 10:30am WANTED! LOST SOULS Scriptures: Isaiah 58:1-12, Luke 19:1-10 Jesus came to save the lost: lost sheep, lost coins, lost sons, rich rulers, the superficially enthusiastic, the spiritually blind, and the lifetime Christians who have sat on a pew for so long that they have lost their sense of wonder at it all. The story of Zacchaeus is a reminder that when Jesus calls to us by our name, will we be free to ponder on the moment of who he is or be so distracted by life’s busyness or be itching to ridicule and complain that such people are welcomed by God? God does not judge as humans judge. Those who were enraged by Jesus eating with Zacchaeus failed to see how “lost” they already were. Worship song titles and composers:
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April 2017 services
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Sunday, April 2, 10:30am
5th Sunday of Lent, Communion TEACH US TO PRAY Scripture: Luke 11:1-13 Prayer is one of the most simple and difficult things you will ever experience. How many things are both simple and difficult at the same time? Jesus’ disciples asked a great question in Luke 11 and Jesus’ response here is different from the more commonly recited “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Whereas Matthew is primarily focused on end-time ramifications of God, here, Luke is dealing with the daily difficulty of faithfully journeying with God. Here, we must remember the Temptation of Christ in the wilderness, back in Luke 4. Where Jesus faced the temptations of the material world, power, and status, Jesus teaches us to pray with those three temptations on our minds, in reverse—“hallowed be your name” (status)—“your kingdom come” (power)—“give us our daily bread” (material). Then we can forgive, not to coerce God into a transactional forgiving of us, but as a lived expression of our trust in God being met by God’s loving mercy toward us. The final expression of Jesus’ teaching prayer is not a plea for God not to mislead us, but as wee remember the temptation, we see the Holy Spirit guiding Christ into the wilderness where he was tempted. Being faithful to God is no guarantee that we will not face trials, but it is a promise of God’s sustaining presence in the midst of struggle. This portion is such a fundamental prayer that he will evoke it upon his disciples again at the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:40, 46). Teach us to pray? Oh, how simple and difficult it is. Talking to God, sharing our struggles, leaning into the Spirit no matter the circumstance—that is what it means for the Community of God to pray. Worship song titles and composers:
Palm Sunday, April 9, 10:30am SHOUTING STONES Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, Luke 19:28-40 Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem is what we celebrate on Palm Sunday. Where the great crowds bear witness to his Kingship, his authority, his message of faith, hope, and love. I have always been struck by Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, who are only worried about proper decorum and religious observance, telling Jesus to quiet his excited disciples. His comeback is “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would shout out!” Jesus is Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Nothing will stop the fullness of the people’s adoration and praise in this moment! If we were there and were able to keep quiet, would we have felt the paving beneath our feet begin to move and stony mouths yawning open to voice praises? “Stones” play an interesting role in Luke. In Luke 3:8, because it is such stones as these that God is able to “raise up children to Abraham.” A stone is offered to tempt Jesus’ relationship to the material world in the wilderness of chapter 4 - “command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” The stones in Luke are metaphors for vice and possibility, temptation and hallelujahs. The question for our ears becomes, how much more is God able, how much more does God want, to raise up children of Abraham out of our stoned hearts? Your stoned heartedness can be forgiven and corrected. Your stoned heartedness can be empowered and commissioned just as he did with the disciples. Will you allow Jesus to work in and through you or will that privilege pass you by? Worship song titles and composers:
Thursday, April 13, 7pm MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE Easter Sunday, April 16, 6:14am SUNRISE SERVICE AND BREAKFAST A joint worship service on the lawn with Misión Bautista. Breakfast in Wilson House follows the service. Easter Sunday, April 16, 10:30am FROM SORROW TO HEARTS BURNING WITHIN! Scripture: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, Luke 24:1-35 Luke’s telling of the Emmaus Road story was well known to early Christians. Luke places it at the climax of his gospel, the first encounter with the risen Christ. This journey to Emmaus with two disciples has been countlessly reflected upon by the faithful. This passage is moving from their sorrow and imperceptions, through joyful recognition, and ultimately to eager and urgent proclamation. All this happening along the road, today, we too are on a journey with God through sorrow and joy. Easter is about recognizing that God is alive and active in our lives and desires to set our hearts on fire! To welcome the stranger, love the enemy, to break down the barriers that keep us apart and create real connections of lasting hope! Join us as we celebrate Easter Sunday with special choir music! Guest vocalists will be singing a number of beautiful hymns, edifying the congregation with a powerful choral anthem, and giving a thrilling performance of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. Worship song titles and composers for Easter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBZ7AfZR9xs Sunday, April 23, 10:30am WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE? Scripture: Psalm 16, Luke 12:22-34 Are you a “worrywart”? Do you tend to dwell on difficulties or troubles? Not to be dismissive of legitimate concerns that we all have, but Jesus has some good news for you the occasional worrier to the chronic one! All that worry, that general feeling of anxiety, that guilt we hold inside can be let go. Truly! It doesn’t add a second to your life, in fact research shows that it ends our lives prematurely. Just like we looked at the encounter of the nameless disciples with Jesus on the Emmaus Road, Christ is longing for a relationship with you. When we share our hurts and fears with God in prayer, it lightens the load. We begin to reach out, know that we are not alone. We learn that we are loved, forgiven, empowered to share this hope with others. Jesus points us to consider the care that God gives to the birds and the lilies of the filed. How much more does God love you? (That’s a rhetorical question!) So, the thought that Jesus gives us to ponder is about where you keep your treasure—that which is most dear to you, that which occupies your thoughts and desires. Where do you keep these dear “things” because that is where your heart is. Jesus desperately wants our hearts on God. That treasure will never “wear out, no thief can steal, no moth can destroy.” Worship song titles and composers :
Sunday, April 30, 10:30am GOD'S STATUS REPORT: EXALT THE LOWLY Scripture: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, Luke 14:7-24 One of the great temptations for Christ in the wilderness was status (the other two were the relationship to the material world and power). In our passage for this week in Luke, Jesus gives a commentary on what he sees as the vain strivings for status and recognition going on around him. He then goes on to tell the parable of “The Great Dinner” to underscore his point. This is where many were invited to a banquet, all made excuses, so the master of the story has his servants canvass the streets and bring in all the poor, crippled, blind and lame. Seeing there is still room, the master tells the servants to extend their reach out into the country side “so that my House may be filled.” Instead of worrying about our position and seat at “the table”, start with humility. Begin your day with an unpretentious self-assessment. Why? Because that is the starting point for being able to perceive the presence of divine power and for proper appreciation of the amazing grace of having been invited and of being present. How much more can one be overcome as the awesome majesty of God exalts “the lowly” by receiving them, embracing them, and escorting the humble to the table reserved for family. God longs for you to be seated at The Table. Worship song titles and composers:
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