Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This week, we will celebrate the final Sunday of the Easter season, and the last of our sermon series, And There Christ Will Meet You. As we reflect on the story of Jesus' appearance to his disciples in the locked room, we'll wrestle with our cultural understandings of certainty and doubt, and the ways the gift of resurrection fundamentally alters our living. The Risen Christ meets us where we are, and calls us to engage the world in new (and sometimes frightening) ways. Sermon on John 20:19-31, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on June 1st, 2025.

Today, we turn to the book of Revelation, a prophetic and apocalyptic text filled with powerful imagery that helps us resist sin in the world. We'll explore what it means to be a church of resistance, shaped by a shared vision. As Christ guides our vision for communal life, we discover the blessing of Christ's presence, not only in our worship but in the streets of our city. Sermon on Revelation 21:10, 22 - 22:5, delivered by the Reverend Courtnay Veazey on May 25th, 2025.

This morning, we continue our Eastertide sermon series, And There Christ Will Meet You. Pastor Joshua will lead us as we meet Christ along with Mary Magdalene in the Garden on Easter morning. Though initially unable to recognize Jesus in her midst at first, it is through hearing the voice of Jesus that Mary comes to recognize the Savior's presence. We'll explore together how we hear, see, and experience God in spaces where we don't expect and in that way learn to trust God in every season. Sermon on John 20:11-18, delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on May 18th, 2025.

Today, we continue in the Gospel of John as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. As we celebrate the third offering in our sermon series And There Christ Will Meet You, we will reflect on how God cares for, protects, guides, and calls us by name. In a world full of a cacophony of voices, we'll consider how to listen for the voice of our shepherd. Sermon on John 21:1-19, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on May 11th, 2025.

Today, we read of the risen Jesus meeting his disciples at the shoreline in the wake of their trauma and loss. Through this encounter, we'll reflect on how Jesus tends to the wounds we carry in our bodies and calls us into the healing work of shepherding others. Sermon on John 21:1-19, delivered by the Reverend Courtnay Veazey on May 4th, 2025.

Some of our high school seniors will be our preachers for the day while other youth will lead in liturgy and prayer. They will proclaim the Word based on Luke 24:13-35, the Road to Emmaus. We'll hear about confused and disheartened disciples grappling with Jesus' death and the stories floating around about his resurrection while talking with a stranger they met on the road. Much to their surprise, this stranger in their midst was their beloved messiah who was at work amongst them in ways they least expected. Our youth will ask us to consider how God is at work even when we can't see it. Sermons delivered by Noah Brooks, Claire Chauhan, Lydia Ford, Isabella Tamburrino, and Kate Wolfkill on Sunday, April 27, 2025.

On this Easter morning, we will come together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark's telling of the story will center our worship as we will hear of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome being alarmed by the scene they encounter upon arriving at Jesus' burial place. Not only has the stone been rolled away, but a young man dressed in white tells them that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that he is going ahead of them to Galilee. As we celebrate the miracle of Jesus' resurrection, we will reflect on the power of the gospel promise that Jesus goes ahead of us. Sermon on Mark 16:1-8, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on April 20th, 2025.

This morning, we will continue our Lenten series, The Seven Last Words of Jesus, by examining Jesus' last words from the Gospel of John, "I thirst." In these words, Jesus' humanity and divinity are on display, as well as the deep desire and faithfulness that brought him to those final moments. As we worship, we will reflect on the nature of faithfulness and how we bear witness to the pain and thirst of the world. Sermon on John 19:28-29, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on April 6th, 2025.

Sermon on Luke 23:44-46, delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025.

This morning, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, we will hear Jesus' words from the Gospel of John again. In John 19:30, after receiving the sour wine, Jesus said, "It is finished." Those standing at the foot of the cross would have certainly been confused. What exactly was finished? As we worship, we will explore the tension of Jesus' words spoken into our world and our lives. How is God's power made known in endings, and how do the words of our Lord prepare us for Holy Week? Sermon on John 19:30, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on April 13th, 2025.

This morning, as we mark the midpoint of our Lenten journey, we will hear Jesus' cry from the cross captured in the Gospel of Matthew, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Our Lord will express his sense of abandonment by recalling the words of the psalmist found in Psalm 22. As we worship, we will reflect on both the agonizing nature of abandonment and the purpose of the words Jesus chooses to express his heartbreak. Sermon on Matthew 27:45-46, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on March 30th, 2025.

As we mark the third Sunday of Lent, we will turn our attention to the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John. While he hangs on the cross, Jesus looks down to see the beloved disciple standing with his mother, Mary. Jesus says to Mary, "Woman, here is your son," and to the beloved disciple he says, "Here is your mother." As we worship, we will wrestle with the significance of Jesus naming a new relationship between his mother and the beloved disciple. The scripture lesson will teach us about the power of relationships born from the shared experience of Jesus. How does shared suffering bind us to one another, and how do the resurrecting power of God shape our relationships? Sermon on John 19:26-27, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on March 23, 2025.

Sunday Sermon: Seven Last Words: Today You Will Be With Me… by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, as we mark the first Sunday of Lent, we will embark on a new sermon series entitled The Seven Last Words of Christ. This series will allow us to examine the meaning and implications of the words that Jesus spoke while he was being crucified. Sermon delivered on Luke 23:33-38 by the Reverend David J. Powers on March 9th, 2025.

Sunday Sermon: Greatness of God by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - Do We See This Woman? by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - At Unexpected Times by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - Through Unexpected People by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - In Unexpected Places by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse will lead us as we continue to study the Gospel of Luke. In the opening verses of Luke 5, Jesus meets Peter after an unsuccessful night of fishing, and in their encounter, the trajectory of Peter's story changes. Together, we will sit with the hidden tensions competing in Peter's life, and we will see how Jesus's attention to those concerns shapes Peter to "go and do likewise" as a “fisher of people.” Sermon delivered on Luke 5:1-11 by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on January 26th, 2025.

Sunday Sermon: Concerning Mission by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Remembering Baptism by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

As we worship, we will wrestle with some important questions. What can we learn from how Jesus models faithfulness in this passage? What does it look like to seek Jesus with our whole hearts as a mother yearns for her child? What hope can we derive from the gospel's claim that even Jesus had room to grow and mature? Sermon delivered on Luke 2:41-52 by the Reverend David J. Powers on January 5th, 2025.

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - The Magi by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - Elizabeth & Mary by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - Sheperds & Angels by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, we inaugurate the season of Advent: the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus the Christ. A new sermon series called Holiday Gatherings will help shape our journey to the manger as we examine how God shows up in the world. We will begin the series by focusing on how God shows up through prophets. The prophetic witnesses of Jeremiah, Malachi, and Micah will help reveal unique dimensions of God's work while also pointing us to the oneness of the incarnational promise of God. The prophets want the people to know that, regardless of their current circumstances, God is up to something. They want the people to trust that God's work will soon take shape in the world and change it forever. In our worship, we will imagine how the incarnational promise holds enduring power to change our lives and the world.

Sunday Sermon - Are you the King? by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Concerning Calling by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

We will continue our exploration of the Narrative Lectionary by studying the familiar story of Jonah. While Jonah is most well-known for the three days and nights he spent in the belly of a fish, few remember why Jonah found himself in such a peculiar predicament. More than simply setting up the story of Jonah's fishy lodging place, the scripture lesson will teach us a great deal about both the beautiful and brutal dimensions of God's call. As we worship, we may find ourselves relating to Jonah, the sailors, the Ninevites, or potentially, each. Regardless of where we find ourselves this morning, Jonah's story has a powerful word to speak to each of us and God's world. Sermon delivered on Jonah 1:1-17 by the Reverend David J. Powers on November 10, 2024.

In 1 Kings 17:8-16, we meet a widow gathering supplies for what she believes to be the final meal of her life. While collecting sticks for a fire, the widow will meet Elijah who will, without regard for her plight, instruct her to bring him a cup of water and some bread. With resignation on her lips, the widow will explain her situation only to have him assure her that the few supplies she has will not be exhausted by his request. Scripture will affirm that her jar of meal was not emptied nor did her jug of oil fail. As we remember the great cloud of witnesses, we wrestle with how the widow's faithfulness through fear might teach us to live in anxious times. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on November 3, 2024.

Sunday Sermon: Concerning Dedication by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, we move from 1 Samuel into 2nd Samuel where we find King David. The former shepherd boy has been brought by God from pasture to palace. After hard fought victories, David looks around his lavish royal dwelling and desires to upgrade God's home from a tabernacle to a temple. God reminds David that it is grace not works that has brought David this far. It is by God's initiative alone that God will further bless David beyond what the new king can imagine. God does not want David to build a temple. In fact, God will build David a house that will last forever. From this dynasty the world will be made whole. Sermon delivered by Jeanene Mutchler on 2 Samuel 7:1-17 on October 20, 2024 (Children's Sunday).

As we worship, we meet Hannah, a woman of deep faith and expectation who lives with the pain of an unrealized prayer. Through the various responses Hannah receives from those around her - provoking, placating, and misjudging - we are invited to reflect on how we react to the pain of others. Specifically, how our reactions can be helpful and harmful to our friends and neighbors. Sermon on 1 Samuel 1:1-19, delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on October 13, 2024.

We draw to a close our Behind the Bulletin series by examining the final movement of worship - Send in God's Spirit. To delve deeper into the significance of this movement, being sent by God into the world, we study an early text from the Hebrew scriptures. From Genesis, we read the story of Abraham's family of origin and learn how God called Abraham's father to move from their homeland in Ur to the land of Canaan. Instead of traveling to Canaan, Abraham's father stopped and settled in the land of Haran. As we worship, we wrestle with lessons drawn from this often overlooked story. How does God call and send us now, and what are the implications of stopping short of fulfilling God's call? The Scripture lesson is Genesis 11:27-32; 12:1-9. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on October 6, 2024.

This morning, our sermon series will concentrate on what it means to Respond to God's Word. In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the image of a vine to describe his relationship to both God and his audience. Those who abide in him, Jesus teaches, bear much fruit. Jesus continues “my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.” As we unpack the text, we will reflect on what it means to abide in Jesus, and how abiding enables our faithful response to God. We will also contemplate what to do about those “branches” in our lives which no longer produce good fruit. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers from John 15:1-11 on September 29, 2024.

We continue our sermon series by turning to the second movement of worship: Proclaim God's Word. 2 Timothy will help center our time as we hear the encouragement of scripture to “proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching.” Through our study, we will wrestle with what it means to receive the proclamation of God's word, especially how it convinces, rebukes, and encourages us in our discipleship of Jesus Christ. Moreover, how God's word, read and proclaimed, prepares us to carry Good News into the world. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 will guide and inspire our worship. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on September 22, 2024.

We begin a new sermon series entitled Behind the Bulletin. Over the next four Sundays, we will delve into the four movements of our worship: gather, proclaim, respond, and send. Many of us know that the Presbyterian order of worship is meant to mirror the life of Christian faith, but few of us have taken time to examine the significance of the connection. Whether you are a lifelong Idlewilder or new to the Presbyterian tradition, we invite you to be open to what a simple subject like our bulletin might teach us. We believe that God will have a word for each of us throughout this series. We will begin by examining what it means to “Gather in God's Name.” The epistle to the Hebrews will center our worship as we will hear the encouragement of the author to the early church to gather together and through their gathering, provoke one another to love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:19-25 will guide and inspire our worship. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on September 15, 2024.

We turn our focus to the epistle of James as we reflect on the relationship between our faith and our action. The bulk of the letter centers on the connection between what the faithful believe and what they do, arguing that separation between the two fails to live into the greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” As we reflect on our own faith journey, scripture once again invites us to wrestle with a central question of the Reformed Tradition, the relationship between faith and works. Scripture Lesson: James 2:1-10; 14-17 Sermon delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on September 8, 2024.

This sermon is centered around Wisdom's Feast, which opens the ninth chapter of Proverbs. The text personifies God's Wisdom as a woman – expanding how we speak of, describe, and understand our loving, triune God. Courtnay will invite us to be present with Wisdom at her table as preparation for thoughtful and intentional engagement with God's work in the world as the body of Christ. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Courtnay Veazey on September 1, 2024.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul introduces the image of the Body of Christ, and throughout several of his letters, he uses it to describe the ways in which all of God's children are related and lovingly bound to each other. As followers of Christ, even though we know the significance of the Body, we often fail to recognize what contributes to its growth and deterioration. As we receive the Vision of our Session committing to the work of anti-racism, we will wrestle with the powers and principalities which deteriorate the Body and the power of Christ which binds us together and helps us grow. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers from 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 24b-27 on August 25, 2024.

In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul explained how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection led to God's highest exaltation “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” As we worship, we will contemplate how the Lordship of Jesus ought to reorient each of us, our church, and the world. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on August 18, 2024.

As we reflect on the calling of the first deacons in Acts 6, we will ask how God is calling us into ministry in and through Idlewild. What does the calling of Christ ask us to take on and set aside? Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on August 11, 2024.

Each week this Summer, we have examined a different doctrine of Reformed theology, and this sermon examines what we mean by "Reformed". We might be familiar with the term through the lens of Reformed theology or the Protestant Reformation, but how often do we reflect on the implications of what it means to be people of the Reformed tradition? Through the image of a potter, the prophet Jeremiah will help us examine what it means to be “reformed and always being reformed according to the word of God.” Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on August 4, 2024.

In Romans 8:18-25, we read Paul's explanation of hope in his epistle to the early Christians in Rome. Through Paul's witness, we examine the ways in which our faith informs how we navigate suffering alongside the promise of future glory. Consider how Paul's teachings speak hope into our lives today. Sermon delivered by Demarius Brinkley on July 28, 2024.

We reflect on our beliefs regarding the purpose, efficacy, and transformational power of the Church specifically and Chrisitan community more broadly. Acts 2:37-47 guides our worship as we reflect on the witness of the early Church and how that witness continues to shape the call of the Church today. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on July 21, 2024.

As we continue our Theology 101 sermon series, we read Romans 8:28-29 and consider the doctrine of predestination. We reflect on our understanding of God's power, might, and activity in our lives, and also address common cultural misconceptions of predestination and free will. Paul's letter to the Romans will help us center our worship on the truth of God's amazing and everlasting love for God's people. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on July 14, 2024.

In a world filled with trouble that causes us to doubt God's caring presence, this sermon invites us to consider God's creation as a spiritual practice of reacquainting ourselves with God's active, living, concerned care. We read Matthew 6:24-34 and reflect on how trusting God's providence guides our way into Jesus' vision for the world. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Courtnay Veazey on July 7, 2024.

Today we reflect on what it means to be sanctified or “made holy” by the power of God. Please note, that we read Philippians 2:1-13. However, Rev. Powers mistakenly references Colossians in place of Phillippians in this sermon. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul instructs the church to have the same mind as Christ Jesus; to do nothing from selfish ambition while allowing humility to shape the way they live as disciples. Paul assures the Phillippians that it will be “God who is at work in (them), enabling (them) both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” What ways are we called to participate in the work of sanctification, and in what ways are we called to trust God's sanctifying power to accomplish its purpose in us? Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 30, 2024.

Justification is far from a household word, but it's one of the more important concepts in Christian theology. Where justification is not understood—and felt—we embark on projects of self-justification that alienate us from God and make it difficult to hear the message of the Gospel. We will read Romans 3:23-28 and discover how the doctrine of justification can shape our faith and lives in helpful and healthy ways. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Dr. Steve Haynes, Idlewild's Theologian in Residence, on June 23, 2024.

How might we experience the revelation of God in our lives and the world? In Acts 9:1-9, Saul is the primary antagonist of the Apostles; breathing threats of murder against them and other early disciples of Jesus, until Jesus speaks to Saul in a holy episode on the road to Damascus. For Saul, the revelation of Jesus on the road to Damascus becomes the transformational experience of Saul's life; completely changing his heart and making him a devoted disciple of Jesus. In this sermon, we explore the ways in which we claim that Jesus reveals himself even now. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 16, 2024.