Short Steeple Preacher

When the Angel Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her that she will give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-55) it disrupts here life--and all of ours. This week we look at how disruptions can be a good thing (or maybe a God-thing) which is good news in this year of many disruptions!

Isaiah tells us that as God restores the people of Isreal, they will be called "Oaks of Righteouness" but what does that mean? What does it mean to be rigteousness? This week's worship service was held outside so enjoy some of the sounds of nature. We recommend listening to this one outside so you can look around at the trees while you listen like we did in the outdoor service.

This week we look at why Daniel stayed in Persia after the exiles went home and even after he was thrown into the lion's den (Daniel 6:1-27) and what it means for us as we seek to be faithful wherever we are.

The call of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) happens in chapter six of the book of Isaiah--five chapters into him doing the job! This is a powerful reminder to us that God has been working us to prepare us for service long before we ever knew.

This week we hear as the prophet Jeremiah assures a demoralized people that the cycles of death and sin can be broken and that God is doing a new thing (Jeremiah 31:27-34). What cycles are you hoping will be broken? What new thing are you hoping God will do in your life?

When Elijah asks a widow to give him water and food during a drought (1 Kings 17:1-16) she had a difficult decision to make. Would she show hospitality and starve? Would she perserve her own life and let him go hungry? Through faith God presented a third way. How can faith help you find a new way to make room for others this week?

The book of Judges ends with "In those days there was no king in Israel and men did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). What was "right in their own eyes" was far from right. Fortunately God had a plan for a more peaceable kingdom and worked through Hannah to show it to us (1 Samuel 1:1-20 & 2:1-10).

On this World Communion Sunday we consider the roots of this practice in the observance of Passover (Exodus 12:1-17) and how ritual has the power to connect and transform us.

This week we turn to the story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37-50!) and ask the question, "How can God's promised be fulfilled when the children of the covenant act like this?" If you're wondering the same thing about the Church today there is a bit of good news... The scripture reading got cut off from the start of this recording so we recommend reading Genesis 37 before listening. Genesis 50:15-21 is read as part of the recorded sermon.

So often we tell the simple, streamlined versions of events. The problem is, live is complicated. Today we look at how Abraham and Sarah's story (Genesis 15-17) is more complicated than we usually acknowledge and why that is actually good news.

We begin a new lectionary cycle today by turning to Genesis 3 and the beginning of our relationship with God. In our beginning we see our ending as God's love endures even when ours does not.

Paul tells the church in Corinth to "discern the body" whenever they gather to celebrate communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). This week we'll explore what that means and a little bit of how the celebration has changed since Paul's day and is changing now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:4-27 that we "are the Body of Christ and individually members of it." So what part are you? What gifts has the Spirit given you? Paul also tells us that those gifts were given "for the common good" to build up the Body so the health of the body (the church) depends on its members using the gifts that they have been given. So what are your gifts? How you are you using them?

This week we turn to Luke 9:23-25 and Jesus' invitation to daily follow him. What does that invitation to daily discipleship mean to you? Our Heart, Soul, and Strength interview this week puts this text in conversation with the 12 Step motto "One Day at a Time" which is good no matter what that behavior is that is destructive to our lives. Be sure to check out those interviews at www.facebook.com/fpchamond.

In this week's story we turn to 1 Kings 19 where Elijah is ready to give up until he lays his head down to rest and an angel brings him food to eat. His situation is still dire but the moment of renewal helps give him perspective to keep going. Who has helped you find perspective? How can you be someone else's angel?

Today our Heart, Soul, and Strength series turns to Psalm 137 to look at anger and frustration as part of a normal life and for some cues as to what to do with them.

If I have faith, why am I still anxious? Can I be a Christian and still worry? How can God help me respond better to stress? This week we turn to the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:36-46) to explore the relationship between faith and fear in the midst of this pandemic that has given us plenty of reason to be afraid!

We turn to Psalm 23 this week. These familiar words of comfort remind us that we belong to God and for that reason we often read them at funerals. As part of our ongoing Heart, Soul, and Strength series we consider our own death and reflect on how we can find peace of mind for ourselves and our families in the knowledge that "the Lord is my Shepherd."

It is Christmas in July! This week we turn to Philippians 2:5-11 to explore what it means that God was "born in human likeness." As part of our Heart, Soul, and Strength series our pastor also interviewed a church member with Multiple Sclerosis to explore how the doctrine of the incarnation helps us think about our own pain and suffering. That interview can be found at https://www.facebook.com/FPCHammond/videos/286969672385342/.

The Heart, Soul, & Strength series continues as we consider the why we study scripture at all. To help us explore that question we turn to Psalm 119:9-16 and John 1:1-14.

We turn this week to Deuteronomy 5:12-19 to explore Sabbath and justice through the eyes of freed Hebrew slaves. We also turn to James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to help us understand how that call for justice and rest is still with us today.

Our "Heart, Soul, and Strength" series turns this week to Genesis 2:4b-23 where we see that these parts of our lives are so hard to separate because they were made to fit together.

Paul writes to the Church in Philippi saying "Rejoice in the Lord Always" (Philippians 4:4-7) but sometimes (and maybe now is one of those times) we do not feel like rejoicing. What do we do then?

Paul admits that he does not always understand his own actions because he sometimes (often?) acts contrary to his own best intentions (Romans 7:14-25). Understanding why we do what we do is an important step to living a life where our "Heart, Soul, and Strength" are totally committed to God.

This week we turn to Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Mark 12:18-31 to remember what is most important in these troubling times. This week also marks the beginning of a summer-long series on what it means to love God "with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with al your strength" and what we need to do to replenish our minds, bodies, and spirits when they are depeleted so that we can fully respond to God's call.

Our pastor currently serves at the Moderator of the Presbytery of South Louisiana. On Tuesday, June 2 he preached as the presbytery came together on Zoom in the midst of this pandemic. For the occassion he turned to Mark 5:21-43 and reflected on all of the ministry that happens when the Holy Spirit steps in and destroys our carefully made plans.

On this day we turn to 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 as we celebrate family and heritage with the Kirking of the Tartans. We even give thanks for those difficult members of our family and the church family (like the Apostle Paul!) whom God has worked through to bring grace into the world.

This week we turn the 1 Corinthians 13, the famous "wedding scripture" and learn that while it is appropriate for newly weds it is also appropriate for much more including our present pandemic.

Paul tells the Church in Corinth that we have "been called into the fellowship of [God's] Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." What does it mean to be in fellowship in the age of social distancing? How can we embrace each other without touching?

When Paul and Silas visit Thessalonica the accusation is that they are "turning the word upside down" (Acts 17:1-9). We turn to this text today and ask if we want to return to normal or something better--maybe even resurrection?

This week Peter and James encouter a man who cannot walk begging at the entrance of the Temple (Acts 3:1-10). They have no money to give so they give him what they do have and teach us all a lesson about stewardship in a time like this.

We continue the narrative this week turning from the Resurrection to the Ascension and the very first days of the Church (Acts 1). Once again the disciples get confused and miss the point. The question is, will we?

On this Easter Sunday where we are scattered and worshiping at home we turn to John 20:1-23 where we find the disciples also huddled behind closed doors. The Good News is that neither death nor lock doors could stop him then--or now!

As we turn to Mark 11:1-11 on this Palm Sunday you may ask yourself, "How did I get here?" or "How can I sing Hosanna in the midst of a pandemic?" Those feelings are normal. The good news is there is no better time to sing "Hosanna!" than right now.

This week's reading from Mark (13:1-8, 24-32) might at first sound frightening with it's wars, earthquakes, stars falling out of the sky! We might even draw some paralells to our own tribulatons right now. However, what Jesus is really trying to tell his disciples is that someting new is coming and he will be right there with them through it.

In this age where business are closing, hospitals are turning away visitors, people are hording, and politicians are fighting amonst themselves we turn to Mark 12:28-36 to remember what truly matters. Jesus told us to love God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves--everything else is just details. What does it look like to live that out in this moment? *** First Presbyterian Church is now livestreaming our worship services at 10am on Sundays. Join us at facebook.com/FPCHammond for the live stream. The videos will be posted so you can watch it at any time after as well. ***

First Presbyterian Church is moving online in response to the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to post each week's sermon here on Small Steeple Preacher but you can also join us now for a live stream of worship at 10am on Sundays at https://www.facebook.com/FPCHammond. We invite you to like it now so that you will get the notification when we go live on Sunday. If you miss the live stream, you can still go back and watch the video on our page.

As we enter into a new election cycle and things are closing down because of COVID-19 nerves are frayed and opinions differ. In the midst of stress we are not always our best selves. This week we turn to Mark 12:13-17 to see what the Gospel has to say to help us through times like these.

James & John ask Jesus if they can sit at his right and left hand in glory (Mark 10:32-45). They miss the point, but Jesus redirects rather than rebuking them asking "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?" This week we ask that same question of ourselves--are we willing to follow Jesus' example to face the evil of the world with love in order to transform and redeem it?

As we begin the season of Lent we turn to the book of Ecclesiastes (2:12-17) to come face-to-face with our own mortality and find the hope of the resurrestion on the other side.

In this week's Gospel lesson (Mark 7:1-23) has a debate about hand washing and some potty humor by Jesus all in the service of teaching us that what truly matters is how we treach each other. * Just in case you are wondering, you should still wash your hands. It is flu season!

On this Scout Sunday we turn to 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 where Paul tells us that we are "Ambassadors for Christ." We examine what that means for us by looking to the story of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the World Scouting Movement, who started out to train military scouts and spies and ended up accidentally starting a movement to promote international understanding and cooperation instead!

On Sunday, February 2 the pastors of First Presbyterian Church in Hammond and Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church switched places. This sermon was preached by the pastor of the Hammond church in Albany. Paul says that the message of the cross is scandalous and considered foolish (1 Corinthians 1:17-31). However, today there are crosses everywhere and even people who do not go to church, read the Bible, or pray regularly consider themselves to be Christians. Is it good that we are no longer scandalized by the cross? Has familiarity bred contempt? Or maybe just apathy? This week we turn to the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16) and 1 Corinthians to help us understand why Flannery O'Conner said that the truth will make us "odd."

In this week's reading (Mark 2:1-12) Jesus forgives a man's sins without a word from him. Is confession a prerequisite for absolution? How can you forgive someone who hasn't apologized? Is forgiveness more about the person who is forgiving or the person who is being forgiven?

In today's text (Mark 1:21-45) a leper come to Jesus and says "If you choose, you can make me clean." Jesus heals him and reveals the world that God chooses. The question for us is how will we respond?

This sermon marks the turn from our focus on the Hebrew Scriptures that began in September. From here until Pentecost we will walk through the New Testament following Mark until Easter and then turning to Acts and the Epistles. We start this week with Mark 1:1-21 where we remember our baptisms and are reminded to take some of the water for the journey.

Isaac Watts based "Joy to the World" on Psalm 98. It was first pubished in a collection of hymns based on the Psalms in 1719. Here at its 300th birthday, we sing the song and remember that it was not written just for Christmas Day but for everyday.

This week the prophet Isaiah calls us to "prepare" because God's arrival in our lives are immanent (Isaiah 40:1-11). The truth is, for most of us, God seems far removed from our daily lives and the way we treat our neighbor shows it. What would it look like to expect God to show up in our lives every day?

Jeremiah tells us that the days are "surely" coming when God will fulfill the promise to restore righteousness in the land (Jeremiah 33:14-18). He made that promise during a difficult time in Israel's history so it can be hope for us in our own difficult times. *** Note: As no doubt someone will remind me ZZ Top is from Texas, not Chicago. Sorry for the slip of the tongue! ***

On Saturday, November 30 we gathered to stand as witnesses to the resurrection of Pat Forbes, a long time member of the congregation and educator in our community. In her life she tried to follow Jesus' example to let the little children come (Mark 10:13-16) and to love others more than her own reputation. We give thanks for her witness to the world and her contributions to our community.

I had the honor of preaching for the installation service of the Rev. Danial Vanek as the new pastor of Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church. On that occasion we turned to Exodus 18:13-27 and Acts 6:1-7 to challenge pastors and congregations work together in living lives of discipleship and sharing the Good News.