Washington City Church of the Brethren

Preacher: Nathan Hosler Isaiah 64:1-9, Luke 1:46-55 There is a certainty, and inevitability about it. The planets spin. In the night sky. Seen from the playground in the early evening, before the stars and bright enough to be seen even in the city. In a pair near the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. Coming close together... Read More

Preacher: Jessie Houff Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23. Matthew 25: 31-46. Psalm 100 Today, we are focusing on three scriptures, each with a different theme and what each message means. We’re going to reflect on giving thanks, giving back, and giving joy. As I read, an artwork will be next to the message. I invite everyone to... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Matthew 25:14-30 Sometimes you’re reading something and there’s a phrase or an expression that jumps out at you or raises a question of some kind. That’s what happened to me with our reading this morning from the prophet Zephaniah. It’s there in verse 12, where God, speaking through... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Isaiah 45:1-7; Matthew 22:15-22 Some of you will remember the slogan from back in the 1990s.WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? There were WWJD bracelets, there was aWWJD book that was an update of the original WWJD book from the 1800sby Charles Sheldon, there were lots and lots of WWJD sermons,... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20 Context matters. There are a lot of different things that can go into making up a context. The physical setting. The history of a place or a people. Who it is that is saying or writing something. Who it is that they are saying or writing it to. The... Read More

Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 139:1-14 How closely does God care for us? Is God concerned with the intimate details of our lives, or just with some broader, overarching plan of redemption? Christians have varied in terms of how they understand God’s work in history and in daily human affairs. Sometimes, I have... Read More

Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: John 20:1-18 It’s intense, the pressure of preaching an Easter sermon during a global pandemic.How can I have the right words to say,to point us to the divine solidarity of Jesus entering with us in our suffering,to the existential hope of Jesus triumphing over betrayal, torture, and death,to the future that... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scriptures: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42

Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17 Last Sunday we changed our church sign to “No War with Iran.” It is clear we are opposed to war with Iran. This statement is, however, rather limited. The Church of the Brethren’s stance is much stronger. It has more bite and less agreeable. It... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Jeremiah 31:7-14, John 1:1-18 Do you know what today is? Here’s a hint. (sings) “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.” Any ideas? Yes. It’s the twelfth day of Christmas. “Twelve drummers drumming, eleven ladies dancing, ten lords a leaping”... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25 Who are the people in the Bible that you think about at Christmas time? Jesus, obviously. Mary. Joseph. If you think a little harder then maybe Elizabeth, or Zechariah, or John. Certainly the shepherds. The angels, if you want to count them as people. The wise men,... Read More

Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 35: 1-10; Luke 1:46b-55; Matthew 11:2-11 Doubt, loss, pain, darkness… sounds like Christmas-time? Unlike our cultural displays of perpetual holiday cheer, our four weeks of Advent scriptures allow for a fuller gamut of Christmas-time emotions: pain, doubt, and loss come alongside themes of peace, hope, love, and joy. This 3rd... Read More

Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44, Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans, 13:11-14 When I was a growing up, my family would go camping for our summer vacation. In addition to camping type activities such as hiking and mountain biking and campfires and the necessary scouring of the campsite for wood to burn, we would often... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Job 19:23-27a I have a soft spot for Job. Maybe it’s because a lot of us learn his story in Sunday School. Maybe it’s because so many terrible things happened to him and to people he loved and it really doesn’t seem fair. In college I was in a play based... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Psalm 51:1-10 Note: I forgot my manuscript when leaving for church on the 15th. There are likely significant differences between the sermon as it was preached and the sermon as it appears here. Thanks for reading or listening, and for visiting our website. ~Jeff Raise your hand if you have ever... Read More

Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Luke 14:1, 7-14 This passage is one of my favorites in the Bible, and it always reminds me of one of my favorite sermons. It’s a sermon by the Rev. Peter Marshall – not the old host of Hollywood Squares, but the former chaplain of the US Senate. Marshall was 46... Read More