Words of Welcome

Psalm 27 Whenever an angel or even God appears in the biblical story, the first words we hear are usually “Be not afraid.”  There’s a reason for this. Heavenly visitations don’t occur very often, so we need to hear words of  assurance that everything is going to be okay. The word we hear this morning is that the Lord is our light and salvation, so “whom shall I fear?” The word of the Lord this morning might be “do not be afraid,” but if we’re honest with ourselves, we all experience fear once in awhile. It might be spiders or snakes, or heights, or something else. Whatever it is, what does fear to do us?  Does it paralyze us? Does it cause us to flee? Does it cause us to fight? I expect our answer depends on the person and the situation, but whatever the situation, fear usually brings a reaction of some kind.  In The Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is feeling depressed. He’s not sure why, but he knows something is wrong. So, he pays a vis...

Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Today is the Fourth of July, a day that Americans set aside to celebrate the nation’s independence from British rule. Over the next few days, there will be parades, fireworks, picnics, and more, but, as much as we enjoy celebrating the freedoms we have as Americans, we come to this place and time with a broader sense of freedom and loyalties. I’m returning to the text I used last year for the Fourth of July weekend, because, like last year, I’d like to address the issue of freedom. This text from Galatians is foundational if we’re to understand what it means to truly be free – not as Americans, but as followers of Christ. The question before is simple: What is the nature of true freedom? The question maybe simple, but each answer to that question carries with it certain implications. Paul’s definition and its implications differ those of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson believed that freedom was a natural right, which was self-evident. Paul believed that true freedo...

1 John 4:7-21 Mothers are often fearless, especially when it comes to the safety of their children. As you might expect, scientists having been studying this phenomenon, and they think they’ve figured it out. Apparently, it has something to do with hormones, or more specifically, a drop in peptide levels that occurs during lactation. When this happens, fear vanishes. Scientists made this discovery by studying mice, but it doesn’t take detailed studies of mice to know that mothers normally will do everything they can to protect their young. Just try getting close to a grizzly bear cub or a lion cub and you’ll quickly discover that their mothers don’t take kindly to such offenses. Although I’ll take the scientists at their word, I prefer John’s explanation. It might not be as scientific, but it makes sense. According to John, love is the answer to fear, not fluctuations in peptide levels! But, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us. 1. God is love! I’ll admit tha...

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Every day we get bombarded with requests for help and assistance. The causes might be good, but how do you decide when and where to give? Of course, these appeals come even faster the closer we get to Christmas. Although we must be careful and discerning in our giving, we also must be aware of the temptation to close the heart and wallet, and become overly protective of our assets. When we do this, we fall prey to the miserliness that cut Mr. Scrooge off from humanity. Paul made an appeal to the Corinthian Church, that might not have gone over very well. He told them that he was coming south and was taking up a collection for the church in Jerusalem, which was experiencing famine. I’m not sure, but it seems like he was hearing some grumbling about having to give to strangers when there were troubles enough at home. In answering them, Paul focuses on the heart of the giver, the provisions of God, and the blessings of giving. 1. THE HEART OF THE GIVER Paul does tal...