Jan 1, 2012
Born to Give Us Second Birth
The last sermon in our series, "The Journey to Christmas," takes a look at the visit of the magi or wisemen to the home of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem. Matthew's account (Matthew 2)  is not recounted by any of the other gospel writers and has a unique message concerning the identity of Jesus. Herod the Great lived in terror of a threat to his throne and sought to destroy the infant Jesus. The chief priests and scribes chose to ignore him. The magi honored and worshiped him. What is our response? Here is the PowerPoint Slide Show used in this sermon.
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  • Jan 1, 2012Born to Give Us Second Birth
    Jan 1, 2012
    Born to Give Us Second Birth
    The last sermon in our series, "The Journey to Christmas," takes a look at the visit of the magi or wisemen to the home of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem. Matthew's account (Matthew 2)  is not recounted by any of the other gospel writers and has a unique message concerning the identity of Jesus. Herod the Great lived in terror of a threat to his throne and sought to destroy the infant Jesus. The chief priests and scribes chose to ignore him. The magi honored and worshiped him. What is our response? Here is the PowerPoint Slide Show used in this sermon.
  • Dec 25, 2011Do You Hear What I Hear?
    Dec 25, 2011
    Do You Hear What I Hear?
    EXCERPTS FROM THIS SERMON:

    Do you hear what I hear?

    I wonder what I would have heard had I been there that night in Bethlehem. Would I have heard the choirs of angels singing or simply the sounds of sheep in the fields? Would I have seen the glory of the Lord all around or just a bunch of shepherds staring up at a cold night sky? Wou1d I have discerned the divine presence, or simply the chill of a cold east wind? Would I have perceived the presence of God in a little baby boy, or would the cosmic implications of that evening have passed me by? shepherds and starsI am convinced that had two people been there that night in Bethlehem, standing in the same place, seeing the same scenes, hearing the same sounds,  it is quite possible that they could have walked away with very different conclusions as to what had occurred. I believe this because my life experience tells me it is not only possible but likely. God never presents himself in revelation in a manner in which we are forced to believe in his presence or power. We are always left with options in our interpretations of events, for God has gifted us not only with free will but with free imaginations. Thus, one person can say "It’s a miracle, while another says "It's a coincidence." One person sees only a shooting star, another calls it a sign from heaven. One sees the birth of a child as the routine result of biological forces; another calls the child a miracle and a gift from God. Certainly very few people in Palestine saw and heard and understood what took place that night as the most momentous moment in human history. The choirs of angels singing were drowned out by the haggling and trading going on in the Jerusalem bazaar. On that night or on a night soon after there was a bright star in the sky moving toward Bethlehem, but the only ones apparently to pay any attention to it were pagan astrologers from the East. If anyone did see Mary and Joseph and their newborn child on that most fateful night, they were too preoccupied with their own problems to offer any assistance. You see, what we see and what we hear in life depends not upon the events themselves, but rather on who we are as people. It's not what is out there but what is inside of us that determines our interpretation of life.
  • Dec 18, 2011From Nazareth to Bethlehem
    Dec 18, 2011
    From Nazareth to Bethlehem
    We continue our series with a look at the details of Mary and Joseph's journey from "Nazareth to Bethlehem" and the circumstances that resulted in the birth of the Messiah taking place in a stable!
  • Dec 11, 2011Mary Visits Elizabeth
    Dec 11, 2011
    Mary Visits Elizabeth
    Mary's visit to her kinswoman Elizabeth, as early as ten days after her visit by the angel Gabriel in Nazareth, is filled with joy that shatters the great fear that must have accompanied the news that she, a betrothed but unmarried virgin, would have a child. The elderly Elizabeth, six months present with her first son who would later be known as John the Baptist, is filled with the Holy Spirit and declares Mary and her unborn son "blessed." In the midst of scenes of stress and earnest faith, we learn some valuable lessons about both the Kingdom of God and ourselves.
  • Dec 4, 2011Joseph of Bethlehem
    Dec 4, 2011
    Joseph of Bethlehem
    This Sunday we continued our sermon series entitled "The Journey to Christmas" based on an Advent series created by Pastor Adam Hamiltion of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Each Sunday from now until January 1 we'll share in the journey taken by the primary characters in the Christmas story. On November 27th we began in Nazareth with Mary, the angel Gabriel, and "The Annunciation." This Sunday we continued our series with a look at "Joseph of Bethlehem."
           This Sunday we also experienced the joyful sounds of the Bella Voce Madrigal Choir from Mary Baldwin College directed by Melissa Sumner.
           What is God announcing to us on our journey to Christmas and our journey through life? Are we open to God breaking in on our carefully laid plans and dreams and doing the unexpected?Grace and peace this Advent season.... Pastor Bob
  • Nov 27, 2011Nazareth – The Annunciation
    Nov 27, 2011
    Nazareth – The Annunciation
    This Sunday we begin a new sermon series entitled "The Journey to Christmas" based on an Advent series created by Pastor Adam Hamiltion of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Each Sunday  from now until January 1 we'll share in the journey taken by the primary characters in the Christmas story. On November 27th we begin in Nazareth with Mary, the angel Gabriel, and "The Annunciation." The announcement to Mary of God's grand plan of a Kingdom without end, established through a son she would carry in her womb, could not have been easy for her to comprehend or accept. She was troubled and wondered about its meaning. Still, she submitted to the will of God and his purpose for her life. What is God announcing to us on our journey to Christmas and our journey through life? Are we open to God breaking in on our carefully laid plans and dreams and doing the unexpected?