First Presbyterian Church Marietta, OH: Recent Episodes
David Smith
Lenten Devotions Week 3
Lenten Devotions Week 4
Lenten Devotions Week 5
Lenten Devotions Week 6
John 9:1-12 Jesus encounters a man born blind. His disciples want to debate the idea that sin caused the blindness. Jesus reveals their blindness by instead acting to heal the man. Jesus challenges our own blindness and our unwillingness to connect with people to provide healing and friendship.
Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus, when faced with the temptation to exercise his privilege and power, resisted. He did this in the wilderness and at this arrest, trial and crucifixion. Jesus showed us the example of giving up privilege and power to help others. God will often call us to do the same.
Matthew 17:1-9 Jesus was transfigured with Moses and Elijah, both figures who cared deeply for the people and their rights. Both also were flawed individuals given to responding with violence to injustice. God can show us where people suffer and God can work with us, even when we sin, just like God worked with Moses and Elijah. We are able to effect change in the world when we recognize God is in charge and follow Jesus in obedience by loving others.
Isaiah 58:1-9a and Matthew 5:13-20 Isaiah and Jesus both challenged the faithful to put righteousness into practice. To be salt and light disciples is to make a difference in the lives of those around us.
Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes call us to give up our power and privilege and befriend those who are suffering.
John 1:29-42 Jesus calls us to be fishers of people. We must drop our nets of sin - materialism, hatred, greed, and violence and take up God's nets of love and grace. When we cast those nets, we pull people into God's arms.
John 1:29-42 The disciples in John's gospel experience their calls in typical human interactions. Our calls are often quite similar. We are called to follow Jesus who opposed evil by speaking truth and showing love.
Matthew 3:13-17 God's message to Jesus that he was beloved and that God was pleased is the same message God has for us. We are beloved by God. Consider how we would treat ourselves and others if we believed that God loves us in this way. We might needlessly criticize ourselves less and be much more positive with others. And when we would be much braver about addressing sin in our lives.
Matthew 2:1-12 We like to think of ourselves as children of God, but often don't want to accept those who look, act, think, or believe differently than we do. The magi search for and finding of the Christ child shows that God includes all humanity as children. There is room for everyone to come and offer their gifts to Christ.
Romans 1:1-7 Thanks to the incarnation we have been given the gifts we need to live fully. We are God's beloved. We have been given God's unmerited favor (grace). We are invited and empowered to share that love and grace with others. This gives us what we need to be peacemakers in our strife torn world. God's entry into the world, means we can live!
Isaiah 35:1-10 , Luke 1:46b-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 Jesus came to show how God is changing the world for the sake of the poor and the oppressed. When God brings change, joy also comes. The magi turned their lives upside to follow a star and found joy. The shepherds waited patiently and found joy when they met a savior who was very life them. Mary found joy when she accepted the role God gave her. When we experience joy, we can make it grow by sharing it.
Isaiah 2:1-5 and Romans 13:11-14 Everyone in Jesus' time yearned for peace. And individuals carried their own hopes. We too have common hopes and our own hopes. Finding hope can happen when we take on Christ's character and habits. When we seek to help others who are despairing, hope grows in our own hearts. (Please note there is one error in this sermon. When I preached it, I incorrectly identified John the Baptist's father. John's father was Zechariah. The sermons notes are correct.)
Colossians 1:11-20 The power of God was active in Christ when he suffered the crucifixion. The same power is active in the church and in the lives of believes and to others to help others overcome suffering and bring justice.
Luke 21:5-19 Jesus words about war, upheavals and persecution of people of faith are challenging. Even if we don't experience this, we still have the challenge of living faithfully in our socially and politically turbulent times. And we are still called to witness by loving one another in the church. Jesus promised to be with us in all circumstances.
Isaiah 65:1-11 and Job 19. God calls us to dream the impossible. God invites to the work of creating the peaceable kingdom. This calling means the church will always challenges of stewardship of our time, talent, and treasure. With God's help we can step forward and sacrificially answer this call.
Ephesians 1:11-23 and Luke 19:1-10 Paul had heard of the Ephesians faith through the way they loved others. Would Paul and the saints in the great cloud say the same about us? Zacchaeus gives an example of faith that is like this, a faith that is "public, obvious, and communal." (credit to Jill Duffield for this description)
Isaiah 65:17-25 Isaiah's promise of a new heaven and new earth is filled with real, tangible blessings for the people returning from exile. God invites us to work for the new heaven and new earth, to bring real, tangible blessings into the lives of those we encounter right around us. Our stewardship of time, talent, and treasure is vital to this work.
Luke 16:19-31 The parable of Lazarus and the rich man shows that greed that results in the hoarding our blessings and ignoring the plight of our neighbors is deadly. It is deadly to both those in need and those with blessings. The good things we enjoy in this life are given so that we can share them with others.
The dishonest manager realized he had to change or face judgement He ceased squandering and began using his boss' resources to curry favor with others. We face a judgement in creation and we must change the way we have used God's creation. We must move from an ethic of "Mine!" to sharing with others, particularly with the poorest of the world.
Too often when it comes to how we view creation, we act like the fool of Psalm 14 and the self-righteous man in Luke 18 who see no need for God. We need to remember we are to be stewards of creation, caring for it with the same love God shows us. We need to remember we are sinners and need to repent of our wasteful and abusive behavior towards creation. When we do, God rejoices and helps us return to wiser ways of living.
The righteous are grounded in God's will and connected through God to one another. We are also connected with each other through God's creation. Our connections in the body of Christ and in creation call us to seek justice and righteousness. Our choices and lifestyles must include care for creation and wise use of its resources.
Psalm 112 The righteous understand with humility that anything they have are blessings of creation. These are not had without hard work, both from themselves and others. Love of the commandments lead them to respect for Sabbath and generosity for the poor. We learn from their example that all the blessings of creation are for sharing. We should work to preserve these for future generations and help those who are suffering from the consequences of our misuse of creation.
Isaiah 58: 9b-14 and Luke 13:10-17 Jesus healed a woman who had been for 18 years - she could not stand up straight. We can follow Jesus' example by noticing suffering, speaking healing words, and touching those who are burdened, helping them lift their burdens. When we do this we will be blessed by the great joy that ensues.
Luke 12:32-40 "Do not be afraid," says Jesus. We need not fear his return - he comes to prepare a feast for servants who are ready and to give them unfailing treasure . How can we be ready and how can we face the fears and anxieties of the world? By sharing our material blessings and by sharing the unfailing values of God's reign.
Luke 12:13-21 The rich landowner experienced a blessing. Rather than sharing he hoarded it. God frees us from greed and the accumulation of possessions so we can share with others.
Luke 11:1-13 The Lord's Prayer provides a model for prayer. We are all freed to talk to God. In prayer, we praise, we plea for justice, we focus on real and basic needs, we are forgiven and learn forgiveness, we ask God to protect us when we are tempted.
Luke 10:3-42 At particular moments Jesus offers us the freedom to be relieved from the tasks of life so we can sit at his feet and learn. Sundays are such a time. Mary choose to do this and heard Jesus' teaching.
Luke 10:25-37 In his telling of the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows we are freed from any restrictions on to whom we can be a neighbor. He also shows kindness can come from the most unexpected persons.
Galatians 6:1-16 One of the ways we can grow as disciples is by showing one another love and gentleness when we encounter sins in each other’s life.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 We are given freedom to serve one another in love. Many sins destroy us and community. God seeks instead to grow fruit in our lives that...
Galatians 3:23-29 and Luke 8:6-39 We have been freed but do we understand the depth. Our encounter with the man from the tombs shows we are freed from our sins, from pain caused by the sins of others, and from the setbacks we bear beyond anyone's control. Christ also came to bring transformation and freedom to our culture. This change takes time and requires us to repent and struggle.