Listen to Sermons: Recent Episodes
The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington D.C.
Today is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate God as revealed in three persons - Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. We celebrate our graduates in worship, and Pastor Eric preaches the message A Guide We Can Trust, based on John 16:12-15. Accompanying scripture passages are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 and Romans 5:1-5.
The incarnation was foundational for the gospel writer John. It might have been easy for John to dismiss the Holy Spirit, or any new understanding of Christianity after Jesus returned to God. However, John chose to hold onto the possibility that the Spirit that Christ gave to us makes possible a “deep understanding of what Jesus means for one’s own time,” says one theologian.
That same Spirit holds together all the disparate and fragmented parts of our lives, fills in all the gaps, owns all the mistakes, forgives all the failures—and loves us into an ever-deeper life with God in Christ. Can we imitate John, and trust the Spirit to hold our whole lives, and guide us as we discern what it means to be followers of Christ today?
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Today in worship we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Christ followers after his ascent to heaven. Pastor Julie preaches the message The Unprejudiced Spirit, based on Acts 2:1-21. Accompanying scripture passages are Romans 8:14-17 and John 14:8-17, 25-27. We also dedicate to God Jermaine Ricardo Kittrell.
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Today in worship, we celebrate Pride Sunday, honoring the beauty and dignity of all God's children. Pastor Julie preaches the message “Outsiders Like Us” from Acts 15:1-11. Accompanying scripture passages are Genesis 17:1-14 and Matthew 22:34-40. Worship includes communion.
This year holds special significance as Washington, DC hosts World Pride, welcoming LGBTQ+ individuals and allies from around the globe to our city.
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As I Have Loved You | John 13:31-35 | May 25, 2025 | The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Today, Pastor Julie will continue the Easter sermon series with the sermon, As I Have Loved You based on John 13:31-35. In this familiar passage, Jesus says to his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you—that you love one another…By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 148 and Revelation 21:1-6.
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Today, Pastor Julie will continue the Easter sermon series with the sermon, “Being Led Where We Don’t Want to Go,” based on John 21:15-19. Accompanying scripture texts are Isaiah 48:12-13, 16-17 and Philippians 4:10-14.
Love empowers us to open ourselves to situations we dread. In following Jesus, there is the active way and the passive way. Both ways are necessary; both require courage. Sooner or later, each of us will be called to the passive way of discipleship, of being led into situations we’d just as soon avoid. Jesus modeled both ways for us.
Worship Guide
This Sunday, Pastor Eric will continue the Easter sermon series with the sermon, “On Earth as it is in Heaven,” based on Revelation 7:9-17. Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 23 and John 10:22-30.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is also called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The Gospel reading focuses on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the vision in Revelation shows a great crowd from every nation standing before the throne of the Lamb. In these passages, we are reminded that Jesus welcomes all people to follow him. The love of Christ is for everyone.
Worship Guide
Today, Pastor Julie continues her Easter sermon series with the sermon,“Breakfast Time,” based on John 21:1-14, in which the risen Christ appears to the disciples and invites them to join him for breakfast on the beach—the first meal of their new life together. New beginnings are Jesus' specialty. Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12 and Revelation 5:11-14.
We will also celebrate communion in worship, collect a benevolence offering, and welcome a number of guests—former ministers and staff members as well as denominational and community partners, including members of the National Children's Chorus.
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Today, Pastor Julie will begin a new sermon series, “Love Surprises.” This week’s sermon, “In the Middle,” is based on John 20:19-31, in which Jesus appears to the disciples and Thomas after the resurrection. In this passage, and in life, Christ comes and stands in the middle of everything we experience—loneliness, elation, grief, stress, etc. Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 150 and Revelation 1:4-8.
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Today, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection with the flowered cross; the music of choir, organ, and brass; communion; and a message of hope from Pastor Julie. Pastor Julie will conclude the Lenten sermon series with the Easter message, Everything In Between Grief and Hope based on Luke 24:1-12. Accompanying text is Acts 10:34-43.
Easter Sunday is meant to be jubilant and joyful—a chance to begin again in a weary world. And yet, for too many, grief can feel like a heavy weight tugging at our hearts. For too many, shame encroaches if we can’t find our way to joy. This Easter, we are invited to make space for grief and joy, mourning and hope—for all these feelings can coexist.
No matter how you arrive this Easter morning—whether steeped in grief, stunned in disbelief, or running in the direction of hope—resurrection is for you. This story is for you.
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Remember and reflect on Christ’s suffering and crucifixion in this “Service of Silence and Shadows” led by our choir and readers from the congregation. The sanctuary moves from light to darkness as we mark Christ’s suffering and death.
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Today, Pastor Julie preaches the message, Everything in Between: Shouting and Silence from Luke 19:29-40. Accompanying text is Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29.
Jesus embodies divine silence as he rides the colt through the cloaks and crowds. This event marks a pivotal turning point as Jesus enters the holy in-between of his final days before he departs from this world. His entry marks the beginning of the end. Did his silence helped steady and prepare him for what was to come? Did the praise from the disciples gave him strength?
Have you ever experienced divine silence, or silence that restored you in some way? Have you ever felt fortified by shouts and praise?
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This Sunday, we celebrate communion and collect a benevolence offering in worship, and fellowship together at our First Sunday potluck after worship. Pastor Eric will preach the message, Everything in Between: Compassion and Justice from Luke 19:1-10. The accompanying Scripture text is Psalm 126.
The Luke 19 passage is the familiar story of Zacchaeus, and the crowds who grumble at Jesus’ self-invitation to stay with Zacchaeus. Their desire for justice isn’t without cause. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus has extorted money and acted in collusion with the empire, using his position to oppress his own people. It is important to call out oppression and seek justice, and yet, Jesus offers compassion. That compassion then begets more compassion as Zacchaeus, unprompted, offers to return what he took, and then some.
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Today Pastor Julie preached the message, Lost and Found, from Luke 15:1-7. Accompanying Scripture text is Psalm 32.
Herding sheep is a never-ending task. As soon as one is found, another may go missing. Our lives have a similar ebb and flow—in one moment we might feel like we have it all together, and in the next, we’re struggling to survive. But no matter how “lost” we feel, the Good Shepherd is on watch.
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This Sunday, Pastor Julie will preach the message “Everything in Between: Rest and Growth" based on Luke 13:6-9. Accompanying scripture text is Psalm 63:1-8.
The gardener in the vineyard knows the fig tree needs rest, nutrients, and time—and it also needs to produce fruit. Both things are true, which is also true for us. If we are always striving for more growth without taking time to rest, we will burn out. But if we are only ever resting, we won’t bear fruit or grow. The fig tree also teaches us that the in between time—of nurture before fruit—can be where transformation begins.
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The story of Mary and Martha often seems to create a divide between “spiritual” types and “practical” types, between thinkers and doers, and between contemplatives and activists—as if the faithful must choose one over the other. But what if prayer and action depend on one another to make sense in the world? Today’s story from Luke 10 is about more than just a spat over who’s going to get supper on the table. Accompanying scripture text is Psalm 23.
Worship Guide
This Sunday, March 9, we continue the journey through Lent that began on Ash Wednesday.
Our Lenten theme, “Everything In Between,” will invite us to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention, and openness to be transformed. We will explore supposed binaries, like “faith & works” or “rest & growth,” or “grief & hope.” These ideas often seem to oppose one another.
However, as we explore these concepts within the scriptures, we find nuance and complexity. We find that these dichotomies are false. We might begin to see a full spectrum instead of black and white. We might find that God is present in between.
Today, Pastor Julie will preach the message “Everything in Between: Stranger and Neighbor.” The sermon text will be Luke 10:25-37 and the accompanying scripture passage will be Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16.
Worship Guide
Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent. We hosted two 30-minute Ash Wednesday services at 12:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Worship Guide
Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent. We hosted two 30-minute Ash Wednesday services at 12:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Worship Guide
Transfiguration is one of those five-syllable stained-glass words that only gets trotted out every once in a while in Sunday School or on Jeopardy. But the account of Jesus on the mountain with some disciples and Moses and Elijah, two rock stars of the Hebrew faith, is a story brimming with mystery, hope, and freedom.
Today Pastor Julie preaches the message, “A Liberation Story,” from Luke 9:28-36. Accompanying scripture passages are Exodus 34:29-35 and 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:2. We share communion together and collect a benevolence offering.
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Today in worship, Pastor Julie completes a three-week sermon series, Encountering the Holy, based on Isaiah 6:1-8. Each week in worship we read a different translation of that passage. Today, we will hear the Isaiah 6 text from The Inclusive Bible.
Accompanying scripture passages are 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 and Luke 6:27-38.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continued a three-week sermon series, Encountering the Holy, based on Isaiah 6:1-8. Each week in worship we will read a different translation of that passage. This Sunday, we will hear the Isaiah 6 text from the NRSVue (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition). Accompanying scripture passages are Luke 6:17-26 and 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.
Worship Guide
To live in wonder is to be alive to the signs of the sacred all around you. Frederick Buechner said, “To speak of [something] as holy is to say that it has something of God’s mark upon it. Times, places, things and people can all be holy—and when they are, they are usually not hard to recognize.”
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie begins a three-week sermon series, Encountering the Holy, based on Isaiah 6:1-8. Each week in worship we will read a different translation of that passage. This Sunday, we will hear the Isaiah 6 text from Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message.
Accompanying scripture passages are Luke 5:1-11 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, we continue the season of Epiphany. Epiphany walks through the “firsts” of Christ such as his baptism, his first miracle, his first sermon, and this Sunday, his presentation in the temple.
Pastor Julie will be back from Orlando and in worship, and guest preacher Aqueelah Ligonde will preach the message “Fulfilling Your Divine Assignment” based on Jeremiah 1:4-10. Accompanying scripture passages are Luke 2:22-40 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
We will celebrate communion together, collect a benevolence offering, and enjoy our First Sunday potluck after worship.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the season of Epiphany. Epiphany walks through the “firsts” of Christ such as his baptism, his first miracle, and in this week's Gospel text, his first sermon. Pastor Eric will preach the message “His Inauguration Address” based on Luke 4:14-30.
In Luke 4, we encounter Jesus in his hometown temple beginning his earthly ministry by reading the prophet Isaiah's words and instructing those gathered. Many biblical scholars and theologians describe this moment as the inauguration of Jesus' ministry, because he lays out his earthly mission in explicit terms for the first time. It is not received well by those who hear it, and they try to run him out of town. Yet for Jesus, this moment proceeds from a foundational "yes" to God, which is ultimately a "no" to all injustices and forms of hatred - none of which are of God.
Accompanying scriptures are Psalm 19:7-14 and 1 Corinthians 12:18-31a.
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Today in worship, we continue the season of Epiphany and celebrate the first of Christ’s miracles: turning water to wine at the wedding of Cana. Pastor Julie is preaches the message “The First of His Signs” from John 2:1-11. Accompanying scriptures are Isaiah 62:1-5 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.
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Who tells you who you are? Your family? Your friends? Your enemies? Your conscience? Your boss?
This Sunday in worship we continue the season of Epiphany by remembering the baptism of Jesus and the Divine affirmation: “You are my beloved, my own. In you I am well pleased.” To be baptized in Christ is to claim one’s identity: “I am a child of God.”
When we’ve lost our way, become confused or forgotten who we are, it helps so much to go back and look into those waters and see our face reflected there.
Accompanying scriptures are Psalm 29 and Acts 8:14-17.
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This Sunday in worship, we welcome the new year and celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany marks the revelation of the Christ child to the magi who traveled from afar to worship and present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It reminds us that from the beginning of his life, Jesus shone forth as God’s great reveal to the whole world.
Pastor Julie preaches the message “All Things New” from Isaiah 43:16-21, with the accompanying scripture of Matthew 2:1-12. We will take communion together in worship, and collect the first benevolence offering of 2025. After worship, we will catch up from the holidays with a potluck downstairs in the Fellowship Hall.
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Today in worship we celebrate the season of Christmas in the life of the church. Pastor Julie preaches the message “Lay It Down in Peace” from Luke 2:21-39—the story of old Simeon meeting the Christ child in the temple. The story of Simeon invites us to ask, "What do I need to let go of so I can take hold of something new in the days ahead? What new beginnings will I let God place in my hand in 2025?"
The accompanying text is Isaiah 55:6-13.
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Celebrate Christmas Eve with First Baptist Church tomorrow night. Our worship will include Christmas carols, the music of choir, organ, brass, holy communion, and a Christmas Eve meditation from Pastor Julie. The child and family-friendly service will end with the lighting of congregational candles and singing “Silent Night.”
In today’s Gospel text, the story of Joseph reminds us that the Christmas story has always been—and always will be—for ordinary people living messy, complex lives.
Pastor Julie will preach the message, “Hope is Worth the Risk,” based on Matthew 1:18-25. The accompanying text is Isaiah 7:10-16. FBC's Crossroads Group will light the candle of Love.
Worship Guide
As you journey through this season, may you find words for beginning again. No matter what you are facing, no matter what this new day brings, love is your beginning.
In this Sunday’s Gospel text, Mary, who is visiting her older cousin Elizabeth, breaks into a sung prayer to God—a prophetic song of praise, judgment, and hope known as the Magnificat. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once called the Magnificat “the most passionate, the wildest, most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” For centuries, Mary’s words have become a rallying cry for the oppressed.
Pastor Julie continues the Advent sermon series with the message, “Do the Good That Is Yours To Do,” based on Luke 1:46-55. The accompanying text is Isaiah 58:9b-12. FBC's young adult group will light the candle of Joy.
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66th Annual Christmas Candlelight CarolsSunday, December 8 | 4:00 p.m.Capture the joy of the season with this beloved First Baptist tradition featuring organ, brass, and the First Baptist Church Chancel Choir. We will collect a benevolence offering to benefit Ward 2 Mutual Aid, a grassroots, neighbor-led effort to take care of each other and our community.
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This Sunday in worship we continue the season of Advent, a time of profound transitions, marking both endings and beginnings.
The embodiment of God in the person of Jesus invites us into fresh ways of living and loving, even as the world around us continues its relentless pace. In our own lives, as we navigate seasons of change, we seek words and images that become steady ground, a path for our feet as we follow Christ on the way.
This Sunday, Pastor Julie will continue the Advent sermon series with the message, “We Can’t Go Alone,” based on Luke 1:39-45. The accompanying text is Ruth 1. We will share communion together and collect a benevolence offering following worship.
As you journey through this season, may you find words for beginning again. For no matter what you are facing, no matter what this new day brings, love is your beginning.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we begin the season of Advent and light the Advent candle of Hope. Pastor Julie begins a new sermon series entitled “Words for the Beginning.” Her message is titled “You Are a Blessing,” based on Luke 1:26-38. The accompanying text is Isaiah 43:1-7.
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Today in worship, Pastor Eric will preach the message “The Christ Who Gives” based on Luke 23:33-43. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 46 and Ephesians 1.
In the Christian calendar, which our congregation follows, this Sunday is known as the “Reign of Christ” or “Christ the King” Sunday. The tradition of this particular Sunday began in 1925 to remind Christians that their allegiance was to Christ, their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy.
To 21st century ears, the language of “Christ the King’ Sunday can sound like heavy-handed, hierarchical hold-over from our patriarch dominated past. However, Jesus “kingship” does not involve domination or triumphalism — but the radical, all-powerful compassion and love of Jesus’ seeking justice for all.
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This Sunday is Gratitude Sunday, a day when, among other things, we celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness in the world and in our lives. Pastor Julie’s message, “Saying Grace,” will invite us to see more clearly God's gift and to answer more honestly and unmistakably with our lives as gift. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 95:1-7 and Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34
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Today in worship, Pastor Julie will preach the message “For Good” based on Romans 8:18-30. As we look at Romans 8, we will ask an important question: In a world as broken and violent as ours, what did Paul mean - what do we mean - by the claim, “All things work together for good?” Accompanying scripture passages are Genesis 50:15-21 and Mark 10:46-52.
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Today, November 3, is All Saints Sunday. We observe a special time of prayer and remembrance both for those who have died in Christ as well as for the upcoming election. We celebrate communion together, and we collect a benevolence offering.
Pastor Julie’s message is titled “The Myth of Winning.” Winning in the kin-dom of God looks radically different than our culture’s narratives about domination, climbing the ladder, and overcoming our enemies. Jesus never said, “Go, be winners,” but rather, “Come, follow me.” The sermon text is John 18:33-38 and accompanying passages are Psalm 23 and Philippians 2:5-11.
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Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie concludes her three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.
This Sunday’s message is “Love’s Undying Heart." Accompanying passages are Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 and Matthew 28:1-8
(We apologize unforeseen technical difficulties that caused the stream have a maximum of 15 frames per second.)
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Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues her three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.
This Sunday’s message is “Love’s Feet” and will focus on Hope. Accompanying passages to 1 Corinthians 13 are Psalm 130 and Mark 11:1-11.
Worship Guide
Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie begins a three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.
Accompanying passages are Proverbs 3:1-6 and John 8:1-11.
Worship Guide
This Sunday, October 6 is World Communion Sunday. Pastor Julie will preach the message “God’s Big Spenders” from Isaiah 58:1-12. Together, we will ask with the prophet Isaiah how we can claim to worship God if we are not “spending ourselves” on behalf of the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the afflicted. Additional texts are Acts 4:32-37 and Matthew 25:31-40. During worship, we will observe communion.
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Acclaimed author Cole Arthur Riley is the keynote speaker at the annual gathering of the World Student Christian Federation, October 3-6, hosted by FBCDC. Read more about this organization below.
Cole spoke in the FBC Sanctuary on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1:00 pm. She is the author of New York Times bestsellers This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us and Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human.
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the current sermon series with the message, How Hedonism Killed Jesus from Luke 23:1-12. Accompanying scripture passages are Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 and Philippians 4:4-9.
Following last Sunday’s message, How Liberalism Killed Jesus, we turn our attention this Sunday from the legalistic Pharisees and the broad-minded Sadducees, to Herod, who was driven by appetite and organized his life around the pursuit of pleasure. While we live in a nation that seems to have an insatiable appetite for more, how do we enjoy God-given pleasures in our lives without elevating them into idols?
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This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the current sermon series with the message, How Liberalism Killed Jesus from John 11:43-53 and 19:12-16. Accompanying scripture passages are Isaiah 5:1-4, 7 and Romans 8:1-6, 11.
Following last Sunday’s message, How Conservatism Killed Jesus, we turn our attention this Sunday from the legalistic Pharisees to the broad-minded Sadducees, who were known for embracing the culture and customs of the Greeks and the Romans. The Sadducees desired to build a bridge to their world. Liberalism’s frequent fault is walking across the bridge and forgetting to come back. While building a bridge to the world, how do we remain true to the heart of our faith?
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This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the series “Am I the One?” and preaches the message “How Conservatism Killed Jesus” from Matthew 23:1-4, 23-31. Accompanying scripture passages are Micah 6:1-8 and Ephesians 3:14-21.
Pastor Julie’s message focus’ on the Pharisees, who focused on secondary concerns, as conservatism tends to do. Conservatism can get so busy building a fence around the treasure that it often forgets what the treasure is. Jesus frees us for weightier matters of justice, mercy and love.
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Today in worship, Pastor Julie will begin the series “Am I the One?” and preach the message “Our Deadly Systems.” from Matthew 26:17-25. In Matthew 26:22, after Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” the disciples all asked, “Am I the One?” Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 126 and James 2:1-10, 14-17.
In Jerusalem in C.E. 30, three cultural and religious systems contributed to the crucifixion of Jesus: Conservatism, Liberalism, and Hedonism. These same systems are alive and well in 2024, and this series and message will prompt personal and corporate reflection on the ways that we participate in the deadly systems of this world.
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This Sunday in worship, we welcome back to the pulpit our Senior Pastor, Julie Pennington-Russell . Pastor Julie returned last week from her 12-week sabbatical, and together we marked the end of her sabbatical journey and brought her back into mission and ministry among us joy, gratitude, and hope.
Pastor Julie’s message on Sunday is “Coming Back to Say Thanks” from Luke 17:9-11. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 95:1-7 and Colossians 3:12-17.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we wrap up the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?
This Sunday, we will welcome back with joy, gratitude, and hope our Senior Pastor, Julie Pennington-Russell, from her 12-week sabbatical. Pastor Julie will assist with worship leadership this Sunday, and she will return to the pulpit next week: Sunday, August 25.
This week, we will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Mark DeVries. Mark spent 35 years in youth ministry, serving as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee for 28 years. Mark is the co-founder of Ministry Incubators and the founder and of Ministry Architects, the consulting group that has been working alongside First Baptist as they discern and begin to implement their next strategic chapter. Mark is the author of 12 books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry. He and his wife Susan make their home in Nashville, TN and have three grown children and four grandchildren.
Mark’s message on Sunday is “A Camino Kind of Church” from Mark 1:16-20. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 62:5-12 and Ephesians 1:15-23.
Worship Guide
This morning in worship, we continue the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?
The message today is “The Scent of the Spirit” from John 6:35, 41-51. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 34:1-8 and Ephesians 4:25-5:2.
We welcome to the pulpit Rev. Dr. Charlie Fuller. Charlie is a former Executive Pastor of The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC. After failing at retirement, he is currently director of Pathways to Ministry and Coach in Residence for Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Pathways to Ministry is a nearly quarter-century-old ministerial preparation program that, among other things, hires ministerial residents for two-year terms to engage in the practice of ministry.
In addition to his time with First Baptist, Charlie has also been a music professor, dean, music minister, chaplain, and transition pastor. The position in Dallas has brought him and his wife Cindy near to their two daughters and four grandchildren who live in the Dallas suburbs. Charlie is truly excited for the privilege of coming back home to FBCDC!
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This Sunday in worship, we continue the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?
The message this Sunday is “The Peacemakers' Journey” from Matthew 5:3-11. Accompanying scripture passages are Micah 6:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
We will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Sterling W. Severns. Sterling and his wife, Laura, are looking forward to being back among dear friends at FBCDC where he served as Associate Pastor from 1998 - 2004.
Since 2004, Sterling has served as the Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. During his twenty-year tenure, he has focused on rekindling Tabernacle's role as a teaching congregation, partnering with several seminaries and universities to mentor numerous pastoral residents and interns. Under his leadership, Tabernacle has become known for its innovative and participatory worship practices and strong commitment to inclusivity. Sterling guided the congregation through a year-long discernment process on sexuality, leading to the church becoming welcoming and affirming. He also led efforts to integrate diverse ethnic refugee communities from Myanmar into the church's life and leadership and was instrumental in the founding of ReEstablish Richmond, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping newly resettled refugees integrate into the broader Richmond community.
In recent years, Sterling has expanded his ministry by focusing on re-missioning work and equipping pastors around the world. This work involves leading online collectives for church leaders, helping them develop vision and tools to revitalize their congregations. Sterling's leadership is characterized by a wholistic vision that values the interconnectedness of human experiences and prioritizes equipping the church to love God and live like it.
Worship Guide
This morning in worship, we will welcome with gratitude to the pulpit Rev. Bruce Salmon. Bruce graciously agreed to preach on short notice, following a family emergency that impacted Aqueelah Ligonde's ability to be with us in person.
Bruce is a member of First Baptist Church, and retired pastor of Village Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland, where he served for 33 years. During that time he preached almost 1,500 original Sunday morning sermons. He taught a Sunday morning Pastor’s Class which read and discussed entire books of the Bible. He also led winter, summer, and Lenten Sunday evening Bible studies for adults. Before his service at Village, he served for eight years as associate pastor of Montgomery Hills Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Thus, his entire full-time ministerial career was served in two churches in suburban Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Salmon received the Bachelor of Arts with a major in English from Baylor University. He received the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University, with a specialization in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. Salmon served on several commissions of the Baptist World Alliance and several committees of the D.C. Baptist Convention. He is the author of several books, including Storytelling in Preaching (Broadman Press) and six titles published by Nurturing Faith Books. He also authored a cover feature for Preaching magazine, “Preaching Without a Net,” which is available online.
Bruce is husband to wife Linda, father to grown children Amy and Marc, and grandfather to granddaughter Ford.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the second sabbatical series of the summer, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?
The message this Sunday is “Who Can Withhold the Water?” from Acts 10:44-48. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 98 and John 9-17.
We will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Tiffany Triplett Henkel. Tiffany is the Pastor of Metro Baptist Church and Executive Director of Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in New York City, where she has served since 2005.
Prior to Metro, Tiffany served on the ministerial staff of Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville, TN where she was also Adjunct Professor of Religion at Belmont University. Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Samford University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
An active member of her community, Tiffany currently serves on the board of the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance and is a founding member of the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the second sabbatical series of the summer, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?
The message this Sunday is “The Longing for Belonging” from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 24:1-6 and John 15:1-8.
We will welcome to the pulpit noted speaker and author Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan is an award-winning faith and culture writer who has published hundreds of articles in outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, USA Today, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed and Christianity Today. He is the author of five critically-acclaimed books including Learning to Speak God from Scratch, named “Book of the Year” by Englewood Review.
Following worship this week, Jonathan hosted a book signing in the Narthex featuring his debut children’s book My Guncle and Me. You can purchase copies of My Guncle and Me or Jonathan’s book Speaking God from Scratch for on Amazon using the linked titles.
(note that there were technical difficulties - we had to use backup systems - and we apologize for the video and audio quality)
Worship Guide
This morning in worship we begin the second summer sabbatical series, “What Kind of Church.” Pastor Eric will preach the message titled, “The Dangerous Act of Worship.” The sermon text will be Luke 4:14-21. Accompanying passages will be Nehemiah 8:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. We will celebrate communion and collect a benevolence offering in worship, and enjoy our first Sunday potluck fellowship following worship.
Worship Guide
The FBCDC Chancel Choir leads worship inspired by hymns of the Presidents. This service includes hymns sung by the Chancel Choir and congregation, accompanied by readings that connect the hymns to the life and service of United States Presidents.
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This week we continue the summer sabbatical series, “One True Thing.” Our guest proclaimer will be Ben Sandford. He will be delivering the message titled, “It Depends on Your Perspective.” The sermon text will be Luke 10:25-37. Accompanying passages will be Deuteronomy 30:9-14 and Colossians 1:9-14.
Chaplain Bennett C. (“Ben”) Sandford, a native of Hampton, Virginia, entered active duty in 2001. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and he has earned a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His prior service includes 6 years in the Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Specialist.
His first assignment was on USS NORMANDY (CG 60) where he deployed for 6 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002. He then served at CREDO Norfolk from 2003-2006. Transferring to 2D Marine Division, he was assigned to 2D Battalion, 6th Marines, and deployed to Fallujah, Iraq for 7 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon his return, he was reassigned to 2D Combat Engineer Battalion. In January 2009, he reported to U.S. Marine Corps, Special Operations Command, and deployed with the Special Operations Task Force-82 to Herat, Afghanistan for 10 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Chaplain Sandford completed the Pastoral Care Residency program in 2011, and served at Naval Medical Center-Portsmouth in 2012-2014.
Upon promotion to Commander, he became the Director, Surface Forces Ministry Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Following this tour, he served as Command Chaplain, USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75), and deployed as the Carrier Strike Group EIGHT Chaplain during a 9-month deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Norwegian Sea. He was then assigned as Command Chaplain, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. After selecting for Captain, he was forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan as Wing Chaplain, 1st Marine Air Wing in November 2019. In 2022, he assumed the duties as Force Chaplain at III Marine Expeditionary Force. Chaplain Sandford became the current Director of Strategic Communication for the Chaplain Corps in July 2023.
Captain Sandford’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), Combat Action Ribbon (two awards), and various unit, campaign, and service awards. He is married to the former Lindsey Matthews, and he has three sons and a daughter.
Worship Guide
This week we continue the summer sabbatical series, “One True Thing.” Our guest proclaimer will be Kasey Jones. She will be delivering the message titled, “God is Faithful.” The sermon text will be 1 Kings 19:1-10. Accompanying passages will be 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 and Luke 12:22-31.
Rev. Kasey Jones serves as the Associate Coordinator of Outreach and Growth for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s (CBF) global office. The work brings together her organizing and ministry experience to help build God’s kingdom in more inclusive way by providing leadership to CBF’s racial justice and equity work.
Reverend Jones values and understands the importance of collaborative work between individuals and organizations. At her core, she believes both the faith community and local community are at their best when they work together cooperatively. Consequently, she has served on the local and national level for various Baptist bodies. She has served as an officer and national moderator to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The Baptist World Alliance chose her to participate in its Emerging Leaders Network. The Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention invited her to participate in their Pastoral Excellence Program.
Rev. Jones received her Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Howard University in Washington, DC.
In 2006, she became the first woman and African American to serve as Senior Pastor of National Baptist Memorial Church in Washington, DC where she served for nearly 12-years.
Prior to pursuing a call to ministry, Rev. Kasey Jones worked for more than 15+ years as a community organizer and advocate. She brings this background to her call in the form of expertise in program planning, community service, and advocacy work with both sacred and secular institutions at the local, national, and global levels. In all this work, she most enjoys developing initiatives that cultivate and challenge youth, adults, and seniors to use their individual and collective abilities to transform institutions and communities.
Worship Guide
Today we continue the summer sabbatical series, “One True Thing.” Our guest proclaimer will be Amanda Tyler. She will be delivering the message titled, “Freedom to Love.” The sermon text will be Galatians 5:1, 13-14. Accompanying passages will be Psalm 16 and John 15:9-17.
Amanda Tyler is executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), leading the organization as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty: defending the free exercise of religion and protecting against its establishment by government. She is the lead organizer of BJC’s Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign and co-host of BJC’s Respecting Religion podcast.
Tyler is the author of How to End Christian Nationalism, which will be published by Broadleaf Books on October 22, 2024.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, we continue the sabbatical sermon series One True Thing. In this sermon series, guest preachers are drawing from biblical texts that have deeply influenced their lives. This week’s preacher is Pastor Eric, preaching a message from Romans 8:31-39, titled Resurrection is Real. Supplemental texts are 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 and Matthew 28:1-10.
Worship Guide
Today is Pentecost Sunday. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowered believers in Jesus to praise God in many languages that they had not learned in the ordinary way. On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the multilingual, multicultural, multiracial mission of the church—a community in which all peoples are drawn together by God’s love in Christ.
This morning our guest proclaimer will be Rev. Dr. Charles “Chuck” Poole. He will be delivering the message titled, “Concerning the Wind of the Spirit.” The sermon text will be Acts 2:1-21. Accompanying passages will be Psalm 104:24-34, 35b and John 20:19-22.
Dr. Poole is a sought-after preacher and theologian who retired in 2022 from forty-five years of pastoral life, during which he served churches in Georgia, North Carolina, Washington DC, and Jackson, Mississippi. He was the sixteenth Senior Pastor of The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington from 1995-1997.
Chuck has served as a visiting preacher and teacher on the campuses of Mercer University, Furman University, The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, The Baptist House of Studies at Duke University, The McAfee School of Theology, Campbell University, Mississippi College, Gardner-Webb University and the Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was the founding teacher of the Wood Street Bible Class in Jackson, which he led for twenty-one years.
The author of nine books, numerous published articles, one gospel song, and the lyrics to three hymns, Chuck has served as a “minister on the street”, and as an advocate for interfaith conversation and welcome.
Chuck and Marcia now live in Birmingham, where Chuck serves on the staff of Together for Hope. Marcia and Chuck have a son, Joshua, a daughter, Maria, and ten grandchildren.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie concludes the sermon series,The Powerful Pause: Reclaiming Your Soul Through Sabbath with a message from Ephesians 2:4-10, titled Pause to Be. As Pastor Julie prepares to step away for her sabbatical, we will commission her and commit ourselves to the work of the church.
Worship, and the sermon, will remind us that who we are before God and who we are becoming before God outweighs and outlasts anything that we do. The invitation to all of us on Sunday will be: “Don’t let your work be your whole life. Be alive to the people around you. Be alive to your own soul. And be alive to God. Let who you are be so much more than what you do.” Supplemental texts are Psalm 23 and Matthew 11:28-30.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series,The Powerful Pause: Reclaiming Your Soul Through Sabbath with a message from Matthew 14:10, 12-23, titled Pause for Perspective.
Jesus showed us the holy rhythm of advance and retreat; of stepping in, then stepping away. Setting aside the time and space for silence, contemplation, and prayer is the source of Jesus’ discernment, freedom from other people’s agenda, and capacity to speak and act in profound ways. Supplemental texts are Psalm 55:1-8 and Ephesians 3:14-21.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series,The Powerful Pause: Reclaiming Your Soul Through Sabbath with a message from Exodus 3:1-12, titled Pause to Pay Attention.
In the story of Moses and the burning bush, Moses is willing to see, to pay attention to something that’s inviting him to deviate from his plans. God invites us to be fully present in whatever moment we happen to be. Supplemental texts are Matthew 6:24-34 and Philippians 4:4-9.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues her new sermon series,The Powerful Pause: Reclaiming Your Soul Through Sabbath with a message from Deuteronomy 5:6, 12-15.
Sabbath gives us the gift of freedom. A day of stopping is a day for us to know that we are in bondage to nothing in this world. When we keep a Sabbath, we’re practicing independence—at least for a day—from the frantic pace set by Wall Street, Washington, Hollywood, Amazon, and the culture around us. Supplemental texts are Luke 13:10-17 and Galatians 5:1-6, 13-14.
worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie begins a new sermon series,The Powerful Pause: Reclaiming Your Soul Through Sabbath with a message from Exodus 20:1-17, titled Pause Primer.
How astonishing that weekly rest and worship made it into God's list of Top Ten concerns. God’s good intention is that stopping, resting, and recalibrating be part of the regular rhythm of our living. Supplemental texts are Hebrews 4:1-11 and Mark 2:23-28.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie will preach the message "Breathing Out, Breathing In." Her message will focus on John 20:19-31. Supplemental texts are Psalm 133 and 1 John 1:1-2:2. In worship, we will take communion together, engage our Ministry Interest Survey, and collect a benevolence offering.
Worship Guide
Today we celebrate Christ’s resurrection with the flowered cross; the music of choir, organ, and brass; baptisms and communion; and a message of hope from Pastor Julie titled “Stronger Than Death.” Scripture passages are 1 Corinthians 13 and John 20:1-18. Enjoy conversation and refreshments at the after-worship reception on the 16th Street patio.
Worship Guide
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which will mark the beginning of Holy Week. In this Palm Sunday service we will journey with Jesus as he is welcomed in triumph upon entering Jerusalem and then betrayed, rejected, and arrested. Scripture readings will be Matthew 21:1-11, John 18:1-12, and John 18:12-27.
Embedded in worship will be Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, presented as a musical offering by our Chancel Choir, soloists, and organist. While a requiem is a musical setting of texts that are associated with death, dying, mourning, and grief, Fauré's Requiem distinguishes itself from others in that its music is characterized by comfort, serenity, peace, and tranquility. This 30-minute work will help us mark the start of Holy Week and hold space for a range of emotions as we follow Christ into the darkest of places before resurrection morning.
Worship Guide
In Matthew 18:15-22, Jesus teaches about community and repair. Peter, eager to learn, asks him a follow-up question. Jesus gives an expansive answer, emphasizing the abundance of forgiveness. This story shows the importance of asking questions and expanding our faith, especially when we’re comfortable not having all the answers and we’re open to seeing the world in more nuanced ways. Additional Scripture text is Psalm 119:9-16.
Worship Guide
Today is the Fourth Sunday in the 40-day season of Lent. As we make our way together toward Easter, we are walking beside Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ most well-known disciples, who also has something of a wandering heart.
In this morning's Gospel text, just moments after Jesus has praised Peter for his faith, saying, “You are the rock on which I’m going to build my church,” Jesus calls Peter Satan! (Ouch.) The text ends with Jesus’ invitation to the disciples and to us to take up our cross and follow the living Christ.
Scripture passages are Matthew 16:21-23 and Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22.
Worship Guide
Today marks the third Sunday in Lent. We will welcome the Furman Singers from Furman University, receive communion, and collect our first Sunday benevolence offering. Pastor Eric will offer a brief meditation in the continuing sermon series “Wandering Heart,” tracing the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most well-known disciples, Simon Peter. This week, Jesus refers to Simon Peter as “The Rock.” Scripture passages are Matthew 16:13-20 and Psalm 19.
Worship Guide
This Sunday marks the second Sunday in Lent. Pastor Julie continues the sermon series “Wandering Heart,” tracing the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most well-known disciples, Simon Peter. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter we may see ourselves. This week’s scripture passages are Matthew 14:22-33 and Psalm 22:23-31.
As we worship together this Lenten season, you will notice some changes to our usual patterns in worship. In the spirit of adding a spiritual practice, we will add a rhythm of confessing our sins to God. In the spirit of giving something up, we will replace our usual Doxology with an alternative Doxology. These small changes will remind us that we are journeying together through a season that is about adding and subtracting in ways that point us toward familiar and fresh expressions of following Christ.
Worship Guide
This Sunday marks the first Sunday in Lent. Pastor Julie begins the sermon series “Wandering Heart,” tracing the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most well-known disciples, Simon Peter. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter we may see ourselves. This week’s scripture passages are Luke 5:1-11 and Psalm 25:1-10.
As we worship together this Lenten season, you will notice some changes to our usual patterns in worship. In the spirit of adding a spiritual practice, we will add a rhythm of confessing our sins to God. In the spirit of giving something up, we will replace our usual Doxology with an alternative Doxology. These small changes will remind us that we are journeying together through a season that is about adding and subtracting in ways that point us toward familiar and fresh expressions of following Christ.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, we welcome guest proclaimer Paul Nixon who will preach the message Hush, Dear People, and Just Listen based on Mark 9:2-9. Other lectionary texts are Psalm 50:1-6.
Paul is author of multiple books on Christian leadership in a fast-changing age. He is president of The Epicenter Group, a coaching and leadership development organization based in Washington DC. Epicenter coaches about 100 church leaders each year in North America and the UK.
Paul grew up in southern California and came to faith there. His work has taken him to 49 of 50 states, and several nations working with a wide array of Christian leaders. Today he serves part time on the staff of UMC of Palm Springs, even as he continues to keep an office presence in Washington DC.
A long-time friend of Pastor Julie, Paul preached at her installation in 2016. Paul’s husband, Justin Kan, will worship with FBC as well.
Worship Guide
Do you ever feel as though you’re headed for a crash and burn—as though the pace of your life couldn’t get any faster? In this morning's sermon, Holy Rhythm, based on Mark 1:29-39, Jesus demonstrates this good news: that God made us to live and move to the holy rhythm of stepping in and stepping back, the cadence of advance and retreat. Additional Lectionary passages are Isaiah 40:21-31 and 1 Corinthians 9:16-23.
Worship Guide
This morning in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series, “Holy: Soul-Shaping Moments with Jesus.” Her message this Sunday is Holy Disruption, based on Mark 1:21-28, in which Jesus heals a man possessed by an evil spirit. New Testament scholar Brian Blount asks: will we go with Jesus and help him create the holy chaos he’s initiating, or will we do everything in our power to hinder him so we can maintain the status-quo?
Additional Lectionary passages are Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.
Worship Guide
Pastor Julie continues the sermon series, “Holy: Soul-Shaping Moments with Jesus.” Her message this Sunday is Holy Invitation, based on Mark 1:14-20, in which Jesus issues a holy, life-altering invitation to Simon, Andrew, James and John, to follow him. Additional Lectionary passages are Psalm 62:5-12 and 1 Corinthians 7:29-31.
Worship Guide
Pastor Julie begins a new sermon series titled Holy: Soul-Shaping Moments with Jesus. Her message this Sunday is Holy Affinity, based on John 1:43-51, in which Nathanael asks about Jesus, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" This story invites us to take up the holy practice of re-examining the assumptions by which we live.
Additional Lectionary passages are Genesis 1:1-5 and 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.
This morning, Pastor Julie preaches the message “Those Who Dream Persevere,” based on Matthew 2:1-12. Additional Lectionary passages are Isaiah 60:1-6 and Acts 19:1-7.
As is our first Sunday of the month custom, we will celebrate communion together. We will return to our practice of taking the bread and the cup by intinction: dipping a gluten-free wafer into a cup of juice. (Only those serving communion will touch the wafer, and they will sanitize their hands prior to serving.)
We also will be invited to create “star words” or “star gifts,” an Epiphany prayer practice observed by Protestant congregations around the world for some time. The word you choose, or discover in prayer, becomes an intention or guiding word for the new year.
Worship Guide
“And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger…” Celebrate Christmas Eve with First Baptist Church. Worship includes Christmas carols, the music of choir, organ, brass, holy communion, and a Christmas Eve meditation from Pastor Julie. The service ends with the lighting of congregational candles.
worship Guide
The holidays are marked by celebrations, yet they are often stressful or sad for those experiencing grief of any kind, especially the death of loved ones in the last year. Join us on Sunday, December 17, at 4:00 p.m. for Blue Christmas: A Service of Consolation.
Let the music of the Chancel Choir, the comforting words of Scripture and poetry, and words of hope from Pastor Julie bring peace to your tired soul. The service concludes with the lighting of candles in memory of people who have died, and/or in acknowledgment of other kinds of grief we carry. Please consider inviting and accompanying someone you know who needs some comfort and hope this year.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the Advent series, Those Who Dream. Pastor Julie will preach the message “Those Who Dream Sow Joy” from Luke 1:46-55 in which Mary’s song of praise calls us to rejoice in the coming birth of the Savior. Lectionary texts are Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24.
Ultimately, dreams sow joy, even if that joy doesn’t immediately spring forth. Sowing seeds into the soil always feels risky and feeble—how can something so small become something so beautiful, so big, and so nourishing? Like Mary, we are called to tend and nurture the dreams God has woven into us.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the Advent series, Those Who Dream. Pastor Julie will preach the message “Those Who Dream Prepare the Way” from Mark 1:1-8, in which John the Baptist calls the crowds (including us) to the journey of repentance and transformation. Lectionary texts are Isaiah 40:1-11 and 2 Peter 3::8-15.
Those who dream prepare the way for God’s message of love and liberation to be shouted, heard, and received. Those who dream lay the ground for righteousness and peace to join hands—for faithfulness to spring up from the ground (Ps. 85:10-11).
Worship Guide
In worship we light the Advent candle of Hope, and Pastor Julie will preach the message “Those Who Dream Keep Awake.” Lectionary texts are Mark 13:24-37, Isaiah 64:1-9, and 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. We will also observe communion and collect a benevolence offering.
Worship Guide
This morning in worship, we celebrate the reign of Christ Sunday. Pastor Julie will preach the message “Your Lips Say Yes, But …” from Matthew 21:23-32. Additional lectionary readings are Psalm 100 and Ephesians 1:15-23. The choir will sing the anthems “Christus Paradox” by Fedak and “The Old 100th Psalm Tune” by Vaughan Williams.
The Wholly Generous sermon series concludes this Sunday with Pastor Julie’s sermon, On Not Playing it Safe, based on Matthew 25:14-30. Other readings are 1 Chronicles 29:10-14 and Ephesians 3:8-9, 14-21.
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the “Wholly Generous” sermon series with the message, Unclenched, based on Luke's telling of the story of the impoverished widow who gave away all she had to live on (Lk. 20:45-47 – 21:1-6). Other scripture readings are Psalm 90 and 1 John 3:1-3.
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This Sunday in worship, we celebrate All Saints Day and begin a new series: Wholly Generous. One of our consultants from Ministry Architects, Rev. Dr. Aqueelah Ligonde, will be preaching the message, Exceeding Expectations for God’s Church, based on Matthew 23:1-12, Hebrews 12:1-3, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.
Worship Guide
The sermon series God on the Move concludes today with Pastor Julie preaching the sermon, The God Who Keeps Faith, based on Deuteronomy 34:1-12. Other scripture readings are from 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 and Matthew 22:34-40.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the sermon series “God on the Move.” Pastor Eric will preach the message “The God Who Gives Grace” from Exodus 33:12-23. Additional scripture readings are 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and Matthew 22:15-22.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we continue the sermon series God on the Move, journeying with the Israelites from slavery to freedom. Pastor Julie will preach the sermon The God Who Relents, based on Exodus 32:1-14. Accompanying scripture readings are Matthew 22:1-14 and Philippians 4:1-9.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, we continue to gather around the book of Exodus. Pastor Julie will preach the sermon The God Who Commands, which centers on the story of God giving Moses the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 20:1-4, 7-10a, 12-20. Accompanying scripture readings are Philippians 3:4b-14 and Matthew 21:33-46.
Worship Guide
Pastor Julie continues preaching from the sermon series, “God on the Move” with a sermon based on Exodus 17:1-7 entitled, The God Who Provides. Additional lectionary readings are Philippians 2:1-13 and Matthew 21:23-32.
In conjunction with other Christian communions and believers worldwide, we celebrate World Communion Sunday to recognize our unity in Christ.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message, The God Who Feeds, based on Exodus 16:2-15, a story of grumbling and grace, as God feeds the wandering, complaining Israelites with enough food for their daily need. Additional Lectionary texts are Philippians 1:21-30 and Matthew 20:1-16.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message, The God Who Rescues, based on the story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Sea in Exodus 14:19-31. Additional Lectionary texts are Romans 14:1-12 and Exodus 14:19-31.
Worship Guide
Today in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message, God on the Move, based on the story of the Passover in Exodus 12:1-14. Additional Lectionary texts are Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 18:15-20.
This week is the second week in a 9-week series of messages from Exodus, titled God on the Move. The book of Exodus paints on a wide canvas the story of a liberating God who leads a rebellious people on a risky journey filled with failures, fresh chances, and unfailing love.
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Eric preaches the message, The God Who Sends, based on the story of Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-15. Additional Lectionary texts are Psalm 105:1-6 and Matthew 16:21-28.
This week begins a 9-week series of messages from Exodus, titled God on the Move. The book of Exodus paints on a wide canvas the story of a liberating God who leads a rebellious people on a risky journey filled with failures, fresh chances, and unfailing love.
As the Chancel Choir concludes their summer break, tenor Kevin Pinckney provides musical leadership in worship.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message “Please Show Your Work," based on Matthew 16:30-20, when Jesus asks Peter: “Who do you say I am?” Peter’s continued dialogue with Jesus is seen by many as the foundation for the church. Additional Lectionary texts are Psalm 124 and Romans 12:1-8.
This week, as the Chancel Choir continues their summer break, tenor Aurelio Dominguez will provide musical leadership in worship.
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message “Teaching Jesus” from Matthew 15:21-28. In this story, Jesus encounters the Canaanite woman who opens up a new dimension in Jesus. This story invites us to consider how the call of Christ to us means pushing old boundaries, embracing outsiders, and opening ourselves to the “other.” Additional lectionary texts are Psalm 133 and Romans 11:1-2a, 29-36.
The Chancel Choircontinue their summer break, and we welcome Antony Zwerdling, baritone as our cantor and soloist.
Worship Guide
Jesus Calms the Storm ©Laura James, 1996 Used with permission
This week in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message “Take Heart. God is Present. Don’t Be Afraid," based on Matthew 14:22-33, when Jesus meets Peter on the stormy sea. This Gospel story invites us to experience the Christ who loves us no matter what, who holds our lives, and will not let go. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 105:1-6 and Romans 10:5-15.
Our Chancel Choir continues their summer break through September 3. In their absence, soprano Kelly Curtin will serve as cantor and will sing The Lord is My Shepherd by Antonín Dvořák and Alleluia by W. A. Mozart.
Worship Guide
This week in worship, Pastor Julie preaches the message “God of Abundance.” Her sermon will be based on Matthew 14:13-21, which tells Jesus' miracle of the loaves and fishes - ultimately a sign of the abundance of God. Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 17:1-7, 15 and Romans 9:1-5.
Worship Guide
Pastor Julie preaches the sermon entitled, Hidden in Plain Sight, based on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-51. Other texts include Psalm 105:1-11 and Romans 8:31-39. This week, we look at brief parables in Matthew 13 about the kindom of God. In the most common, everyday things and experiences are signs of the kingdom of heaven; clues to all the holiness hidden in the ordinariness of our days.
Worship Guide
This Morning in worship, Pastor Eric preaches the sermon “The Wisdom of Wheat.” We examine another of Jesus' parables in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. Like last week’s Gospel reading, this passage contains a parable with images of sowing seeds.
While last week’s sower liberally spread seeds on every kind of ground with mixed results, this week’s sower presumably uses good ground, but also gets mixed results because of the actions of an enemy. Additional texts are Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 and Romans 8:12-25.
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This Sunday, Pastor Julie preaches the message The Hilarious Farmer based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. Reflecting on this text, also known as The Parable of the Sower, preaching professor Tom Long concludes: "...the church is called to ‘waste itself,’ to throw grace around like there is no tomorrow..."
Additional scripture texts are Psalm 119:105-112 and Romans 8:1-6, 11. The Chancel Choir sings “The Word Was God” by Rosephanye Powell.
Worship Guide
Bruce Salmon
"Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Today, Bruce Salmon will preach the message Find Rest based on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30. Additional scripture texts are Psalm 45:10-17 and Romans 7:15-25a. The Chancel Choir will sing “Come, Ye Disconsolate” by Terre Johnson.
We share communion today.
Worship Guide
Today, Pastor Julie preached the message Interdependence Day based on Hebrews 12:28-13:2. "Keep loving each other like family," says the writer of Hebrews. AND..."Don’t neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Additional scripture texts are Psalm 13 and Matthew 10:40-42. The Chancel Choir will sing “Offertory” by John Ness Beck, a lovely musical setting based on Micah 6:8.
This Sunday in worship Pastor Julie preaches the message “The Original Handmaid’s Tale,” focusing on the painful story of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:8-21. The Bible is full of powerful stories about problematic people in messy, complicated situations. The story of Hagar and Ishmael is what Bible scholar Phyllis Trible calls a "text of terror." Womanist theologian Delores Williams says Hagar’s story is a story of "slavery, surrogacy, poverty, rape, exploitation, desperation, homelessness, single parenting, and radical encounters with God."
And...Hagar also is the only person in the Hebrew Bible to give God a name: El Roi—"the God who sees me."
Accompanying Lectionary passages are Romans 6:1b-11 and Matthew 10:26-31. The choir sings the anthem “With a Voice of Singing,” and we commission and bless Education for Ministry graduates.
worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie will preach the message, Moved with Compassion, based on Matthew 9:35-38. Accompanying texts are Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 and Romans 5:1-8. The choir will sing the anthem, Lord of the Small. Enjoy coffee and conversation with one another in the Narthex before worship.
Worship Guide
Sermon Text: Matthew 18:15-20
Scripture Readings: Psalm 133 and Romans 13:8-14
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie will preach the message “Facing Conflict in the Spirit of Christ.” Her sermon text will be Matthew 18:15-20, and accompanying texts will be Psalm 133 and Romans 13:8-14. The choir will sing the anthem “Lord, When We Praise You with Glorious Music,” and we will sing a new hymn text and tune “In the Midst of New Dimensions.”
worship Guide
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. We celebrate God as revealed in three persons - Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. We will gather around Matthew 28:16-20, the familiar passage of scripture known as the Great Commission. Pastor Eric will preach the sermon The Not-So-Great Commission. Additional scripture readings are: Psalm 8 and 2 Corinthians 13:11-13.
We will share communion together in worship and, as is FBC’s custom on communion Sundays, we’ll have an opportunity to give to FBC’s benevolence fund.
Worship Guide
Based on Numbers 11:24-30; 1 Corinthians 12:12-20; and John 20:19-23
This Sunday in worship we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Christ followers after his ascent to heaven. Pastor Julie will preach the message Wind, Fire, Flesh. The Chancel Choir will sing Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me and the gospel anthem Praise God’s Holy Name.
Worship Guide
Based on Psalm 68:4-10, 19-20, Acts 1:6-11, and Luke 24:46-53
This Sunday in worship we gather around the story of Christ ascending into heaven. Just before he was taken from his followers, Jesus said to them “… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Jesus called the disciples to bear witness of Christ in the world, and we are to do the same.
In worship we will welcome guest proclaimer Jeff Chu, who will preach the sermon Witnesses.
Worship Guide
Based on John 14:15-21
Today in worship we gather around the words of Jesus during his final supper with his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The Chancel Choir sings two anthems based on the John 14 text. Other Lectionary texts are Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 and Acts 17:22-28.
Worship Guide Artwork : Kelly Latimore, Our Lady of the Journey: Mothers
This Sunday in worship, we gather around the promise that God always, always intends life and invites us—in every moment—to choose life.
We also will share communion and, at the end of worship, you'll have an opportunity to contribute to FBC's benevolence offering. Additional lectionary texts are Acts 10:27-36 and John 12:20-26.
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, we gather around one of Jesus' seven “I am” statements found in the gospel of John: “I am the gate of the sheep … whoever enters through me will be saved.” Pastor Julie will preach the message, Discerning Love’s Voice. Additional lectionary texts are Psalm 23 and Acts 2:42-47.
Worship Guide
Based on Luke 24:13-35
This Sunday in worship, we gather around the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Pastor Julie will preach the message, The Breaking and the Burning. Additional lectionary texts are Psalm 19:1-6 and Acts 2:14a, 36-41.
Scripture Readings: Psalm 19:1-6, Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Cover art: Emmaus by Janet Brooks Gerloff
Worship Guide
This Sunday in worship, longtime friend and former staff member of FBCDC, Lanny Peters, will preach the message, “Welcoming Belief and Unbelief,” based on John 20:19-31. Additional lectionary texts are Isaiah 25:6-9 and 1 Peter 1:3-9.
Based on John 20:19-31
Lanny served as "Parish Minister" at FBCDC from 1982 to 1989 and is returning to Washington this weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his ordination by First Baptist Church in 1983. Lanny retired from pastoral ministry in 2017 after serving as pastor of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA, for 28 years. He is married to Karen and they have two adult sons, Thomas and Ashe.
Celebrate the resurrection of Christ at FBC and offer hospitality to our community on the brightest day of the Christian year. Bring a flower or two to adorn the flowering cross. Worship at 11am includes the music of choir, organ, and brass; the reading of the Easter story; a message of hope from Pastor Julie; Holy Communion; and an invitation to join the Chancel Choir in singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. Cookies and conversation after worship at a reception on the front patio.
Based on John 20:1-18
Worship Guide
Remember Christ’s suffering and crucifixion through choral music and the reading of the Passion narratives from Scripture. The sanctuary grows darker as we extinguish a candle after each reading.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. Pastor Julie will continue her sermon series “Seeking” with a message titled “Where are you headed?”The Gospel passage is Matthew 21:1-11 and the accompanying Lectionary texts are Isaiah 50:4-9a and Philippians 2:5-11.
In the Palm Sunday story, we see simultaneously-occurring parades of Jesus and Pontius Pilate entering Jerusalem. The question for us, essentially, is this: In which parade will we participate?
Message Text: Matthew 21:1-11
This Sunday, Pastor Julie continues the Lenten sermon series “Seeking,” with the message “Can these bones live?” The lectionary passages from Ezekiel 37 and John 11 focus on the stories of the prophet Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones and the raising of Lazarus.
As author and Bible commentator Danielle Shroyer observes: “God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. Jesus tells those gathered to unbind Lazarus and let him go. This ridiculous, radical hope is ours not only to hold, but to proclaim.”
Message Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Pastor Julie continues the Lenten sermon series, Seeking: honest questions for deeper faith. This week's message is titled “Who Sinned?”
When it comes to faith, sometimes there are unhelpful questions—questions formed by assumptions. Questions that lead to judgment and/or isolation. When Jesus and the disciples encounter a blind man along the way, the disciples ask, “Teacher, whose sins—this man's or his parents'—caused him to be born blind?" (John 9:2). This unhelpful question assumes that illness and disability are the result of sin. It assumes that the man deserves to be born blind. It assumes that physical blindness is a form of failure.
How might this story have unfolded had more helpful questions been asked? This week, with the Spirit's help, let us pay attention to the questions we ask and the assumptions we carry.
Message Text: John 9:1-41
In the John 4 passage, Jesus seeks out connection with a Samaritan woman drawing water from the well. His question to her, “Will you give me a drink?” is an invitation to a new way of life. In their encounter, Jesus challenges Jewish and Samaritan assumptions about cultural and religious boundaries. He also sees the woman fully, and she leaves the well transformed.
This week, we might imagine ourselves at the well. Are we willing to let our assumptions be challenged? Are we open to seeking living waters that sustain us all? Are we willing to be changed by an encounter with the living Christ?
Message Text: John 4:5-30; 39-42
Lectionary Texts: Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11
The story of Nicodemus who asks the essential question: what does it mean to start over? Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the veil of night to ask him big faith questions. As a leader of Jewish law, Nicodemus holds beliefs that no longer align with the kingdom of God Jesus embodies. Jesus invites him to begin again, to learn a new way of knowing and living out his faith. In Genesis, God commands Abram and Sarai to leave everything—their home, their family, their land—to seek the land of Canaan and begin again. At 75 years old, Abram is called to start over, but through this new beginning, God creates a new family and a new nation. Like Nicodemus, what are the questions we ask in the dark? Like Abram and Sarai, how do we follow God’s calling to begin again?
In order to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking, we must maintain a posture of listening, staying open and curious instead of cautious and closed off. In our focal texts for this week, we see two different examples of listening. Seeking the fruit of the garden, Adam and Eve allow the snake’s manipulative voice to become louder than God’s voice. In the wilderness, Jesus defies the deception of the tempter by listening intuitively—to God, to his inner moral compass, to the teachings of his faith.
And so, who will you listen to? What sources do you seek for news, information, and media? Whose voices—and what messages—occupy the most space in your head? From the onslaught of messaging we receive, we are invited to choose carefully. Faith practices can help us listen and filter what we’re hearing to discern God’s voice.
Message Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Lectionary Texts: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 Romans 5:12-19
worship guide
FBC's Lenten journey begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22. This year's 25-minute Ash Wednesday service will be online only, streamed live from the sanctuary at noon
This Sunday, we follow Jesus and three disciples up a mountain. As they stand on the summit, Jesus is changed—“transfigured”—before their eyes, his face shining like the sun and his clothes becoming bright as light. The mysterious story of Jesus' transfiguration has a way of stripping away some of our assumptions and certitudes, opening us to the healing gift of God's presence.
Based on Matthew 17:1-9
Other Lectionary passages: Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21
Worship Guide
Born to Frank and Lucy Marceron in Washington, D.C, Marvin graduated from Coolidge High School in 1952. He married his high school sweetheart, Patty Anderson, in 1953 and was drafted during the Korean War. After two years in the Army, he worked for the Army Map Service. He continued to work as a civilian for the Army Corp of Engineers until his retirement in 1989.
He found joy in serving the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., where he was baptized in 1953, and served the church in many leadership roles, including as moderator, deacon and welcomer on Sunday mornings.
Marvin Marceron Celebration of Life Guide
This week, we welcome Dr. Eileen Guenther as our Winter Forum guest. Dr. Guenther has spent a lifetime studying and teaching music from black communities, specifically Spirituals. In worship, Dr. Guenther will preach the sermon “The Power of Spirituals,” and our choir and soloists will lead the congregation in singing and engaging this important music. This week, we will deviate from Lectionary texts to use scripture readings that connect with Dr. Guenther’s sermon.
Scripture passages:
Isaiah 61:1
Galatians 4:28-5:1
John 8:31-36
Worship Guide
Worship Guide This Sunday we ask together: "What does it mean to be a Christian?" The Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth it means, quite simply, to tell the truth about Jesus and that he was crucified. Why did Paul feel the need to include the crucifixion? Can't we just bypass the upsetting part about the cross and get on with the good news of resurrection? Join us this Sunday as we ask these questions and more...
Sermon Text:
1 Corinthians 2:1-12
Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 58:1-9a
Matthew 5:13-16
Worship Guide This Sunday in worship, we take hold of the question, "What does it mean to be a 'fool' for Christ?" The Chancel Choir will sing the anthem "Offertory" by John Ness Beck and baritone Gustavo Ahualli will sing "The Prayer of St Francis" by Olive Dungan.
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Lectionary Readings:
Micah 6:6-8
Matthew 5:1-12
We welcome Rev. Dr. Trisha Miller Manarin, the Executive Director/Minister of the DC Baptist Convention, as our guest proclaimer. Her sermon title is Would You Like to Go Fishing? based on Matthew 4:12-23.
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:12-23
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 9:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
worship GUide
Worship Guide This weekend celebrates the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will honor his legacy in worship through music, prayers, litanies, and Pastor Julie's message "Light Bearer."
Sermon Text: Matthew 3:1-12
Scripture Readings: Psalm 40:1-11 and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
This week in worship, we observe Epiphany Sunday. Epiphany marks the revelation of the Christ child to the magi who traveled from afar to worship and present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Epiphany reminds us that from the beginning of his life, Jesus shone forth as God’s great reveal to the whole world. Pastor Julie will preach the message “Home By Another Way,” and the Chancel Choir will sing “Thou Shalt Know Him” by Mark Sirett.
Lectionary Passages:Isaiah 60:1-6
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 2:1-12
Luke 2:8-20
"To you is born this day…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!"
Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with First Baptist Church. Worship includes Christmas carols, the music of choir and organ, and a Christmas Day meditation from Pastor Julie.
Worship Guide
Worship Guide The holidays are marked by celebrations, yet they are often stressful or sad for those experiencing grief of any kind, especially the death of loved ones in the last year. Let the music of the Chancel Choir, the comforting words of scripture and poetry, and words of hope from Pastor Julie bring peace to your tired soul. The service concludes with the lighting of candles in memory of people who have died, and/or in acknowledgment of other kinds of grief we carry.
Worship Guide Isaiah 12:2-6 | Luke 1:39-55
This week in worship we return to Mary's experience found in Luke 1:39-55. After receiving the news from the angel, she retreats to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. When Mary arrives, Elizabeth doesn’t just welcome her—she is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks a blessing upon Mary as her own child leaps and kicks within her womb. She sees how God is at work and names it out loud. In this moment of profound solidarity, Mary and Elizabeth see the divine in one another.
From generation to generation, we can see how God is at work in our relationships. The way we see the divine in each other impacts how we live and move in the world. When we view every human being as a child of God, we generate a different world.
Capture the joy of the season with a beloved First Baptist tradition featuring the First Baptist Chancel Choir, 6,000-pipe Austin organ, and brass and timpani. A love offering will be collected in support of Charlie’s Place, a local organization serving unhoused and underserved populations in the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights.
Matthew 1:18-25 | Isaiah 35:1-10
This week, we continue with the season of Advent and our theme “From Generation to Generation.” In worship, we will focus on the story of Joseph with scripture passages from Isaiah 35:1-10 and Matthew 1:18-25.
As far as Joseph knows, his new wife has been unfaithful to him and broken their marriage contract. And yet, instead of punishment, he chooses not to publicly disgrace or humiliate her. This interruption in his life becomes a holy invitation when the angel comes to him in a dream and says, “Do not be afraid.” When he awakes, Joseph once again has the courage to choose a better way. He chooses to stay with Mary, to become an adoptive parent. He chooses peace over violence, grace over condemnation.
When have our ancestors also chosen a better way, and when have they not? Isaiah 35 is a vision of what happens when we choose a better way: the wilderness blooms, water breaks forth in the desert, eyes are opened, ears are unstopped, sorrow and sadness flee away. A highway shall appear and it will become a holy way.
Worship Guide
This week, we continue with the season of Advent. Our central scripture passages this week are Luke 1:26-38 and Isaiah 11:1-10. They remind us that God meets us in our fear. When the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, she is perplexed and confused—and no doubt, afraid. And yet, the angel’s news is: “Do not be afraid.” We hear this refrain all throughout the Christmas story and remember it is the most common phrase in all the Bible.
From generation to generation, God shows up in the midst of our fear and uncertainty and confusion. From generation to generation, faithful people have said “yes” despite apprehension. From generation to generation, our ancestors in faith have accepted the invitation. The prophecy in Isaiah paints a vision of what we work toward when we say “yes”: righteousness and equity reign, the wolf lives with the lamb, no harm or hurt shall destroy the earth, a child shall lead the way.
Worship Guide
On Sunday, November 27, we gather around the scripture passages of Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 1:1-17. As Pastor Julie preaches and we begin singing familiar Advent music, we begin the journey toward Christmas remembering that there is room for everyone’s story.
Worship guide
Worship Guide
Gratitude SundayNovember 20, is Gratitude Sunday. As part of a special offering, all worshipers will be invited to bring forward their pledge cards for the Give It Forward capital campaign for our new community building.
Pastor Julie will preach the message “More than Enough,” and the Chancel Choir, brass quartet, and organ will lead us in worship.
Scripture Readings:
- Psalm 145:1-10
- Colossians 3:12-17
- Luke 1:68-79
Worship Guide
This week in worship, Pastor Joel preaches “The Prescription for a Crumbling Foundation,” and we gather around Jesus’ teaching that foreshadowed the destruction of the Temple.
The Gospel reading is Luke 25:1-19. Other Lectionary readings are Isaiah 65:17-25 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.
The Chancel Choir will sing “Blessed Quietness” arranged by Dr. Schreiber for the 50th anniversary of the First Baptist sanctuary. We will also welcome 13-year-old organist Storeé N. Denson, a student of Dr. Schreiber, who will play the postlude.
**ALL SAINTS SUNDAY (Observed)
Sermon Text: Luke 22:54-62
Message: The Making of a Saint
Lectionary Texts:** Psalm 90:1-6, 10, 12, Ephesians 1:11-23
This week in worship we celebrate All Saints Day. We will celebrate the lives of FBC members who have died in Christ—Charlyne Stadel, Melvyn Prince, and Ivie Davis—and others, and we will give thanks for those great witnesses who are living in our midst today. We also will share Communion together.
Worship Guide
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This week in worship, we gather around the story of Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors. Pastor Julie will preach a sermon entitled “Pursuing Love,” reminding us of the pursuing love of Christ.
Sermon Text: Luke 19:1-10
Message: Pursuing Love
Lectionary Texts: Psalm 119:137-144, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12
worship Guide
In worship this week, we welcome Fall Forum guest Dr. Sarah Willie-LeBreton to the pulpit. She will preach the sermon titled “My People Shall Never Be Ashamed: Abundance, Loneliness, the Finished Race and the Good Fight.”
We will gather around the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14 and other Lectionary texts from Joel 2:23-32 and 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18.
This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie will be preaching as we gather around the parable of the persistent widow from Luke 18:1-8. Luke says Jesus told this parable to encourage the disciples to pray continuously and not be discouraged. Other Lectionary texts are Jeremiah 31:27-34 and 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5.
This week in worship, Pastor Julie will preach the message, One In Ten. We gather around the story of the Ten Lepers. One of the ten defies orders and comes back to say thanks, and calls us to examine the relationship between gratitude and wholeness.
Lectionary Texts
- Luke 17:11-19
- Psalm 66:1-12
- 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Worship Guide
On World Communion Sunday - Baptists, in conjunction with other denominations and believers worldwide, participate in communion to recognize our unity in Jesus Christ. We will gather around the table and Jesus’ teaching on faith the size of a mustard seed. Faith is not a recipe, or incantation, but an invitation to go and live according to what you have seen, heard, and know. We will collect a benevolence offering after worship, and enjoy a potluck together in the fellowship hall.
Sermon Text: Luke 17:5-10
Lectionary Texts: 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Psalm 37:1-9
View on Vimeo
Note: March 13, Full to the Brim: Under God’s Wing, Pastor Eric Preaching, is not included due to technical issues.
FOUR-PART SERMON SERIES: SURPRISES FOR EVERYONE
Jesus often surprised people who were expecting something different from him. In these four weeks ahead we'll hear how he surprised insiders, skeptics, the sidelined, and grudge-holders.
Watch on Vimeo
The stories from early in Jesus’ life and ministry give us glimpses of a meaningful, joyful life. An alternative to the “try harder” or “do better” mentality common at the beginning of a new year with its emphasis on resolutions and plans, this series helps us find the joy already present in our lives, grounded in God’s continuous presence.
View on Vimeo
First Baptist Church and National City Christian Church combined worship in July. Beginning Sunday, July 4, worship is led by the pastors, musicians and laypeople (including children and youth) of both churches.
Message: We Are Not Reconciled - Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Sermon text: 2 Corinthians 5: 11-20
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/6ck_Ek5Cpe/
Message: Cracked Open: Cracked Open: Give it Forward - Walk Humbly (Pastor Julie)
Sermon text: Micah 6:6-8
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/6ckv3n8y1E/
Message: Cracked Open: Cracked Open: Give it Forward - Love Kindness (Pastor Julie)
Sermon text: Micah 6:6-8, Titus 3:3-5a
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/6ckh3oRViE/
Message: Cracked Open: Cracked Open: Give it Forward - Do Justice (Pastor Julie)
Sermon text: Micah 6:6-8
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/6ck0TQSzFj/
Message: Cracked Open: Preparing to "Give it Forward" (Pastor Julie)
Sermon text: Mark 14:3-9 (read by Beryl Dennis)
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/5yYlFR1z5q/
Pastor Julie
Message: God Our Mother (Pastor Julie)
Sermon text: Psalm 131 (read by Angus Prichard)
Watch entire service on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/5rXtxGhUHV/
October Sermon Series For the Living of These DaysInvitations to Wholeness in Turbulent Times
Practice PeaceGathering Time: (Pastor Alyssa)
Welcome and Call to Worship (Pastor Joel)
Choral Introit: Christ is Made the Sure Foundation (Chancel Choir)
Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:25-29, 34 (Pastor Alyssa)
Passing the Peace (Pastor Alyssa)
Hymn: Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine (Chancel Choir)
Pastoral Prayer & Invitation for Prayer Requests (Pastor Joel)
Anthem: The Prayer of Saint Francis (Chancel Choir)
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-9 (Rosemary Plovnick)
Meditation: For the Living of These Days: Practice Peace (Pastor Julie)
Invitation to Silence (Pastor Julie)
Response to God's Grace (Pastor Alyssa)
Closing Words (Pastor Julie)
Benediction (Pastor Julie)
Sending Words (Charlotte Straight)
Organ Postlude: All Through the Night Arr. by John Ferguson, Edited by Lawrence P. Schreiber (Lon Schreiber)
October Sermon Series For the Living of These DaysInvitations to Wholeness in Turbulent Times
Remember SabbathWelcome (Pastor Alyssa)
Choral Introit: God of the Prophets (Chancel Choir)
Morning Light: Adaptation of Psalm 19 (Diane Gardner)
Passing the Peace (Diane Gardner)
Hymn: All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly (Chancel Choir)
Organ Meditation: Sarabande (Land of Rest) (Lawrence P. Schreiber)
Pastoral Prayer & Invitation for Prayer Requests (Pastor Julie)
Scripture Readings: Exodus 20:8-11 & Matthew 12:1-14 (Pastor Joel)
Meditation: For the Living of These Days: Remember Sabbath (Pastor Julie)
Invitation to Silence (Pastor Julie)
Communion (Pastor Julie, Pastor Joel, Aurelio, Miriam, Abigail, Pastor Alyssa, Angus, John, Christina)
Closing Words (Pastor Alyssa)
Benediction (Pastor Julie)
Sending Words ( Taylor Pennington-Russell)
Organ Postlude: Allegro Maestoso e Vivace (Sonata II) by Felix Mendelssohn (Lon Schreiber)
Gathering Time (hosted by Rob Marus)
Welcome and Call to Worship (Pastor Julie)
Morning Light: Philippians 2:1-11 (Jennifer Campbell)
Choral Introit (Chancel Choir)
Passing the Peace (Pastor Joel)
Hymn: The God of Abraham Praise (Chancel Choir)
Pastoral Prayer & Invitation for Prayer Requests (Pastor Alyssa)
Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:23-32 (Pastor Joel)
Meditation: Yes and No (Pastor Julie)
Invitation to Silence
Response to God’s Grace
Closing Words(Pastor Joel)
Benediction (Pastor Julie)
Closing Celebration: God Be with You till We Meet Again
Sending Words (Layton and Tanisha)
Organ Postlude: Maestoso in C Sharp Minor Louis Vierne/Arr. by Alexander Schreiner (Lon Schreiber)
Gathering Time (hosted by Kelly Magee-Prichard and Taylor Pennington-Russell)
Welcome and Call to Worship (Pastor Julie)
Choral Introit: Jubilate! (arr. Lon Schreiber)
Passing the Peace (Pastor Joel)
Hymn: Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud (recorded this week by Chancel Choir)
Anthem: How Majestic is thy Name by Emma Lou Diemer
Pastoral Prayer (Philip Hawkins)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (Pastor Alyssa)
Meditation: You Are Here(Pastor Alyssa)
Invitation to Silence
Communion (Pastor Julie)
Benediction (Pastor Alyssa)
Closing Song: God Be with You Till We Meet Again
Sending Words (Lon Schreiber)
Organ Postlude: Immortal, invisible, God Only Wise (Lon Schreiber)
Worship on this Independence Day weekend (July 4-5) consists of pre-recorded elements from some of FBC's online worship services since March and includes the faces and participation of FBC folk as well as music by our choir and organist Lon Schreiber. We will NOT meet live tomorrow morning, July 5. Live worship resumes next Sunday, July 12.
Order of Selections:
- 00:06 Psalm 46 Call to Worship (March 29)
- 00:46 Easter Call to Worship: He is Risen! (April 12)
- 02:02Handel's Hallelujah (April 12)
- 05:59Contemplative Practice with Pastor Julie: "Beginner's Mind" (May 10)
- 10:49 Pentecost Hymn: Wind Who Makes all Winds That Blow (May 31)
- 13:25 Pentecost Call to Worship in Different Languages: Acts 2:1-21 (May 31)
- 17:46 Father's Day Tribute (June 21)
- 20:36 Postlude: Hornpipe by G. F. Handel, Lon Schreiber, Organist (July 7, 2017)
Gathering Time (hosted by Lucy Plovnick) Meditation: Holy Contradiction: Lament & Laughter Scripture Text: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Gathering Time (hosted by Kelly Magee-Prichard & Taylor Pennington-Russell) Meditation: Holy Contradiction: Passion and Peace Scripture Text: Philippians 3:8-14, 4:6-7
Gathering Time (hosted by Chelsea Clarke)
Congregational Hymn: For Such a Time As This (with Chancel Choir)
Pastoral Prayer (Pastor Alyssa)
Scripture Text: Psalm 8 (read by Linda Salmon)
Meditation: Cultivating Wonder (Pastor Julie)
Holy Communion: Please bring elements to represent the bread and wine.
Sending Words: Rebecca Vander Veer
Sending Hymn (with faces of FBC folk): God Be with You Till We Meet Again
Organ Postlude: Every Time I Feel the Spirit, arr. Robert Dinda (Lon Schreiber)
Meditation: Our Common Language (Pastor Julie) Texts: Acts 2:1-21 (read in many languages); Genesis 11:1-9 (read by Pastor Julie) Congregational Hymn: Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow (with Chancel Choir) Visual Pastoral Prayer with Music: Spirit of the Living God (Chancel Choir) Organ Postlude: Every Time I Feel the Spirit, arr. Robert Dinda (Lon Schreiber)
Meditation: High and Lifted Up (Pastor Julie) Texts: Acts 1:1-11 (read by Nolan Watts); Ephesians 1:15-23 (read by Pastor Alyssa) Pastoral Prayer (Pastor Joel) Choral Anthem: More Love by Sid Davis (Chancel Choir; Lon Schreiber, accompanist; Aurelio Dominguez, sound engineer)
Worship with the help of this simple, pre-recorded liturgy with music, scripture, a children's moment, a contemplative practice and a brief devotional message by Pastor Joel. Click the video above.
Order of Worship:Welcome, Announcement and Mother's Day Blessing (Pastor Julie)
Children's Moment (Pastor Kelly)
Choral Anthem: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Lon Schreiber & the Chancel Choir)
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-7 (Pastor Alyssa)
Meditation: An Extra Measure (Pastor Joel)
Contemplative Practice: Beginner's Mind (Pastor Julie)
Benediction (Pastor Joel)
Sending Words (Christina Whitehouse Suggs & Daughter)
Click below to watch video of May 3, 2020 worship.
Meditation: Our Good Shepherd (Pastor Julie) Texts: John 10:1-10 & Psalm 23 Music: Lon Schreiber Communion: Led by Pastor Alyssa
Click on the Image below to view the April 26 worship recording.
Meditation: Pastor Alyssa
Text: Luke 24:13-35 (read by Didier Ahimera)
Music: Kelly Curtin, Kevin Biggins, Lon Schreiber & Philip Hawkins
Children's Moment: Pastor Kelly
Contemplative Prayer Practice: Pastor Julie
Meditation (Pastor Julie): Breathing Out, Breathing In
Texts: John 20:19-22 (Pastor Joel); Psalm 23 (Rosemary Plovnick)
Music: The Suggs family
Message: Stronger Than Death Texts: 1 Corinthians 13, John 20:1-18 (Readers: Abigail Adigun & Aurelio Dominguez) Testimony: Katie Stewart Music: Lon Schreiber & Chancel Choir
PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP - April 5, 2020 11am (via Zoom) Message: Love and Lament; Scripture Texts: Luke 19:37-44; Zechariah 9:9-10 Communion: Please br...
Palm Sunday Communion Service
Remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his last meal with his friends in the upper room.
Message by Pastor Julie: Planting Gardens During a Pandemic Text: Jeremiah 29:4-14 Additional Texts: Psalm 46 (read by 13 people by video); John 11:17-27 Whe...
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“The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter another human being not as someone you can use, change, fix, help, save, enroll, convince or control, but simply as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself, if you will allow it.”
~ Barbara Brown Taylor (An Altar in the World)
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There is a voice inside me that urges caution.
It tells me to be careful, to keep my head,
not to go too far, not to burn my boats.
I don't want to be carried away with any resolution
which I shall afterward regret,
for I know I shall be feeling quite different after breakfast.
This is my endless recurrent temptation—
to go down to that sea, which is God,
and there neither to dive nor swim nor float,
but only to dabble and splash,
careful not to get out of my depth, and to hold onto
the lifeline that connects me with my temporal things—
the lifeline that proves to be my deathline."
~ C. S. Lewis (The Weight of Glory)
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and
began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles…
~ Mary Oliver, “The Journey”
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O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen
~ St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)
Even with us something like that happens once in a while. The face of a man walking his child in the park, of a woman picking peas in the garden, of sometimes even the unlikeliest person listening to a concert, say, or standing barefoot in the sand watching the waves roll in, or just having a beer at a Saturday baseball game in July. Every once and so often, something so touching, so incandescent, so alive transfigures the human face that it's almost beyond bearing.
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~ Frederich Beuchner
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Gracious God,
In your loving heart there
is room for everyone—
without exception.
Give us courage to be so
at home in you that we
dare make room for others.
Let your world be a place
of delight and homecoming
for all creation.
~ Congregational prayer, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
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“Do not think you must speak the truth to a Christian but can lie to a ‘pagan.’ You are speaking to your brother or sister, born like you from Adam and Eve: realize all the people you meet are your neighbors even before they are Christians; you have no idea how God sees them. The ones you mock for worshiping stones … may worship God more fervently than you who laughed at them…You cannot see into the future, so let every one be your neighbor.”
~ Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
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“Many churches sing the hymn, ‘There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy,’ but the church is not always generous in dispensing it. God does not dole out mercy like cookies only for good, repentant children. God’s mercy is not conditioned by our response. God is mercy. So, wide is wider than we guess.”
~ David Buttrick
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“Every time you close another door—be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection—you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God. This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are—a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you.”
~ Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996)
Bruce Salmon
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“Let us move now from the practical how to the theoretical why: Why should we love our enemies? The first reason is fairly obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says, ‘love your enemies,’ he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies—or else? The chain reaction of evil—hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars—must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Loving Your Enemies” sermon, 12/25/57
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As swimmers dare to lie face to the sky and water bears them, as hawks rest upon air and air sustains them, so would I learn to attain freefall, and float into Creator Spirit's deep embrace, knowing no effort earns that all-surrounding grace.
~ Denise Levertov
“The Avowal”
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“God did not just start talking to us with the Bible or the church or the prophets…The radiance of the Divine Presence has been glowing and expanding since the beginning of time, before there were any human eyes to see or know about it.”
~ Richard Rohr
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“In his teaching and preaching, Jesus was forever calling our attention to the seemingly trivial, the small, and the insignificant—like lost children, lost coins, lost sheep, a mustard seed. The kingdom involves the ability to see God within those people and experiences that the world regards as little and of no account, ordinary.”
~ Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon
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“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
~ Charles Dickens (1812-1870) A Christmas Carol
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"Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves." ~ Pope Francis
Forever at his door
I gave my heart and soul.
My fortune, too.
I’ve no flock anymore,
No other work in view.
My occupation: Love. It’s all I do.
~ St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
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A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes...and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
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~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945)
If the only prayer
you ever say in your entire life is
Thank You,
it will be enough.
~ Meister Eckhart
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Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime;
therefore, we must be saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense
in any immediate context of history;
therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore, we are saved by love.
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~ Reinhold Niebuhr
O God, teach me to see You,
and reveal Yourself to me
when I seek you,
For I cannot seek You
unless You first teach me,
Nor find You
unless You first reveal Yourself to me.
Let me seek You in longing,
and long for You in seeking.
Let me find You in love,
and love You in finding.
~ Ambrose of Milan
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For those who walked with us,
this is a prayer.
For those who have gone ahead,
this is a blessing.
For those who touched and tended us,
who lingered with us
while they lived,
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this is a thanksgiving.
For those who journey still with us
in the shadows of awareness,
in the crevices of memory,
in the landscape of our dreams,
this is a benediction.
~ Jan Richardson, “For Those Who Walked With Us”
There is often more wisdom to be found at the edges of life than in its middle. A life-threatening illness, for instance, may shuffle our values like a deck of cards. Sometimes a card that has been on the bottom of the deck for most of our lives turns out to be the top card, the thing that really matters. Having watched people sort their cards and play their hands in the presence of death for many years, I would say that most often the top card is love.
~ Rachel Remen, My Grandfather’s Blessings
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Traditionally, the two marks of the saint
are joy and penitence:
joy because one knows that one is not God,
and yet with God all things are possible.
The saint knows that perfection rests
in divinity and not in the ability
of the believer to negotiate reality
so that one "comes off best."
The saint knows that he or she is not God,
and yet knows how easily one can forget
this simple fact.
The saint knows about darknesses
and shadows that cloud judgment.
~ Alan Jones
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There is…a voice inside me that urges caution. It tells me to be careful, to keep my head, not to go too far, not to burn my boats… I don’t want to be carried away into any resolution which I shall afterwards regret, for I know I shall be feeling quite different after breakfast… This is my endlessly recurrent temptation: to go down to that Sea [which is God], and there neither to dive nor swim nor float, but only to dabble and splash, careful not to get out of my depth, and holding on to the lifeline which connects me with my things temporal… Of course, that lifeline is really a death line.
~ C. S. Lewis
If you love Jesus Christ more than you
fear human judgment,
then you will not only speak of compassion,
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but act with it.
Compassion means seeing your friend
and your enemy in equal need
and helping both equally.
It demands that you seek and find the stranger,
the broken, the prisoner, and comfort him
and offer him your help.
Herein lies the holy compassion of God
that causes the devil much distress.
~ Meditations of Mechthild of Magdeburg (1207-1294)
Jon Singletary
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“The pace of our lives in western culture, along with our
exterior focus, lead us to a place where we easily lose the ability
to observe the imbalance in our lives and lose touch with the
value of the soul.”
~ Carl Jung
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“We must learn that passively to accept an unjust system is to cooperate with that system, and thereby to become a participant in its evil.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Your true identity is as a child of God.
This is the identity you have to accept.
Once you have claimed it and settled in it,
you can live in a world that gives you
much joy as well as pain.
You can receive the praise as well as
the blame that comes to you as an
opportunity for strengthening your basic identity,
because the identity that makes you free
is anchored beyond all human praise and blame.
You belong to God,
and it is as a child of God
that you are sent into the world.
~ Henri J. M. Nouwen
Do you wish to rise?
Begin by descending.
You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds?
Lay first the foundation of humility.
~ St. Augustine
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Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology.
~ James H. Cone
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"Covenant holds the key to the identity and distinctiveness of Israel and church. The term 'covenant' was consciously applied by the Israelites to their relationship with Yahweh from the earliest times, and this theological orientation was passed down to Jesus and early Christians. Covenant is found in every critical moment of God’s dispensation and all major turning points in biblical history, such as creation, Noah’s flood, Abraham, Exodus, David, Exile, and Jesus. Throughout the Bible, covenant is central to God’s reign."
~ Hak Joon Lee
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Fuller Theological Seminary
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The movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men and women often calls them to act against the spirit of their times or causes them to anticipate a spirit which is yet in the making. In a moment of dedication they are given wisdom and courage to dare a deed that challenges and to kindle a hope that inspires.
~ Howard Thurman
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“When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it is over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
~ Mary Oliver
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"Dear Lord, bring me through darkness into light. Bring me through pain into peace.
Bring me through death into life.
Be with me wherever I go, and with everyone I love.
In Christ's name I ask it. Amen.”
~ A prayer by Frederick Buechner, written at the request of his brother, Jamie, as he was dying of cancer.
Source: The Eyes of the Heart
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“Community can be a terrible place because it is a place of relationship; it is the revelation of our wounded emotions and of how painful it can be to live with others, especially with ‘some people.’ It is so much easier to live with books and objects, television, or dogs and cats! It is so much easier to live alone and just do things for others, when one feels like it…. While we are alone, we could believe we loved everyone.”
~ Jean Vanier (1928-2019)
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“Every time you close another door—be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection—you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God. This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are—a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you.”
~ Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996)
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“What we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else. It is important to tell at least from time to time the secret of who we truly and fully are . . . because otherwise we run the risk of losing track of who we truly and fully are and little by little come to accept instead the highly edited version which we put forth in hope that the world will find it more acceptable than the real thing. It is important to tell our secrets too because it makes it easier . . . for other people to tell us a secret or two of their own . . . ”
~ Frederick Buechner, Telling Secrets”