Psalm 98, Isaiah 9:2-7, Isaiah 52:7-10, Luke 2:1-20, John 1:1-14 Jenn Hosler On Wednesday, it was the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year. In our northern hemisphere location, the extended darkness is difficult for many people. There are literally less hours of daylight to experience and we bundle from the cold,…
Category: God
THERE WE WERE (HERE WE ARE)
Luke 1:46-55, James 5:7-10, Isaiah 35:1-10 Nate Hosler There we were, Jacob and I, sitting in the jurors’ lounge waiting to get called in to wait to see if we will get picked to serve on a jury. Jacob brought a hymnal. I brought a Bible. If we are going to be waiting we might…
BELIEF IN THE TRUTH
Psalm 17:1-9, Luke 20:27-38, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Jeff Davidson Jim Benedict is the pastor at the Union Bridge Church of the Brethren, not too far from New Windsor. He also grew up in Iowa listening to Cubs games, rooting for the Cubs, and for their AAA farm team the Iowa Cubs. After the…
A SERMON IN FOUR SCRIPTURES
Exodus 32:7-14 Psalm 51:1-10 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 Jeff Davidson If you look up a dictionary definition for “preach,” you will find that one of the definitions is “to give religious or moral instruction, particularly in a tedious manner.” One popular form of preaching is “expository preaching.” According to Wikipedia, this is a…
HAVE FAITH AND LEAP
Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 14:27-33, Matthew 17:20 Emerson Goering As a new BVSer, I have been reflecting on my life journey – from beginning to now – and I am astonished at what I have accomplished – given my previous fears. As a kindergartener, I didn’t say a word out-loud in front of my class until…
WARNINGS, MOUNTAINS, AND CONSUMING FIRE
Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalm 103:1-8 Jennifer Hosler Nate and I recently spent time in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The landscape is staggeringly beautiful. Expanses of sheer, sharp mountains, turquoise lakes, acres and acres of pine trees, aspen trees, and larch trees. We hiked most days and found ourselves climbing steeply through fields of alpine wildflowers and…
SPARROWS, ROCKS, AND SHINING GLORY
Psalm 84; Psalm 27; Luke 9:28-36 Jennifer Hosler Wait for the Lord, whose day is near. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart. Waiting. It’s hard to wait, at least in the manner we mean in the song. There are a few ways to define “waiting.” According to one definition, to wait is to…
LENGTH AND HEIGHT AND DEPTH
John 6:1-21, Ephesians 3:14-21 Nate Hosler We have heard two passages in which God is proclaimed/worshiped/shows up. Between the passages in Ephesians and John the John 6 feels more manageable. It feels less abstract and more understandable. Sure there are unusual events–the multiplication of bread and walking on water but I can picture these. Start with…
THE HEAVENS ARE TELLING
Psalm 19:1-4a, Genesis 3:8-15 Jeff Davidson The skies reveal God’s glory. Do you believe that? A lot of people do. A lot of people look at the sky, at the beautiful sunset with oranges and purples across the sky, they look at the bright stars and moon at night, they consider how all the planets revolve…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 