A Way in the Wilderness (2nd Sunday in Advent) Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scriptures: Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8 Throughout the four weeks of Advent, our lectionary scriptures are rife with images from the natural world. The image of wilderness is present in both of our biblical texts, Isaiah and Mark, so I decided to make today’s…
Category: sermon
Rise up, Fall down
Rise Up, Fall Down (1st Sunday in Advent) Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scriptures: Isaiah 64:1-9, Luke 1:46-55 There is a certainty, and inevitability about it. The planets spin. In the night sky. Seen from the playground in the early evening, before the stars and bright enough to be seen even in the city. In a pair…
Give Thanks. Give Back. Give Joy.
Preacher: Jessie Houff Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23. Matthew 25: 31-46. Psalm 100 Today, we are focusing on three scriptures, each with a different theme and what each message means. We’re going to reflect on giving thanks, giving back, and giving joy. As I read, an artwork will be next to the message. I invite everyone to…
Becoming the Dregs
Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Matthew 25:14-30 Sometimes you’re reading something and there’s a phrase or an expression that jumps out at you or raises a question of some kind. That’s what happened to me with our reading this morning from the prophet Zephaniah. It’s there in verse 12, where God, speaking through…
All Saints Day
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 If you open it, you see. If you don’t open it, you don’t see it. The development of toddler language, reasoning, and observation is endlessly fascinating as well as regularly humorous. If you open it, you see. If you don’t open it, you don’t…
WWJND?
Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Isaiah 45:1-7; Matthew 22:15-22 Some of you will remember the slogan from back in the 1990s.WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? There were WWJD bracelets, there was aWWJD book that was an update of the original WWJD book from the 1800sby Charles Sheldon, there were lots and lots of WWJD sermons,…
The Peace of God: The God of Peace
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 23, Philippians 4:1-9 And the peace of God And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is…
You have only to be still
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Exodus 14:19-31 & Matthew 18:21-35 Themes of liberation and forgiveness; questions of suffering and divine violence. Theodicy as well as the question of God’s use of violence appear in some form in both these passages. These questions have also taken main stage in some of our recent church discussions, sometimes in…
Context and Church
Preacher: Jeff Davidson Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20 Context matters. There are a lot of different things that can go into making up a context. The physical setting. The history of a place or a people. Who it is that is saying or writing something. Who it is that they are saying or writing it to. The…
Not a Place Where We Can Be but God is Present There
Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 139:1-14 How closely does God care for us? Is God concerned with the intimate details of our lives, or just with some broader, overarching plan of redemption? Christians have varied in terms of how they understand God’s work in history and in daily human affairs. Sometimes, I have…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 