Preacher: Pastor Nathan Hosler, PhD Date: December 24, 2023 Scripture: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-28, 2:1-40, Titus 3:4-7 Waiting with bated breath we have been. Waiting for the coming Christ child. In these weeks of Advent—we have—at least principle, been waiting for the promised Messiah, the long-expected savior. Waiting. Longing. Hoping. If, however, you were distracted…
Tag: Advent
Mercy (3rd Sunday of Advent)
Preacher: Julia Baker Date: December 17, 2023 Scripture: Luke 1:46b-55; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 At this time, only the audio is available for the sermon, which you can find below.
Voices that We Do Not Expect
Preacher: Pastor Jennifer Hosler, PhD Date: December 10, 2023 Scripture: Mark 1:1-8, Luke 1:39-55 I learned a new word recently: muzak. I was reading a Bethany Theological Seminary update email with a reflection by President Jeff Carter that included this word, discussing the saturation of stores with Christmas background music during this season. Momentarily puzzled, I…
Joy and Peace
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25 Date: December 18, 2022 It was Saturday morning and still dark. I awoke and looked at my clock. 5:19. Perfect—not too early, not too late. Still a few minutes until my alarm would go off. Headed off to my first race since April 2019. Which was feeling enormously long…
Hope Despite a Tree Cut Down
Preacher: Jenn Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-8a, 12-13 Date: December 4, 2022 Do you consider yourself a hopeful person? A glass half-full or a glass half-empty kind of person? Or, perhaps a third way, do you see a glass filled with possibilities? You say to yourself, I can work with the amount of water…
Bright, Shining Wonder
Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 For those of us in the northern hemisphere, December is marked by short days and long nights. It is an adjustment for everyone, that first troubling transition out of daylight savings time when it just seems so very dark, so very early. I find those first few weeks quite…
Shines Forth (Enthroned Upon the Cherubim)
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scriptures: Micah 5: 2-5a, Psalm 80: 1-7, & Luke 1: 39-55 “In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled…
The Trouble with Christmas
Preacher: Chris Bowman Scriptures: Luke 1:68-79 & Luke 3:1-6 It is an honor to preach here at Washington City Church of the Brethren. You have been a good and faithful presence in the neighborhood over the years. Thank you for that! And thanks to Jessie for the invitation to preach, this second Sunday of Advent….
Awaiting the Mysterious
Pastor: Nathan Hosler Scriptures: Jeremiah 33:14-16 & Luke 21:25-36 This weekend we marked the life of my Grandpa Shenk. On Saturday, I, with my cousins and siblings, carried his coffin to the grave on a hill overlooking Lancaster County farmland and not a mile from where he lived much of his 86 years. Earl Eugene…
A Way in the Wilderness
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…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 