In colonial America, there was in many places a tradition of holding a worship service on the morning of election day, before voting began. The preacher would remind the community of God’s covenant, which included the political order. Those standing for office were to fulfill the duties of office for the good of the community … [Read more…]
An audio file of the sermon from October 30 is available at this link. The Scripture readings are Genesis 23:1-20 and Romans 5:1-11. “Both Sarah and Abraham lived long enough to see the hope God gave them at the outset be fulfilled. There had been many missteps along the way, but still at the end … [Read more…]
Following Veterans Day last Friday, we recognized members of First Presbyterian Church who are veterans of the armed forces during the fellowship lunch on Sunday. We thank each one for his or her service.
An audio file of the sermon from October 23 is available at this link. The Scripture readings are Genesis 22:1-19 and Hebrews 11:17-19. “At the last possible moment, when Abraham has raised the knife, finally God’s messenger stops it. The Dutch artist Rembrandt thought long and hard about how to paint this moment, because … [Read more…]
This video shows a walk through the back part of the former tire and appliance store we are renovating to serve the community on Washington Street. You can begin to see it coming together! The video begins at the back of the large multi-purpose space, with the kitchen/snack area to your left. We then simply … [Read more…]
An audio file of the sermon from October 9 is available here. The Scripture readings are Genesis 18:16-33 and Matthew 6:5-13. Abraham prays with a sense of reverence for God. In our culture, we tend to equate a casual, chatty approach to God with reverence. I’m not so sure, though. In his little book Lament … [Read more…]
Deb Kohlhase – a faithful member of this church – spoke to the Presbyterian Men at their monthly breakfast this morning about the renewal and the work of Habitat for Humanity of Athens/Limestone County where she serves as executive director. It has been a difficult few years for our local Habitat affiliate, but they are … [Read more…]
An audio recording of the sermon from October 2 is available at this link. The Scripture readings for the day are Genesis 18:1-15 and Genesis 21:1-7. A PDF file of the worship bulletin for the day is available here. “Sarah’s laughter resonates across the ages as vividly as any sound in Scripture. How you hear … [Read more…]
Audio of the sermon from September 25 is at this link. The Scripture readings are Genesis 17 and Galatians 3:1-9. A PDF file of the worship bulletin for the day is here. “‘Walk before me and be blameless.’ Some translations say, “Be perfect.” But the meaning here is not “be sinless.” It’s more like, “Walk … [Read more…]
The building across Washington Street has been known informally as “the Clem building” and the “Cross the Street” building for many years. Now as it takes shape as fully renovated ministry space, it has a name. The Building Commission of the Session worked hard on the name. They wanted something right for a church building … [Read more…]