Advent Candle 1 stands for hope, and specifically, the Israelites’ hope that the promised Messiah would come. They had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries, wondering what he would look like and what he would do when he arrived. When Jesus was born, that hope was finally fulfilled – “a prophet like you” (Deuteronomy …
Tag: First Congregational Church
Nov 22
The New Covenant and Thanksgiving
Jeremiah 31:31-33 The prophecy from Jeremiah this week takes us to the Lord’s Supper. When Jesus said of the cup, “This is the new covenant in my blood.” When they finished the supper, they sang a hymn. We often don’t reflect on that, other than singing “Bless Be the Tie” when we finish Communion. Yet, …
Nov 14
Send Me?
Isaiah 6:1-8 In the World War II movie Fury, Shia LaBeouf’s character, appropriately nicknamed as “Bible,” because of his penchant for quoting biblical verses, sits at the gunner position of a Sherman tank during the final weeks of World War II.1 As the crew awaits near-certain death from an approaching German battalion, “Bible” quotes to the …
Nov 08
When God is too Gracious
Jonah 3 This is the third sermon dealing with God’s acceptance of those beyond Israel. Human conflict is often fueled by a fear of “the other.” And it was easy for the ancient Israelites to assume that God approved only of them. Yet, over and over again, God breaks the barriers down that keep God’s …
