Abington Presbyterian Church: Earlier Sermons

Sermons earlier than December, 2007

Scott Nowack: Who Is This King of Glory? Nov 25, 2007. In the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the centerpiece is forgiveness, transformation and restoration for all who cry out His holy name. We wear the garments of forgiveness and grace, transformation and restoration in our work, play and fellowship. Christ meets us where we are, accepts us for who we are and will save us when we call upon Him.

Brent Eelman: What is the Human Prospect? Nov 11, 2007. Advent declares that the human prospect is good, because God, in the person of Jesus Christ, chose to enter this world. God chose to become a human being with us, living among us. God chose to die and redeem us. That is the prospect of our future and it is a reality that gives hope and colors all other realities.

Brent Eelman: The Cost of Grace Nov 4, 2007. We gather in worship because we believe that God’s grace entered our lives and transformed them. We didn’t have to pay for it... but how do we respond to it? The cost of Grace is Gratitude. It is living a life with the open hand of giving, rather than the clawing hand of taking.

Brent Eelman: Thank God Oct 28, 2007. Martin Luther taught that salvation or redemption is a gift of God's grace, attainable only through faith in Jesus as the messiah. Today we celebrate Reformation Sunday in song and sermon. But the challenge is to live with the truth that Luther discovered, that Jesus declared that we live by God’s grace alone… and that grace is sufficient.

Brent Eelman: Lets Make a Deal Oct 21, 2007. Can we understand stewardship of our finances in terms of love not money. It is not about meeting the budget, it is not about obligation or guilt.. it is about love: the love that God willingly shows us in Jesus Christ. .

Brent Eelman: Bloom Where You Are Planted Oct 14, 2007. This is not an easy message.. because more often than not, we wish we were someplace else, doing something else…. God has placed us where we are… the circumstances may not be to our liking… but how we respond to our challenge is crucial… We can bloom where we are planted or whither away. God calls us to bloom.

Brent Eelman: A Strange Land Oct 7, 2007. Ultimately when life itself is confusing, and our faith is challenged by the dissonances of circumstance, the key is to live our faith more boldly, and with greater courage. The scriptures are challenging and difficult. There is not an easy answer or an easy ethic in our age and Christianity is only as easy as the cross!

Brent Eelman: Have Mercy Sept 30, 2007. The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a challenge to us and to the churches and synagogues of this community. Individually we don’t have the resources to help people with many types of needs. Together we can. The challenge is to drop some of our differences and unite over the call of the prophets,

Brent Eelman: Make Friends Sept 23, 2007. The parable of the dishonest manager is one of Jesus's parables about the restoration of relationships. Through a series of questionable, perhaps comic, actions, relationships and honor were restored. The good news is that God works his purpose of reconciliation out, at times, through the questionable behavior of humanity. The God of Jesus is one who restores relationships, and calls on us to build and restore our friendships.

Brent Eelman: Misplaced Sept 16, 2007. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that human beings, including you and me, are worth fixing, finding and saving. The Kingdom of Heaven does not operate on a cost/benefit basis, but is built upon gracious love. The challenge of the gospel is for us, the Disciples of Jesus Christ, to follow him and reach out to the lost, the misplaced, and those who live on the margins.

Brent Eelman: In the Hands of the Potter Sept 9, 2007. Is your life in turmoil? Are you experiencing the pain and anxiety of the “dark night of the soul”? The prophet Jeremiah causes us to look again at what is happening and ask if it is not the hand of God... the hands of the divine potter who is shaping and reshaping our lives.

Brent Eelman: Reserved Seating Sept 2, 2007. Who do we invite to our tables and places of honor? Who is allowed to sit with us, and who do we avoid or exclude? How do we treat the poor and the outcast? This is the challenge of Jesus’ teachings for many of us… and it is also the Good News of the gospel.

Brent Eelman: The Cycle of Divine Construction Aug 26, 2007. I do not believe that the world is going to “hell in a hand basket!” If we look carefully, we will see that it is God who is shaking the foundations of our lives.. We will live with hope, because we know that this is but the cycle of divine construction… the change and destruction that we experience now is a prelude to the planting and building up that will occur

Royal Kemper: The Runner Aug 19, 2007. Hope is an outlook on life - its opportunities, its possibilities, its demands for those who see their own life's experience in the light of a divine plan and purpose. However, faith is no guarantee that we shall be delivered from misfortune. It is the promise that in the midst of misfortune we shall be sustained.

Scott Nowack: The Theology of Baseball Aug 12, 2007 Baseball is an interesting game in that a player who fails to get a hit seven times out of ten times at the plate is considered one of the game’s greatest heroes. Three hits out of ten…Far from perfect; far from getting a passing grade on an exam in school; far from earning the big raise or the big promotion at work. The Good News for us is that likewise we don’t have to be perfect, save through the acceptance of the gift: the gift that we are justified by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Scott Nowack: To Speak with Boldness July 29, 2007. We as a community of faith need get together and develop some creative solutions to work towards sharing the Gospel message with the downtrodden and the outcast. We can not, we shall not and we will not stand idle watching the world pass us by. There is too much at stake. There is too much on the line to stand back and wait.

Scott Nowack: Putting God First July 22, 2007. We need to be committed to one another in Christ if we are going to be obedient disciples of Christ. This means we do not leave anybody behind. This means we do not keep certain people out of our community. What it means is that we can not live the Christian faith on our own. We need God in Christ but we also need one another. We need one another for encouragement, Christian love, strength and more.

Royal Kemper: Is the World My Neighbor? July 15, 2007. Jesus surpasses a lawyer's question about who is his neighbor by identifying the second most important commandment which is to love your neighbor as much as you admire yourself! Stop thinking loving thoughts solely about God, and go on to show how much you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and put it to good use with your neighbor - whomever that may be!

Brent Eelman: An Amazing Story of Power July 8, 2007. Power, whatever it is, is temporal.. it does not last for ever and thus should be wielded with humility. History is often taught as the story of the great events… the story of the powerful.. but in truth history is the story of little events, single sentences, seemingly inconsequential people who make all the difference.

Brent Eelman: God’s Declaration of Freedom July 1, 2007. The freedom of the Gospel is not merely freedom from tyranny. It is freedom to know the joy of serving and relating in love to God, to love others and support them and live in community with them, and to hope, in recognition that life is not ultimately controlled by necessity, but is in the hands of God.

Scott Nowack: By His Grace June 24, 2007. With faith in Christ, we don’t have to be controlled by anxiety anymore. With faith in Christ, the big, bad world with all its problems is no longer something to be afraid of. It’s a place of freedom, a place to play, thrive, grow and experience the grace and love of God.

Brent Eelman: Gracious Receiving June 17, 2007. Gifting is a symbol of a relationship. We give precious things in relationships of love, and those gifts bring the giver a great deal of joy. Relationships of love also require us to receive… and in the relationship of love that God has established with us, we need to graciously receive the gift of forgiveness that God brings.

Brent Eelman: Graduating From Church; A Confirmation Sermon June 10, 2007. The world that we live in has managed to squeeze our spiritual lives out of everything… But I hope that you will recall this message when you find yourself hungry and thirsty for something more… . My prayer is that you do not graduate from church… but graduate to faithful discipleship. May God’s love go with you always.

Brent Eelman: Hope Does Not Disappoint June 3, 2007. Genuine Christian hope is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and hence it is something that endures all things. The suffering that we experience produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope… and Hope in Jesus Christ will never disappoint.

Brent Eelman: Noise, Language and Truth May 27, 2007. Our lives are filled with the noise of meaningless words and sounds. Pentecost is the life changing hope that infects humanity that gives us a hopeful vision of the future that allows even the most jaded and cynical of us to dare to dream. Pentecost is a gift of hope in a world of noise.

Brent Eelman: Completely One May 20, 2007. There is a world out there that longs for hope. This world, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, is weary of the conflicts and the destruction that we visit upon each other and also upon creation. Perhaps 2000 years after Jesus prayed "that they may all be one," our actions might complete those words.

Brent Eelman: Do You Want to Be Well? May 13, 2007. We live in a therapeutic culture that has substituted sympathy for active compassion. The message to us of Jesus' healing of the invalid man is that Christ wants us whole and healthy physically, mentally and spiritually… but to arrive at that health, we need to Stand up… take up… and walk. Do you want to be well? Then stand up, take up, and walk.

Brent Eelman: So That Everyone Knows May 6, 2007. Jesus gave us a new command: Love one another. It is a recognition that before we can talk about loving the world, we need to be able to love the one who is sitting next to us! He also gave us a reason: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Scott Nowack: To Seek a Newer World Apr 29, 2007. We are called by God as Christians to reach out beyond our immediate sphere of influence; to break through the familiar, the assumptions, the traditions that can tie us down. We are called to carry the Gospel to new places and new faces to seek and create a newer world in Jesus’ name.

Scott Nowack: King of Kings, Lord of Lords Nov 26, 2006 (delayed posting). Each of us has the potential to leave a legacy for future generations. Whether it is a charitable gift, passing down a family heirloom, or raising children, like King David we can leave our mark on the fabric of our culture and world.

Brent Eelman: Hunger and Thirst No More Apr 22, 2007. There is no promise that we will be insulated from the evil of the world, or from the horrors that we experienced on Monday in Virginia. We live in a world that is filled with ambiguity, evil, and violence. There are times when our most idyllic places are assaulted. There is no promise that this will not happen… but there is a promise to which we hold…even now…

Royal Kemper: Can't Be Apr 15, 2007. We become so preoccupied with our own little world that we cannot see the Christ whose Presence is hidden in the shadows of life. It is only as the Presence, the Christ, unobtrusive as he is, meets us at that point of meeting in our strained lives, that our spiritual eyesight is cleared and we come to recognize him.

Brent Eelman: Wanting to Believe, Terrified by Truth Apr 8, 2007. There are times when Easter sounds “too good to be true,” and it is that truth which is terrifying. That is the source of the doubts that many of us have. But doubt is not inconsistent with faith. Faith, at its strongest, is intimate with doubt. Easter is an affirmation of life, and a silencing of the cynicism that destroys the soul and injures others. There is no better news than this. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Brent Eelman: The Song of the Rocks Apr 1, 2007. In the gospel story of Holy Week we learn about the truth of suffering, death, and the sources of this evil. But most of all we learn about life: that life like light, cannot be extinguished, nor can it be hid. You can torture it and crucify it, you can put it in a tomb. But ultimately life, which is the greatest truth, breaks through the silence and shouts, “He is risen! Death is no more!”

Brent Eelman: One Thing, Just One Thing! Mar 25, 2007. Ultimately, there is one thing in life that matters. The amazing thing about that one thing: when we discover and know Jesus Christ, we find tremendous freedom from all those other things. We discover freedom from all the garbage that has cluttered our lives. This is the good news -- really good news. “One thing… Just one thing.”

Brent Eelman: Kharma, Grace and Repentance Mar 11, 2007. God is not an accountant keeping a spreadsheet of our sins and good deeds, determining our ultimate reward or punishment. He is a God of love, who relates to his children through grace, forgiveness. How should we respond to God’s unmerited love and graciousness? Repent.. change our behavior… anything less than this cheapens God’s gift of grace.

Brent Eelman: Good Citizens Mar 4, 2007. What are the requirements of citizenship in heaven? First is identity: The way we act, the values that we have, the language that we use reveal who we are in terms of our citizenship. Second is loyalty and commitment. Third, the Christian citizen sees life as a journey: a spiritual journey. In truth we are on our way home to that place where our citizenship is.

Brent Eelman: Hearts and Hands and Voices Feb 25, 2007. Faith lived out in our lives goes beyond personal dimensions. How does holiness respond to the global AIDS crisis? But does faith not require a concrete response with our hands? How does our faith manifest itself in terms of war, in terms of violence? How does faith manifest itself in the disasters that occur throughout the world? Faith is evident in our lives. Hearts and hands and voices.

Brent Eelman: The Great Ends of the Church: Exhibiting the Kingdom of Heaven to the World Feb 18, 2007. There is a great deal of conflict and pain in the world, in our communities, neighborhoods, and our homes. People truly want to know that there is a better way. They will find it from the church that takes to heart the words of its master, Jesus Christ and exhibits his kingdom to others.

Brent Eelman: The Great Ends of the Church: Social Rightousness Feb 11, 2007. We are called, as a community of faith to promote social righteousness in the world. We are called, not only to hear the word… but to do it. We are called to say “no” to the evils of the world. Indeed.. to every individual and nation.. a moment of decision comes in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; How will we decide?

Brent Eelman: The Great Ends of the Church: The Preservation of the Truth Feb 4, 2007. The preservation of the truth is not merely realized through study or intellectual ascent… truth is preserved in concrete actions. Truth is preserved in transforming the prayers which we say and the hymns which we sing into concrete actions that witness to the spirit of Jesus Christ and the work of Jesus Christ in our lives and the world.

Brent Eelman: The Great Ends of the Church: The Shelter of the Children of God Jan 28, 2007. Human beings are not created to live in isolation, but with others. In our western culture we have personalized and privatized just about everything, but genuine Christian faith cannot be experienced alone. It is experienced in sharing, trust, mutual support and growth.

Brent Eelman: The Great Ends of the Church: The Salvation of Humankind Jan 21, 2007. God and history will judge Abington Presbyterian Church, not on the beauty of the buildings, nor the size of its membership, nor the total of its budget. It will be judged on its faithfulness to the good news: its willingness to study it, and its desire to share it with others. Our first great end or purpose is the proclamation of the Gospel so that people may hear the good news of God’s salvation.

Brent Eelman: Whose Who? Jan 7, 2007. Each of us lives in the tension of many anxiety producing claims upon our identity and time. The first and final claim upon your life is that you belong to God. It is a claim that judges us, but it is also one that assures us that we too are God's children and we are beloved.

Brent Eelman: The Saga Continues Dec 31, 2006. The challenge of discipleship is letting go of the little child in the manger.. and allowing that child to grow and mature into the adult: a man who calls us to follow; a man who demands obedience; a man who exposes our sins; a man who forgives our shortcomings… a man who challenges us to take up our cross and who carries his.. a man who died for us and for our sins.

Brent Eelman: The Secure Life Dec 24, 2006. The prophet Micah attributes two characteristics to the messiah: security and peace. It is a message that assures us that history and indeed the future, is in the hands of God, and that the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ… and that Christ reigns, and we need not fear, we need not worry. We are secure in Christ.

Brent Eelman: Home for the Holidays Dec 17, 2006. In this Christmas season, many of us will return “home”, whether that means family, friends or a special place… but also, this Christmastide, respond to the promise of the child Jesus... and may you be transformed in your seeking. The good news of the gospel is that we will be brought home.

Brent Eelman: Cleaning House Dec 10, 2006. There are days when I read the newspaper, filled with its stories of political incompetence, and the spiritual emptiness of our day. There are times when I just shake my head in wonder and worry… and you must also… but we need to remember the message of the prophets, and the story that Luke tells. Into this world a child was born, and that child is the source of all that ultimately matters. The house of history with all its figures, tyrants and fools has been cleansed and our age too will be purified by the flames of grace and forgiveness.

Brent Eelman: Promises, Promises Dec 3, 2006. I am sure that we will hear the old tired news again and again during this next four weeks. We will hear about all the things that are wrong. But I pray that you will also hear the hopeful words of the prophet… “The Days are surely coming… when God’s promise of peace, salvation, justice and joy.. will be fulfilled….. the days are surely coming… “

Scott Nowack: King of Kings, Lord of Lords Nov 26, 2006. Each of us has the potential to leave a legacy for future generations. Whether it is a charitable gift, passing down a family heirloom, or raising children, like King David we can leave our mark on the fabric of our culture and world.

Brent Eelman: The S Word Nov 19, 2006. Three words: Sin, Sacrifice and Service. These are words of faith: words that Jesus calls us to use, but more importantly, to live by. Let us acknowledge our sin and shortcomings. Let us with joy, serve God and our fellow human beings, as a way of giving thanks for the freedom and hope we know in Christ.

Brent Eelman: Making a Fortune in Copper Nov 12, 2006. Jesus had a way of literally turning things upside down. He said, "the last shall be first." "the greatest will be the servant". One of the centers of Jesus’ ministry is the value that he placed on things that others thought were insignificant: things like pennies. It was in the small, the insignificant, the seemingly unimportant, the rejects, the poor, the outcasts that Jesus found his examples.

Brent Eelman: Count It All Joy Nov 5, 2006. In the midst of difficulties and trials, as we rebuild, I believe that we will be rebuilt into a community of faith that no longer fears to take the chance for faithful behavior. We will be rebuilt into a community of faith that has rediscovered one another and the joy of being together. We will be rebuilt into a community of faith, that in the words of Paul, is the body of Christ… indeed Christ for our time.

Brent Eelman: The Narcotic of Nostalgia Oct 29, 2006. As we continue to move forward in history, I ask that we join together, recognizing that Abington Presbyterian Church’s history is not something that is in the distant past, but what we do. How we serve today is tomorrow’s history. I ask that you join me and focus on future generations, the children in our midst, but also imagine their children and their children’s children, and let us leave them a legacy of faithfulness.

Brent Eelman: The Begats: Building on Generations of Faith Oct 22, 2006. The genealogy of Jesus declares clearly that the history and hopes of the Hebrew people was not the history of their kings. The genealogy of Jesus also declares to us that the history and glory of this congregation is not told in the story of its pastors, it is in the lives of women and men, old and young who have faithfully served God, following Christ, in these walls and beyond them.

Brent Eelman: The Challenge of Bricks and Mortar Oct 15, 2006. I believe that as we go about our task of raising funds and rebuilding this structure… we are not merely putting bricks upon bricks… something else will be built. And that something else is a community of faith. Just as those bricks and boards and stones will be fastened and tied together, so our lives will be tied together in a powerful and joyful way.

Brent Eelman: Presbyopia Oct 8, 2006. Presbyopia means old eyes. Our eyes, like the rest of our body age, and consequently we need lenses to correct the changes brought on by the years. My big concern is can we become truly farsighted in terms of our vision for the church. Can we begin to think ahead? Our challenge to Abington Presbyterian Church, is to be farsighted and think a large when it comes to the future of our church. I want us to catch "presbyopia" and I pray that it to be contagious.

Brent Eelman: The Irony of Greatness Sept 24, 2006. Jesus challenges us to get our hands and hearts dirty helping others with no expectation of anything in return. The challenge of discipleship today is service. We are called, by Jesus, to be servants to others. Through service to others, we will discover the irony of greatness.

Brent Eelman: At Ease, Without Dread Sept 17, 2006. We live with the assurance and the hope, that in the midst of this world, God is with us for eternity. Will we listen to our fears and respond to them? Or will we listen to the Divine wisdom and respond to our hopes in Jesus Christ, living at ease and without dread?

Brent Eelman: The Costs of Anger Sept 3, 2006. I suspect that someone could make a fortune in our society by starting "anger venting clubs." That is a sad commentary on us... But there is a better way... and James invites us to avoid the expensive costs of anger... and live the life of gracious freedom. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Scott Nowack: Armed and Dangerous Aug 27, 2006. We are surrounded by the armor of God: the truth, the righteousness, the faith, the salvation, the Spirit, the Word and prayer. The armor of God empowers us to pray and stand boldly and courageously in the face of our opposition, to struggle against the spiritual forces of evil that seek to kidnap us from God.

Scott Nowack: First Things First Aug 20, 2006. We are to live for God in Christ Jesus to show the world that we have the victory in Jesus’ name; the victory over the powers of evil and death with the power of God; the victor.

Royal Kemper: What Are You Doing Here Aug 13, 2006. It is our responsibility to take care of that portion of God's Kingdom where he placed us. Don't concern yourself about what's on the other side of the fence. Look closely: that green growth may be nothing more than weeds!

Brent Eelman: Who Takes Out the Trash Aug 6, 2006. We need to recognize and affirm the importance to the church of all of God’s people regardless of what they do. Your role, your gift, your talent, your participation is essential. You have a role to play here. You have a calling to fulfill. It might not be the glamorous job that you think it should be, but it is vital to this congregation and I exhort you to fulfill it with joy.

Brent Eelman: Scarcity or Abundance? July 30, 2006. Do we worry about what we don’t have… or are we faithful in using and sharing what we have received? Do we cower in fear, or live boldly in faith, rising above the storm to walk with our Messiah? Do we tightly hold onto our loaves and fishes or do we offer them willingly, sharing what we have with others? This is the challenge of the Gospel.

Scott Nowack: One Love, One Life, One Christ July 23, 2006. We are called to be peace makers in a hostile world. We are called to live our lives in the will of God, governed by the authority of Christ, to establish justice in the face of injustice, unity in the face of division, love in the face of hate, hope in the face of despair.

Brent Eelman: Get a Life! July 9, 2006. Christ challenges us to “get a life.” and that life is eternal. We find that life by giving of ourselves for others, overcoming our own egotism and sinfulness, and allowing our minds to be transformed by the awesome grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Brent Eelman: Excel in Everything July 2, 2006. Five qualities that contribute to spiritual excellence: Prayer and spiritual discipline. Intellectual rigor. Moral courage. Graciousness. Generosity. Can we commit ourselves to the disciplines of spiritual excellence? This is the challenge of Christ’s command to be a disciple.

Brent Eelman: Those Whom God Chooses June 18, 2006. I believe that God is in our midst., identifying God’s leaders for the next generation, and calling them to serve. This is good news, but it might be troubling. If God is calling us can we respond: “Here I am… Here I am, Lord.”

Brent Eelman: Jesus and the Night Visitor June 11, 2006. Nicodemus, the teacher of the law, attended night school and received the lesson of his life. The darkness of that evening contrasted with the message of hope that Nicodemus heard: the promise of hope, of rebirth and God’s love, for him and for the world.

Brent Eelman: Word Abuse (Pentecost) June 4, 2006. Language is the gift that enables us to know the truth: the truth that sets us free. On this Pentecost Sunday we are called to remember the clarity of language of that day, and we are called in the name of Christ, who is the way and the truth to continue it.

Brent Eelman: Grounded May 28, 2006. All these things: happiness, meaning, and a legacy spring from the soil in which our lives are grounded. The first psalm is n invitation to a life that walks the path that God calls us to follow. It is an invitation to ground our lives in the promises of Christ.

Brent Eelman: Onward Christian Soldiers?! May 21, 2006. It is not a hymn for the timid. It is a call to battle, but not a military battle. It is battle of love and compassion, a battle of healing and hope, a battle of rebuilding and healing.

Brent Eelman: Perfect Love May 14, 2006. "...those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” Those are strong words! That is the challenge of this gospel that we strive to believe. That is the challenge of following Jesus.

Royal Kemper: Freakonomics for Older Adults April 23,2006. The Gospel Accounts make it perfectly clear that the disciples didn't have a clue as to what they had gotten themselves into when they accepted the invitation of Jesus to, "Follow me". The church today, is still in the business of inviting people to a new venture of life. It is here that we discover ourselves to be what God intended for us in his Son, Jesus Christ.

Brent Eelman: Passion Resolved! (Easter) Apr 16, 2006. The message of Easter is an old story told and retold. But it is a new a contemporary story, experienced today. It is a new story that includes you. It is a story that promises you hope and most of all: life. Hallelujah!

Laura Baarda: Maundy Thursday Sermon April 13, 2006. During Holy Week are preparing to enter into the freedom of Christ. We are free to serve. The example Jesus set is not, “do unto others as they do unto you.” The example Jesus set is, “serve all people.” Choose with joy to submit to serve even the people who turn against you.

Brent Eelman: The Dominant Chord of Passion (Palm Sunday) Apr 9, 2006. This is the week of the cross. It is the week when we walk through the “valley of the shadow.” Let us walk with Jesus this week and experience his passion, so that the light and power of the resurrection will become more tangible and powerful in our lives.

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Nurture and Education Apr 2, 2006. Our challenge is to teach the word of God in a manner that takes seriously this world… and engages this world with its knowledge and its challenges. It is education that prepares children, youth, and adults to wrestle with the hard issues and demands of Christian discipleship.

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Mission, Far and Near Mar 26, 2006. We have a special task to witness to what God intends for all of humanity, through our common life. How we treat one another is at the heart of our mission. How can we expect or even dream that wars will cease and that people will reconcile, if we can’t?

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Worship and Music Mar 19, 2006. Scripture and history tell us that soul that knows peace, genuine, peace,… the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that triumphs over chains and slavery, illness and death… is the soul that sings.

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Pastoral Care to Older Adults Mar 12, 2006. Our ministry to senior adults needs to confirm that prejudices and rampant bigotry against t he aged are wrong, sinful, and ultimately stupid. God called Sarah and Abraham: 90 and 100 years old. God still calls and empowers senior adults.

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Children and Youth Mar 5, 2006. Just as Jesus placed a child in the midst of his disciples and challenged them., God has placed children and youth in our midst and challenges us to minister to them in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Brent Eelman: The Call to Care: Men and Women Feb 26, 2006. Why are we here? Why this building? Not because it is beautiful or convenient, but rather because it provides a staging ground to move out into the world, to encounter the nameless women and men who thirst for living water and to offer it to them.

Brent Eelman: Hidden Heroes Feb 19, 2006. Think about your life and the people who have touched your life and made a difference. Take a moment and write a small note and say thank you. Express gratitude. In the words of Shakespeare, such a note is “twice blessed.” It blesses the one who receives it… and the one who gives.

Scott Nowack: Waking the Dead Feb 5, 2006. Through serving one another, putting God first in our lives and building an intimate relationship with God through prayer and reflection, we proclaim the good news to a skeptical world that has been dead and decaying for a long, long time.

Brent Eelman: Who Speaks for God? Jan 29, 2006. Who speaks for God today? I fear that there are a lot of voices out there that are fakirs and pretenders who speak their own words and call it God's. You and I need to become more intimate with Christ, more intimate with his parables and teachings, more intimate with his life, so that we may discern clearly the words of those who speak in his name. This is no easy task, but it is an important one for preacher and pew sitter alike.

Brent Eelman: A Change of Heart Jan 22, 2006. The story of Jonah turns around three parties, Jonah, the People and God, All three have a change of heart. This is the challenge of the story of Jonah. It is at the heart of the message of Christ. Wrestle with it in terms of your own life, in terms of your community, in terms of your country, in terms of the world.

Brent Eelman: Who is Calling? Jan 15, 2006. God’s call is persistent. We can run… be we cannot hide. If you are struggling with life choices, there is a sacred dimension to those choices, and I believe that in the midst of that struggle we often find the call of God. Listen for it and like Samuel can you find the courage to respond: “Here I am. Speak for your servant is listening.” ?

Brent Eelman: This Year's Tsunami Jan 8, 2006. The power of water has been part of the history of humanity, from floods and disasters, to the Roman aqueducts and electrical turbines. Baptism should be understood in terms of that power. It is a moment that we recognize the power of Holy Spirit in human life.

Scott Nowack: Do You See What I See? Jan 1, 2006. We as a church community must dream things that never were and ask why not, while praying and discerning the vision God has for our lives as individuals and as a community. God asks us, “Do you see what I see?

Brent Eelman: A New Addition to the Family Dec 25, 2005. On this Christmas day, do we really know what we are in for? This child changes everything. "...He will bring the mighty down from their thrones. He has given good things to the poor and the wealthy he has sent away empty.” Are we ready to welcome this child? Are we ready to accept the changes that he brings?

Brent Eelman: Putting the “X” Back in Christmas Dec 18, 2005. Since the early days of Christianity, the letter X, as in "Xmas", was a symbol for Christ. In addition, the X is a cross. It reminds us, during the celebrations of this season that at the heart of our celebration was a sacrifice of love that was made for us and for our salvation.

Brent Eelman: God’s Urban Renewal Program Dec 11, 2005. The prophet Isaiah, the message of Advent, proclaims to us the good news that our spirits will be renewed, our bodies restored, our cities rebuilt, our world recreated.

Brent Eelman: A Major Highway Project Dec 4 2005. The prophets, Isaiah and John the Baptist remind us in the midst of our preparations for the holidays, we are called to build a major highway construction project. It is the way into our hearts for the messiah: the one who came and the one who is yet to come.

Brent Eelman: Working with Clay Nov 27, 2005. Just as the hands of the potter are intimately involved with the clay, forming and molding, so the hands of the Divine are intimately involved in human history. In spite of our flaws we will be reformed, remade, recreated, and fulfilled.

Royal Kemper: Strangers and Pilgrims Nov 20, 2005. We, as a wandering bunch of pilgrims are looking for a place to call home. Trouble is that we don't always see that which prevents us from finding "home", which may be our own bondage.

Brent Eelman: The Danger of Playing Safe Nov 13, 2005. What is your attitude toward money and possessions? How do you perceive the world? I fear that we Christians often live with a scarcity world view. We are constantly worried about what we don't have and about what we need and quite frankly, we miss the joy of that which we have received from God.

Brent Eelman: Did We Forget? Nov 6, 2005. Half of the bridesmaids in the parable forgot the oil... and they missed the great celebration. As you ponder your commitment to Christ and to the church, ask this question: What have I forgotten in my life?

Brent Eelman: How Do We Love God II? Oct 30, 2005. How do we love the Lord? By loving our neighbor; by loving our neighbor so much that we work for justice, for peace, for an end to hurt, and poverty; loving our neighbor so intently that in her eyes, we behold the presence of our Lord.

Brent Eelman: How Do We Love God? Oct 23, 2005. We love God, with our entire being and it is an active thing. It is visible and present in what we do and how we behave. We love God through sacrificing. We love God continually; through thick and thin. It is a commitment and it is a life commitment, indeed a pledge.

Brent Eelman: Forgive Our Debts Oct 16, 2005. What do we owe God? The truth is everything. How do we pay it? Our debt to God, the need to sacrifice, should begin somewhere and perhaps one of the areas is financial. How does your personal budget reflect our faith?

Brent Eelman: Fruit of the Vine Oct 2, 2005. The Kingdom of God is not the property of the church, nor is it the property of clergy, nor the wealthy, nor the few and the powerful. We are all heirs. It is given to us. But we must produce the fruits of the spirit. This is call to responsibility and accountability.

Brent Eelman: Teaching With Authority Sept 25, 2005. Jesus taught with authority... and not like the chief priests and the scribes. His authority was anchored in love and service. The challenge for us as the body of Christ is to continue to uphold that authority, anchoring our message to the world outside these walls in love and service.

Scott Nowack: Ha! It's Not About You! Sept 18, 2005. Choose to put your ego aside, let Christ make a home in your heart, and let us work together, striving side by side with one mind in mission and service to one another and to our needy world. It’s not about you. It’s about God in Christ Jesus, and He will not let you down or disappoint you.

Brent Eelman: Are You a Player or Benchwarmer? Sept 11, 2005. Today is Homecoming Sunday. It is the beginning of our church calendar year. There are tables out there with food refreshments and fun. There are also tables with opportunities to serve, to teach, to learn, to grow, to be part of fellowship group. The food is good, but the other tables are what we are all about: players and not bench warmers.

Brent Eelman: How Much Do You Owe? Sept 4, 2005. How do we show Christian love during a time of national disaster? What can we do now? What can we do in the future? What do we owe? All we owe is what love requires, and love requires that we respond with all. This is the challenge of the gospel.

Brent Eelman: You Are Standing on Holy Ground Aug 28, 2005. The church that hears God's call moves from worship into the world... called to hear with God, the cries of his people.. called to respond with God, freeing those who are oppressed, healing those who are sick, befriending those who are lonely and proclaiming God's love.

Brent Eelman: Which Jesus? Aug 21, 2005. Consider the world that we live in. How different it is than the Middle East where Jesus walked. Our culture, our language, our homes, our institutions, our family styles, how we earn our living are all different. How do we understand Jesus for our world?

Brent Eelman: Eating with Dirty Hands Aug 14, 2005. Jesus was concerned, not merely with the external individual, but with the inner person. Faithfulness is not in ritualized actions, or keeping empty traditions. Faithfulness begins in the heart. It is there, deep inside that faithfulness emanates. It is also there that destructiveness, pain, and wickedness begin.

Brent Eelman: Walking on Water Aug 7, 2005. The life of faith is like walking on water. It is taking a step, because Jesus calls us in that direction, not sure that there is anything there, but taking it because we hear his call, “Come.” It is taking a step away from the fears that often control us.

Scott Nowack: Ordinary Resurrections July 31, 2005 Are you experiencing all that God has for you? Are you willing to wrestle with God, to go the distance with God to become who God wants you to be in Christ Jesus? Unless I’ve missed my guess, there isn’t a single person in this sanctuary that hasn’t at one time or another wrestled with God.

Royal Kemper: Good ... in Everything? July 24, 2005. In this imperfect world, bad things do happen to good people. What does it really mean to search the meaning of Paul's words when he said that God co-operates for good with those who love him and are called according to his purpose?

Scott Nowack: Strength for Today, Hope for Tomorrow July 17, 2005. Hope is not an easy thing to believe in. It requires struggle, grace, forgiveness, patience and complete trust in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. But hope gives us a reason to live knowing that tomorrow is in God’s hands.

Brent Eelman: Shallow Roots and Major Storms July 10, 2005. In the hard and rocky soil of our world, it is possible to be people of convictions. It is possible to be rooted in something that is vital: life-giving soil that allows us to flower and bloom. It is the soil of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The parable of the sower is an invitation to this conviction, commitment and lifelong love.

Brent Eelman: Dancing, Crying, Eating, and Drinking July 3, 2005. Jesus spent time with people who were considered the scum of society. He ate and drank with them.. He sang and danced with them. He took joy being among them. When we live out the hours of our life this week, this month, this summer let there be a song of joy in our hearts and a dance of gratitude for the salvation that we know in him.

Brent Eelman: Our Secret Sins June 19, 2005. All the secret sins that we have… those things that we hope no one will discover or find out, we have committed in the presence of God. There are no secrets. There are no cover-ups. Yet there is hope realizing that all things are in God’s hands… that wrongs will be exposed and righted.. and that history will be fulfilled with both justice and mercy.

Brent Eelman: Discipleship: A Taxing Profession June 5, 2005. If we are the church of Jesus Christ, those who are lost, alienated and hurting need to see this place as a refuge where they are always welcomed. Those who are sinners need to be able to come home, and we need to see ourselves more like Matthew, a vilified tax collector, forgiven, loved, accepted, and called to discipleship.

Brent Eelman: The Integrity of Concrete May 29, 2005. Most of us can handle life when things go well. Most of us can handle what we call “normal” times, but ultimately we face hardship and difficulties. Will we be able to withstand the storms, or will our foundations wash away and our lives crumble like a broken building?

Brent Eelman: Doubt Need Not Delay May 22, 2005. Do you have your doubts? I am sure that you do. You might have your doubts about God... about the Bible... about this sermon... about your own goodness... about your calling to your job... about your marriage... about your parents or your children. These are real and they are a function of God’s wonderful gift of reason and intelligence. Listen to them, but don’t let them hold you back. Remember, the eleven disciples… some doubted, but they all went forward.

Scott Nowack: The New Power Source May 15, 2005. We have been given a new power source, the Holy Spirit, which fills us with conviction, courage, audacity, confidence and boldness. We have a powerful message of love, hope and grace to proclaim to a hurting and suffering world.

Brent Eelman: The Birth May 8, 2005. On this day which celebrates mothers, let us in the church celebrate the quiet, often anonymous witness of “certain women”: the women who were there in the Upper Room, the women who have served the church through its history; the women who lead and serve faithfully today.

Dr. Eelman's meditation for National Day of Prayer May 5, 2005. In order to approach the throne of Grace, we need to leave behind some of the baggage that we carry: the baggage of partisanship and the baggage of ideology. We need to recognize that though we are citizens of this land with obligations and responsibilities, our ultimate citizenship is the kingdom of heaven.

Brent Eelman: The Struggles of the Soul May 1, 2005. We as Christians are realistic. We do not look away from the troubles of this world, or our own, but confront them. We are hopeful. We are redeemed. We are made whole, beautiful and useful, just as the potter molds the clay.

Brent Eelman: Are You a Dangerous Christian? Apr 24, 2005. We are called to be dangerous Christians, who in the spirit of Stephen and others, in the spirit of Christ, willingly speak the truth in love. We are called to be Christians who willingly call the world to account for the genocide, the oppression, the poverty, and exploitation that are accepted as normal.

Royal Kemper: On Knowing Where You're Going (Older Adults Sunday) Apr 17, 2005. How do you know where you're going if you don't know where you've been? Grandparents, in collaboration with their children, have the task of teaching their grandchildren how to live simply and live responsibly, and to walk humbly with their God.

Brent Eelman: April Fools Apr 3, 2005. Humor has a way of keeping us honest about ourselves and our shortcomings. When we become too puffed up and full of ourselves, when we become sooooo serious that we can’t laugh, humor has a way of restoring us to our proper perspective. It reminds that we are human, and more importantly, that we are in need of God.

Brent Eelman: Not Here Mar 27, 2005. We human beings have plenty of experience with death, but precious little with resurrection. The message of Easter is to stop chasing the dead ends and seek the risen living Christ in living encounter, in communities of faith, in love, reconciliation and hope: love that casts out fear; reconciliation that binds our wounds; and hope that is planted firmly in Christ’s resurrection.

Brent Eelman: The Way of Life Mar 20, 2005. The story of Jesus continues in this community of faith. The Lord has need of you to challenge yourself and others; to speak the truth in love, not anger, to those in power, but also to those who are alienated. The Lord needs you to sacrifice, to risk all in his name. At the end of this road is the cross but also the resurrection.

Debra Musgrave: Serving God as Ourselves Mar 13, 2005. Let us invite one another to share in the ministry of this church. Talk to people about the gifts you see in them. Seek out opportunities to share the gifts you have, joyfully, in humility, and with the individuality that comes with your unique perspective and experience. Let us all learn to serve God… as ourselves.

Brent Eelman: The Woes of Life Mar 6, 2005. Suffering and our wounds are potentially redemptive. They are often the portals through which the grace of God passes into our lives. None of us enjoy suffering, pain, or the like. Few of us want to hear a sermon about it, and yet the woes of life are real. and I believe that it is the key that opens up the gate to joy, purpose, meaning, and yes, eternity.

Brent Eelman: The Where of Life Feb 27, 2005. One of the things that I believe is so important and so vital is enabling our adolescents to struggle and understand the “where” question. Where can they use the gifts that they have been given by God? As we discover our place within the community of faith, we begin to know where we belong in the world. When life changes, we will know the experience of that struggle and will be able to adapt to change. We will know that we belong.

Brent Eelman: The What of Life Feb 20, 2005. What is a human being? We owe our being to the one who created us, and are ultimately dependent upon God. But we are also endowed with spirit: spirit that can gaze at the heavens with a sense of wonder and awe; spirit that can solve the problems of life; spirit that reflects the image of the one who created us; spirit that can discover and discern life’s meaning.

Brent Eelman: The Why of Life Feb 13, 2005. As you deal with all the things that you don’t know and understand about life, the moments of frustration and anger, practice love. It enables us all to live with the incomplete knowledge that we have. In the midst of life’s struggles, focus on those things that matter.

Scott Nowack: Heading in the Right Direction Feb 9, 2005. On this first day of Lent, let us prayerfully re-examine where we are in our relationship with God. With humble and repentant hearts, let us accept the grace of God with our whole selves, so that we may do what God wants us to do with our lives. That is, “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.”

Brent Eelman: A Passion Overture Feb 6, 2005. Christian faith is not passive. It does not lie there. It does not sit around. It does not focus on its fears. Christian faith gets up and gets going. We have a faith with legs. We have faith that calls us to follow our Lord, into the Jerusalem’s of our day.

Brent Eelman: