January 17, 2016 Isaiah 62: 1-5, 10-12 I remember when Northminster changed its name to New Life Community Presbyterian Church. (I think the Presbyterian is still in there.) It was after their merger with Brighton-McClure Presbyterian Church. They wanted a fresh start as a united congregation, and they thought that a new name would give them that. As I recall, they let everyone in the congregation propose possible names, and they collected a long…
January 10, 2016 Acts 8: 14-17 Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22 Rev. Catherine Purves When I say the word ‘Baptism’ what’s the first thing you think of? I think 99% of us would say, Water. Water is what we most associate with Baptism. Whether it is a whole river full of water or just a sprinkling, water is what we consider the most essential part of a Baptism. And it’s not just the actual…
Epiphany January 3, 2016 Isaiah 60: 1-4a, 6b Matthew 2: 1-12 Rev. Catherine Purves I like astronomy, but I know virtually nothing about it. I just learned this week that the winter solstice, the shortest day and therefore the longest night of the year, occurs on a different day each year. It could be on December 20th, 21st, 22nd, or 23rd in any given year. The winter solstice is determined by the tilt…
Christmas Eve 2015 Psalm 96 Luke 2: 1-14 Rev. Catherine Purves Singing a new song is hard, isn’t it? Why would I make you do that on Christmas Eve? We’ve been waiting all through Advent to sing our favorite Christmas carols, songs that we know, old songs that remind us of Christmases past spent with family and the people we love. Why can’t we just sing our old songs? I know that’s what…
December 27, 2015 Luke 2: 41-52 Rev. Catherine Purves There is a gap, a gaping hole, in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. We know virtually nothing about Jesus as a child. Nothing! Matthew records the story of his family’s escape to Egypt right after Jesus was born. That was when Herod went on a rampage and tried to kill all children under two in and around Bethlehem. And he briefly tells of…