Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. Text: Micah 6:8 O.T.: Micah 6:1-8 N.T.: Matthew 5:1-12 Biblical Israel’s story is curiously parallel to America’s national story. The story of God’s covenant with Israel is about a nation whose founders believed it was holy from its origin. Israel was holy because God chose Israel as His own. Israel was forged by God’s will. God liberated His people from tyranny. Moses lead God’s people from…
Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. Text: Isaiah 9:2 O.T.: Isaiah 9:1-4 N.T.: Matthew 4:12-23 Light’s absence is blinding. Julie and I once had a friend who wanted us to experience his life as a coal-mine inspector. He took us to the Tour Ed Mine above Harmarville. As we traveled the rail line into the mine, lights were placed along the wall to define the route into the darkness. We traveled a football…
Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. Text: John 1:29 Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-14 New Testament: John 1:29-42 When I was three, my mother took me to where her parents once lived. It was my grandfather’s farm. My grandfather died when my mother was two. It had not been in the family since his death. But it still was a working farm for a family that owned my grandparent’s old homestead the day we…
Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla Text: Ephesians 1:3-4 Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:7-14 New Testament: Ephesians 1:3-14 What do a mother, a teenager, a little girl, and a soldier have in common? After many attempts at having a child, a doctor told a young woman and her husband they could not have children. The couple loved children and decided to adopt. After adopting two children they loved, the woman gave birth. A…
Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla Text: John 1:1 O.T.: Jeremiah 31:7-14 N.T.: John 1:1-18 New Year’s is a time we’re flooded with words. Parade commentators, football commentators, political commentators, and social commentators spin the meaning of events with endless verbage. Family gatherings, community events, and neighborhood parties share stories and light-hearted humor as we enjoy the arrival of a New Year. This is the season of words. Words contemplate reflections on the…