Category: SERMONS, WORSHIP, MEDITATIONS

miah 33:14-16 Commentary on First Reading by Kathryn Schifferdecker On this first Sunday of Advent, one cannot read the prophecy of a “righteous Branch” springing up for David in anything but a messianic light. And that is a theologically sound way of reading this passage from Jeremiah. It is worth noting, however, the circumstances in…

By Rev. Woody Bowman 11/15/09 Psalm 106: 1 – 5 2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15 John 2: 1 – 11; John 6:11; Acts 27:35 Jesus Comes to Thanksgiving Dinner Jesus has nothing to do with the origins of our Thanksgiving holiday. But I can assure you he would enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, Thanksgiving is…

1 Theological Reflection: Day of Remembrance, Nov. 1, 2009 Janet Holladay, MTS, ALM Chilmark Community Church, United Methodist Good morning! First I would like to say that I am not standing here in front of you as an ordained minister. Although it is true that I have been lucky in my life to have had…

God is Unfair Job 1:1 to 2:10 More than 3,000 years ago, the writer of the Book of Job wrestled with a question which is still just as troublesome today as it was then. It is this: If God is all-powerful, good, and just (and sometimes merciful), why do innocent people, sometimes very good people,…

When I saw that the Song of Solomon was appointed as one of today’s lectionary texts, I jumped at the chance to preach on it. Not because I immediately knew what I was going to say, but because I have never really known quite what to do with this book. In my elementary school days,…

ON A MISSION REV. KWAME OSEI REED THE STORY IS TOLD OF A LITTLE BOY WHO LOVED GOING TO CHURCH WITH HIS GRANDFATHER. AFTER LEAVING SERVICE ONE SUNDAY, THE BOY LOOKED INTENTLY AT HIS GRANDFATHER AND SAID, “GRANDPA, ARE YOU AFRAID OF DYING?” SURPRISED, BUT PATIENT, THE OLD MAN SAID, “WHY WOULD YOU ASK ME…

Chilmark Community Church August 9, 2009 “Slipping the Bonds of Earth and Heaven” John 6:35, 41-51 Susan E. Thomas It seems to me that in light of this morning’s lectionary reading from John that the first great task of a Messiah is to bring to an end the search for a Messiah. So what if…

Genesis 17:15-17; 18:13-15 Mark 3:19b-21, 31-35 “He has gone out of his mind!” The Gospel writer known to us as Mark records in his Gospel that Jesus’ own family, probably his mother, says this about him. Now I ask you, is this any way to talk about the Son of God, the Messiah? Can you…

Psalm 139 Isaiah 61:1-4 Luke 13:10-17 Ought Not this Woman Then Jesus answered and said, “Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham and Sarah…be set free from bondage on the Sabbath day?”  I first experienced this kind of “ought” when my own niece was almost 2 years old and the experience has stayed with…