Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week Four -- Early Exodus

Pastor Emily gave this sermon.  It starts in the early chapters of Exodus and introduces us to Moses, but also the women who helped bring him life.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week Three -- Joseph

This starts with Genesis 37 and ends with Genesis 50 and a good pick of skipping over key elements of the story.  And it was a communion Sunday.  Whew.  But "Houston, we've got a problem" seemed to work on this one.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week Two -- Genesis 15

Genesis 15 but more than that really.  This is really the introduction to Abraham and that faith tradition.  The reflection plays with the idea of promise as a commitment but also promise as worthy of recognition now because of future potential.  

September 11th -- 15th Anniversary -- A Meeting of the Secular and the Sacred

This is Pastor Emily Flemming's first sermon at Hilltop.  I apologize in advance for the sound quality.  Recorded from the choir microphone.  An excellent sermon.  Included a little music from the anthem .... 

Forgotten Women of the Bible -- Hannah

1 Samuel 1 -- I read the end here -- verses 20 to 28 but the liturgist had read all of the big (and hard) words earlier.  The Youth had sung an anthem that included the words "I believe in God, even when God is silent."  We had new members coming in and I cut the sermon a little short.  Not a lot.  Think I got the "key points."  Hannah starts the story of moving from chaos to order (depends on who's definition of order I think).  She is the mother of Samuel.  But the first two chapters focus on Hannah, not Samuel.  

Forgotten Women of the Bible -- Devorah

This is from Judges 4.  We would in English call the heroine here, Deborah, but I have a friend named Devorah, and I felt that saying her name, in Hebrew, was the right thing.  Devorah stands on behalf of being courageous.  She is a fiery woman or maybe a woman of lightening or woman of the torch.  She stands like a beacon, and deserves to be remembered.

Creeds -- Week 2

The Sunday after the shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Dallas.  Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 (read by liturgist) and 1 Corinthians 8: 1-6.  Yes, I revised the sermon after the events of last week.  
We are speaking to the Nicene Creed -- and this is the passage on God.  

Deuteronomy 5 -- Covenant Relationship

Moses reading of the Decalogue the second time, this time before entering the Promised Land brackets the Wilderness narrative.  There are hints of the "ancient future" idea I find so resonant.  The ancient words apply to us in this future time.  But at the key this is about relationship -- God initiates, we are invited to respond.  God loves us ... it would be so easy to see Grace as conditional, but it isn't.  (Note:  we split the reading and I pick up the reading on the podcast about 5:17.  Had read 5:1-16 or so earlier.)This is from October 11, 2015 @ 9:00.  The 10:30 version was not useable.  

Genesis 1 -- "In the Beginning" (September 13, 2015)

This is from Genesis 1 and 2.  My initial foray into the "Narrative Lectionary."  I type this at the two week mark, and so far, I find it to be an excellent way of "teaching" the bible during worship.  This week the 10:30 service was when I remembered to record myself.  On September 20th, it would be at the 9:00 service.  I hate it when I do that.  But ... 

Finally, Why Hilltop?

This wraps up the four part series on Why?  Hilltop has a vision of being a place where all can belong, believe and become.  This sermon is drawn from Galatians 3 ...