This the ravings of a lunatic on behalf of God urging unity.  

The text is Galatians 3: 23-29 and the sermon primarily dwells on Paul's context with a strong focus on the baptismal formula he is using about Jews/Gentiles, Free/Slave and Man/Woman.  I could NOT pull up the word "crescent" when discussing the various symbols on graves for those being remembered on Memorial Day -- Cross (check), Star of David (check), and Crescent and Star (all I got out was Star, didn't get the Crescent).  Forgive me.  

I obviously have gotten to a place where I think we are too often, majoring in the minors.  I know there are many who find me deluded.  

It is my style to preach elements of the sermon in the statement of the theme, the scripture reading, the message itself, and then during the benediction.  

This is from the 10:30 service and the "Smith" party is a 95th Birthday Celebration with Pearl Smith.  

That minefield that is Mother's Day.  Relationships gone bad, or lost, or never was.  All of those emotions and more.  I focused on nurture.  

Odd passage to our ears.  A Eunuch?  What's that about?  But in this case, Philip has just preached to Samaritans, outcasts, and now he is preaching/teaching to another outcast.  The message is as fresh today as it was in Philip's day.  Who is invited to God's table and the answer is -- Samaritans, Sexually Questionable Characters, and yes, you and me.  

Rev. Emily Fleming on John 20: 24-29 and her reflection on Doubting Thomas.  I also included a little of our music after the sermon and before the benediction.  

Acts 6: 1-7.  Spiritual Gifts.  

Our focus was on ministry to children, and this just worked.  

This is the 9:00 Service at Hilltop.  I am indebted to David Watson and N. T. Wright for good quotes here.  

This reflection is drawn from the Luke 15, three parables.  The liturgist will only read the first two to provide context, and then I re-tell the third one.  A parable familiar to us.  

The scripture for the week is shown below.  I didn't get a recording of the liturgist reading it this particular Sunday.  

Luke 13: 31-35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

This is the familiar story of the Good Samaritan.  This was acrtually extremely scandalous for Jesus to use this imagery.  Amy Jill Levine, Jewish New Testament Scholar at Vanderbilt, suggests that the image is someone coming to your rescue, that was so detested, that you would just as soon die rather than be helped by him.  Wow.  

This is an excellent text for us to examine in this most hostile of times.  How do we learn to listen to each other in a way to understand rather than to hate and reject?