The Transfiguration Text from Luke.  I felt a number of weeks ago that focusing on the valley experience was where the Holy Spirit was carrying me (us?).  There is a good bit of pain at this church over the recent General Conference.  I have tried the last several weeks to minimize direct discussion of General Conference, and focus more on implied elements.  This day, I felt a direct discussion was in order.  All I can tell anyone is that I agonized over what to say, and this is what God provided me.  

This is from 9:00 AM.  I may also do the 10:30 service, which was a little longer.  

First Corinthians 15 meets Luke 6 with a touch of For Every One Born, A Place at the Table.  Our choir performing this piece is shared.  

Invaluable help here from Rev. Kerry Greenhill.  Her opening prayer, Call to Worship, Confession and Pastoral Prayer were exquisite. 

I had to add the Youth Choir with their I Believe by Mark Miller.  A great piece and something they do quite well.   

I confess that General Conference 2019 in St. Louis was in my mind.  I don't think I mention it directly.  

The sermon starts about 11:30 or so and goes to 38:00 or so.  A little longer than is my norm.  Kerry's Litany of Commitment wraps up the Sermon.  

The various scriptures for this Sunday are HERE.  The sermon is from the Luke with touches from the Psalm and the (unread) Jeremiah.  

I wonder if the title doesn't give the big idea to us:  "Blessed to be a Blessing."  

Faithful to the Call -- Luke 5: 1-11

The text was the Revised Common Lectionary Luke passage.  I was trying to balance the idea of faithfulness and call.  This was Scout Sunday, so I did get over into our local context a good bit.  

The scripture is 1 Corinthians 12: 31b through the end of 13.  

Gift and Fruit of Love.  Paul has been driving to this point in his letter and lays out his theology of Love.  To love, in a mature way, as God loves.  

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 (English Standard Version)

From my newsletter article (click to read):  Our theme for Advent will be: Waiting patiently in hope, peace, joy and love.  Each week will focus on one of those four ideas.  We want to honor Advent I think part of how we honor the season is cherishing and embracing waiting.  The Isaiah above is a theme for all who want to move quickly.  ‘Renew your strength:  wait.’ 

This week, we are somehow, waiting patiently … in joy … This is Gaudete Sunday – which is a 25 cent Ecclesiastical Latin word meaning Rejoice. 

The sermon will be drawn from the Philippians 4: 4-7 – Rejoice. 

John 18: 33-37

We stand at the end of the church year.  It is New Year’s Eve in New York City and the ball has gone down and we are here to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  Who is Jesus for us?  Really for us?  What is our no equivocation answer?  He is King? 

If not, why not?  I expect while the scriptures are NOT John 3: 15-17, I will get to John 3: 15-17, particularly 17.  We can live according to the cynical values of Pilate or …. the choice is ours. 

Scripture Readings: Luke 15: 11-12 (yes, short). 

 Big idea:  God calls on people to serve.  I am mindful that the son had a different agenda than serving but what I want to focus on is letting go.  The father let go.  In today’s world, we are served by many and parents, grandparents, friends, have to let go. 

 “In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”  Deepak Chopra

 Part of our task is know when to let go, and when to hang on. 

This is the Reverend Tiffany Eddy in her debut sermon at Hilltop.  Tiffany is an Elder in the Oklahoma Conference, and spent five years on active duty in the United States Navy.  She now lives in Bluffdale, Utah and is participating in Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

This was United Methodist Women Sunday.  Tiffany spoke to the subject of empowerment!  i clipped a smidgen at the end whenTiffany was concluding.  Forgive me please.  

James 5:13-20

Sunday Five of Five Straight RCL Sundays on James

An attempt to put a bow on James and our Culture of Growth Idea ... 

¹³ Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, ²⁰ you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.