Mindful Leader

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.  

Narrative Lectionary -- Old Testament Week One -- Genesis 1

We start the Narrative Lectionary for 2016 to 2017.  Genesis 1.  Emily Flemming preaching on creation and creativity.  

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 -- Esther

My fourth look at Forgotten Women of the Bible -- and I focused in this series on OT women.  This one is Esther.  Here I got into the tyranny of the now versus the urgency of the now, and to some extent this was a reflection on how we got to where we were in September with having a Pastor Emily here.  

Youth Mission Report Sunday

Noah Haight is reading the Scripture.  Short excerpt of the Summer Singers.  Melissa Doloff introducing the speakers.  Lindsay Blanchett, Jaimie Olson, Isaac Reese, and then moi.  Youth went to Mescalero, New Mexico.  Scripture is from Sermon on the Mount and not putting our lights under a basket.  

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 -- Abigail

1 Samuel 25 -- and we look at Abigail.  Three main characters:  David, Nabal, and Abigail.  One shows true hospitality.  The others are more "meh" in their roles.  

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.