Hope Community Presbyterian Church

Acts 1:6-11

Acts 2:1-21

This is the second of a three-part sermon series I’ve titled “My Dream Church.” These are some ways to think about being the church that would maybe give us a new way of measuring ourselves. Hint: much of this we already do. Last week, I talked about embodying those who came before us, carrying on the work and traditions of our ancestors in faith, as a way of honoring their memory and receiving the guidance they’ve shared with us. Next week, I want to talk about just how strange the church ought to look. This week, I want to say a few words about giving our ideas away to the people around us.

Today is Pentecost, which we often call the “birthday of the church.” Thinking about churches being born, I wanted to share this report from an Evangelical missionary planting house churches in Ecuador. As I read, remember that his assumptions and his criteria for success might be different from yours, but he’s working as faithfully as any of us are. (more…)

Looking for a chance to deepen your understanding this summer? Does your schedule during the school year keep you from coming to Wednesday morning Bible study? This summer, come to Bible study on Tuesday evenings (starting June 2) at 6:30 in Nathan’s office. We’ll study the lectionary texts that will be used in worship the next Sunday, so you might get a preview of the sermon (or get a chance to tell Nathan what to preach about). Because we’re following the lectionary, you can drop in or skip a week as your schedule dictates. See you there!

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-15

Ephesians 1:15-23

Today we celebrate, among other things, Jesus’ ascension. This is the end of the Easter season and the beginning of Pentecost, when the church begins to grow into itself. For the next three sermons, we’ll watch the Spirit of God dream the church into being. We’ll see what new life God creates. Today, Ascension Sunday and Memorial Sunday, we’ll dream a church that carries on the work of its ancestors in faith. Next week, on Pentecost, we’ll dream a church that becomes something new that it never had been before. On June 7, Trinity Sunday (which is also when w’ell change to our 9:30 worship time), we’ll dream a church that is united with itself and all God’s creation, but that does something very different from what anyone else does.

Today we’re celebrating the Ascension, when Jesus was taken up into heaven. This was the second time Jesus’ followers lost him: first when he died on the cross, and now as he ascends into heaven. We can imagine that the disciples felt some grief, some incomprehension, as we’ll see when Luke tells this story in Acts 1 next week. In the passage from the end of Luke’s Gospel, however, there is no sadness. Jesus’ followers go rejoicing to Jerusalem, giving thanks to God and looking forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on them. (more…)

Vacation Bible School is coming up July 13-17.  We’re going to Rome this year!  To find out more and/or to register or volunteer to help, click on this link.

1 John 4:7-21

John 15:1-8

Jesus tells us, “you can’t do anything cut off from the vine.” Without Jesus as our vine, we would just be a rootless branch, floating free in the world, but Jesus roots us and connects us to God. Apparently, Jesus was a better preacher than a gardener. Not that I’ve ever done it, but you can take a cutting from a vine and make it thrive. You can give roots to a cut-off branch, with lots of care. Of course, Jesus is not talking about any particular vine. Jesus isn’t a particular vine, he’s our rootedness. We all come from particular vines, rooted in God, because someone cared for us enough to make us grow. (more…)

Leanne and I had help recently putting up some new wall paneling in our house. The project involved adding support strips to hold the paneling, which in turn meant that we had to find the studs behind our plaster wall. I know the process of finding studs by tapping on the wall, but I’m no good at it through plaster. My helper, Dave, knew how to poke around with a drill to find the parts of the wall that had wood underneath. I suppose I too knew this was an option, but I was sure glad to let someone with more experience do the job for me! (more…)