Hope Community Presbyterian Church

Psalm 111; Mark 1:21-28

Seriously, what’s wrong with this guy? Who uses Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream as a bulletin cover? Well, as if it were a mitigating factor, it wasn’t originally my idea – one of my favorite worship blogs suggested it – but I suppose I made the choice either way, right? Fine. The fact remains, I’m not the one who put this story about demon-possession in the Gospel. (more…)

Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Mark 1:14-20

I should probably clarify: I actually do like fishing. It’s a pleasant way to spend time, a good excuse to be out on the water (especially when said water is liquid), and every so often it contributes to a tasty meal. But that has nothing to do with the kind of fishermen Simon, Andrew, James, and John were. They weren’t the kind of people who sat around a hole in the ice, waiting for something to swim by. They went out with drift nets at all hours of the day, and they pulled up everything they could get. (more…)

2 Peter 3:8-15; Mark 1:1-8

Friends, I’m afraid I have some bad news: Christmas isn’t coming this year. See, we follow a three-year cycle of scripture readings for worship, and each year more or less follows a different Gospel. So until a couple weeks ago, we were in Matthew, which has the story of Joseph’s faithfulness to Mary and the coming of the “Wise Men.” And next year, we’ll start a journey through Luke, which has the journey to Bethlehem, the shepherds, and all those angels. Well, this week we start a trip through Mark’s gospel, and… well, Mark doesn’t have a birth story. (more…)

Isaiah. 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

I’m beginning Advent and still full from Thanksgiving. Today I’m giving thanks for our gifts. Many of these are your individual gifts, but I’m especially thinking in terms of our life together as Hope Community Presbyterian Church. (more…)

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

When I was growing up, my family gathered for Thanksgiving every other in Sac City, Iowa, where my grandparents grew up. They grew up there, so the whole family came to be planted there in a sense, but my people were not from there. We were from Germany, Wales, and a few other places, and I believe we made it to northwestern Iowa by way of Illinois.  Like most families (like all families, if you go back far enough), we were from somewhere else. (more…)

Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46

I came very close at one point to majoring in physics. When I told my physics professor that I was feeling more drawn to religious studies than to physics, he paused a moment and asked, “Is there a difference?” (more…)

Revelation 7:9-14; Matthew 5:1-12

We’ve placed mementos and written names of our saints who join us at this Communion Table.

I have 16 more names to add to the Communion Table. They’re not this congregation’s, but they’re saints with us today. (more…)