Summer Reading: Great Stories of Faith
June 14-Aug. 2, 2020

A good story can encourage and inspire as well as instruct. The stories that we tell and the stories we remember can give shape to our lives. The Bible is filled with wonderful stories that time and again open our souls to a deeper understanding of God. This summer we will listen to some great stories. Some of them funny. Some of them challenging. But through each of them, we will listen again for that word that stands forever.

June 14	Saul's Best Moment and Black Lives Matter	Rev. Tom Are
June 21	The Golden Calf: Time To Trust	Rev. Tom Are
June 28	The Weight of It	Rev. Zach Walker
July 5	Be Courageous	Rev. Tom Are
July 12	Reading Rizpah	Rev. Hallie Hottle
July 19	What Defines Us	Rev. Melanie Hardison
July 26	Judge Not	Rev. Tom Are
Aug. 2	Can These Bones Live?	Rev. Sally Wright

Can These Bones Live?
Aug. 2, 2020 - Rev. Sally Wright

The prophet Ezekiel uses the image of the Israelites’ dry bones to remind them of the promises that God will one day breathe the breath of life within them again. And to remind them that they are still God’s people. In these days of COVID, join Rev. Sally Wright in spotting the places God breathes God’s breath into dry things. Our scripture reading is Ezekiel 37:1-14.
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​Sermon Transcript 8-2-20

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Judge Not
July 26, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

When it comes to seeing the flaw in our neighbors, our vision can be 20/20, but when it comes to seeing the flaws in our own lives, sometimes our vision gets quite blurry. Rev. Tom Are preaches taking a second look can prove to be eye-opening.  Our scripture reading is Matthew 7:1-5.

Sermon Transcript 7-26-20

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What Defines Us
July 19, 2020 - Rev. Melanie Hardison

Rev. Melanie Hardison preaches from Genesis 32:22-31. This is the story of Jacob’s long night of wrestling on a riverbank. She explores how Jacob perseveres, and what this story might mean for us today and in the weeks and months ahead. 

​Sermon Transcript 7-19-20

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Reading Rizpah
July 12, 2020 - Rev. Hallie Hottle

Rev. Hallie Hottle preaches about the story of Rizpah in 2 Samuel 21: 10-14. Rizpah is a grieving mother, protecting the bodies of her lynched sons. Her protest is tragic and unrelenting, and it’s the thing that finally moves the king to right the wrongs, make the reparations, take down the bones. Only then does the land begin to grow again. In this day when bones still line our hillsides and a famine of justice persists in our land, perhaps we need to spend some time reading Rizpah. 

​Sermon Transcript 7-12-20

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Be Courageous
July 5, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

Rev. Tom Are preaches from Joshua 1:1-9. As Joshua leads God's people into the promised land, God tells him, "be strong and courageous." He, and all the people, needed courage not simply because battles awaited, but because they knew they were to live as a people shaped by God's word. To live faithful to the word of God always requires courage. ​

​Sermon Transcript 7-5-20

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The Weight of It
June 28, 2020 - Rev. Zach Walker

Rev. Zach Walker provides some wisdom for those moments when life feels a bit heavy; recent weeks and months have put a fine point on that. What are we called to do in such times, and what does faith look like when the weight of it all tempts us to feel despair? Our scripture reading is Exodus 17:8-13. 

​Sermon Transcript 6-28-20

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The Golden Calf: Time to Trust
June 21, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

Rev. Tom Are preaches about the importance of trusting in God. It's not always easy. Particularly when times are challenging and confusing, like they are these days, it becomes more important for us to trust what our faith teaches us. Our scripture reading is Exodus 31:18-32:6. 

​Sermon Transcript 6-21-20

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Saul’s Best Moment and Black Lives Matter
June 14, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” has become more familiar during the turmoil of recent weeks. Rev. Tom Are reflects on his understanding of how people of faith might understand this affirmation and encourages us to be more like Saul and to listen. 1 Samuel 17:28-40. 

​Sermon Transcript 6-14-20

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