Text: Ezra 3:1-7 “Joyful Worship Restored” After the fury of a hurricane has subsided, residents who have been forced to leave because of the storm are eager to get back home. What damage has … [Read more...]

Text: Isaiah 65:17-21, 23-25 “The Glorious New Creation” What is your idea of the triumph of God? Usually, I think that winning means that my team has won and the other team has lost. My team … [Read more...]

Text: Isaiah 29: 9-16a “Meaningless Worship” How do you define “meaningless worship”? For one person, it might be highly individualistic, culturally shaped, and totally unplanned. For … [Read more...]

Text: Isaiah 12 “Give Thanks” Have you ever tried to get clarification of some difficult point only to end up more confused than you were at the beginning? Enter Isaiah 12:4. The New Revised … [Read more...]

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8 “Holy, Holy, Holy” When I was in seminary—what was that, 125 years ago?—I was taught that Isaiah 6:1-8 formed the flow for our worship. We were to begin with praise … [Read more...]

Text: 2 Peter 3:1-15a “Hope in the Day of the Lord” Standard Preacher Joke No. 362: the bishop says to the pastors, “Now if you think it’s the Second Coming, try to look busy.” When I … [Read more...]