by Pastor Cecil | Jan 7, 2024 | Pastor's Blog
Luke 2:25-35 Some of you might have noticed on Christmas Eve that the Christ candle was burning low as the Candlelighters lit their candles by it. By the time Earl’s turn came, it looked extinguished. Unable to light his candle by it, he used mine. So, you can imagine...
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 20, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
Isaiah 9:1-7 I once brought some friends from the city to my home in the country for a visit. I handed them a flashlight and motioned for them to follow me. It was a dark, moonless night, so I should not have been surprised to see them getting nervous as I led...
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 21, 2023 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Matthew 15:23-28 With the Maui disaster fresh on our minds, you probably remember the worst days of Katrina. Mr. Brown, head of FEMA at the time, was sending e-mails to his staff like this: I’m not answering [questions], but do have a question. Do you know anyone who...
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 21, 2023 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Matthew 14:22-33 To heighten the sense of drama in this scripture, I would assign sounds to people in the group, so that every time they heard the word “wind” they would “whoosh” and for waves they would “shhhh.” For “ghost” one might say, “booo!” You get the idea....
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 11, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
Zechariah 7:4-12 There lived in a certain town two men: one was well-off, the other rather poor. But the poor man did have a lovely family and a pet lamb. The children loved the lamb, and the whole family shared their food with it, and the lamb slept in their arms....
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 23, 2023 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Declaration of Good News: The Apostle Paul urges us, in view of God’s mercy, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing...
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 23, 2022 | Pastor's Blog
Christmas Eve, Titus 3:4-5a Was listening to Christmas music on Sirius when a Jonas Brothers song played. A song about being with someone that makes every day feel like it’s Christmas. Lights twinkling in Central Park, feeling like Heaven, first on the Wishlist. “Snow...
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 9, 2022 | Pastor's Blog
Romans 15:7-13 (ESV) Sitting down to eat with his family in a local restaurant, the 6-year-old boy asked to say grace. He prayed: God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and...
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 17, 2022 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
As we move into the season of Advent, we prepare ourselves to receive the only Son anew, to renew our belief, or even to believe for the first time, in God who so loves the world. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world...
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2022 | Pastor's Blog
This sermon was preached for World Communion at 1st Presbyterian, Oct. 2nd, 2022, and for the first time, hosting St. John’s Episcopal Church and choir, along with African American churches in Salem such as the historic Mt. Pisgah AME and Soul Saving Church....
