July 13 – August 31
As followers of Jesus, we are called to tune out the cacophony and busyness around us and within us in order to be still in God’s presence and listen. This is especially true for Prince of Peace during this “interim” time. Who exactly are we? Who is God calling us to be, and what is God calling us to do? And how do we listen for and really hear God’s word of grace and forgiveness in order to live faithfully and with confidence instead of tentatively and with fear, as individuals and as a community of faith?
Sunday, July 13 | 9:30am Worship
Text: Genesis 3:1-13
Sermon Title: Unquiet Minds
Today we begin our second summer series: “Be still and know that I am God.” Remember when you were young, coming up out of the pool with water in your ear that you couldn’t shake out? For as long as that water was in there, the voices of people around you were dull and hollow, making them difficult to understand. Adam and Eve, the archetypes of our humanity, experienced a similar thing. The desire to be like God was so stuck in their minds–and their hearts–that they could not be still and hear God’s voice.
Sunday, July 20 | 9:30am Worship
Text: 1 Kings 19:9b ((“The word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing [hiding in the wilderness], Elijah?”)-13a
Sermon Title: Captain not so obvious
We continue today with our summer series, “Be still and know that I am God.” It can be very difficult to drop our expectations of God in order actually to be confronted by God. As Elijah discovered, this can lead to confusion, frustration, misunderstanding, you name it.
Sunday, July 27 | 9:30am Worship
Text: Genesis 11:1-9
Sermon Title: Barbarians
Roman soldiers coined the phrase Barbarian in reference to the unfamiliar language of the Germanic tribes who sounded as if they were saying “barbarbar.” As we continue our summer series “Be still and know that I am God,” we return to an old, and odd, story, the Tower of Babel. It’s difficult actually to listen to God when we are hell-bent on trying to dislodge God. That’s certainly not something we do these days, of course, but maybe this story is still worth a listen.
Sunday, August 3 | 9:30am Worship
Text: Exodus 3:1-12
Sermon Title: “What the…”
Continuing our series, “Be still and know that I am God,” we have to admit that there are times when God really grabs our attention. We sit up straight, open our ears and put the world on hold to hear what God has to say. But sometimes we don’t like what we hear, and we look for a way out. The burning bush turned Moses aside like a tug on a ring in his nose, but after hearing what God had in mind, his response was, “Um, no.”
Sunday, August 10 | 9:30am Worship
Text: Exodus 7:1-13
Sermon Title: Hardness of Heart
As we continue our theme of “Be still and know that I am God,” we struggle with a very difficult passage that seems to say that sometimes we don’t listen because God doesn’t want us to hear. Can that really be true? Can it be true that there are times when God stops our ears and hardens our hearts?
Sunday, August 17 | 9:30am Worship
Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-18
Sermon Title: The adult in the room
Continuing with our theme of “Be still and know that I am God,” we have a story telling us that experience and job title can be impediments to understanding that something new and fresh is afoot. Sometimes it’s the children and the INexperienced who are in a position to see or hear what is coming over the horizon.
Sunday, August 24 | 9:30am Worship
Text: 2 Samuel 12:1-9
Sermon Title: “What???!!! In MY kingdom???!!!”
Every pastor has heard a variation of this: “Good sermon, pastor. Too bad the people who needed to hear it weren’t here.” It can be hard to “Be still and know that I am God,” when we are convinced that we’ve heard everything God has to say or that God’s reprimand is meant for someone else. When you are like that, pray that you will have a Nathan in your life, someone who is willing to speak to you bluntly and honestly.
Sunday, August 31 | 9:30am Worship
Text: Luke 15:11-32
Sermon Title: “A man had two sons.”
“Be still and know that I am God” is difficult for the headbanger AND the Jesus freak. We finish this series with Jesus’ parable about two VERY different siblings, each of whom just needs to slow down long enough to hear how greatly their father loves them. This is the first and last thing we need to hear from God.