First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL

Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2: 1-20 December 24, 2018, Christmas Eve First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Our first reading today is from the prophet Isaiah, words of comfort and light that have illuminated the lives of people for more than two thousand years. The prophet sought to bring God’s message to a suffering people, people who were living amid the ravages of war. The prophet recalls the day of Midian, in which the Israelites triumphed, not because of their superior skill and strategy, but thanks only to the power and might of God. The God who shines light in the darkness is the God of Israel, who will bring us into the light. Isaiah 9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and th...

December 23, 2018 Isaiah 2:2–5; Philippians 2:5-11 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Our first reading on this last Sunday in Advent is from the prophet Isaiah. It speaks of a time “in the days to come” when all nations will come to worship God and walk in God’s paths. This passage also contains the familiar language describing peace, when weapons of war are transformed into tools of agriculture, and people study war no more. Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Isaiah 2:2–5. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nation...

Ephesians 6:14-17; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 December 16, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry In our first reading, the writer exhorts the individual members of the church to understand their gifts and their calling. When we hear the first scripture, we may imagine a Roman soldier, or a Marvel comics superhero. But the imagery, while it is military, is not violent. To the contrary, it is about wearing the gifts of truth, justice and peace. In Ephesians 5:9, we are reminded: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light. Light produces fruit that consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. “ Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Ephesians 6:14-17 So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of...

Isaiah 55:1-2, John 6: 32-35 December 9, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Again this Sunday, our first reading comes from the prophet Isaiah, in the section of the book that is often called “Second Isaiah,” since scholars have divided the 66 chapters into two or three volumes. Prior chapters, from First Isaiah, describe the suffering servant, and the troubles of Israel in exile in Babylon. Things seem hopeless. In this text, now, we hear a word of hope— God is accomplishing the unexpected. The briers and thorns have been turned to myrtle and cypress (55:13) and there is plenty to eat and drink – at no cost! Unlike the food and drink that leave people feeling hungry and thirsty, this food and drink truly satisfy the people. Let’s listen for God’s word of hope to us in Isaiah 55:1-2, Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money ...

Isaiah 9:2-5; John 1:1-9 December 2, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Our first reading today is from the prophet Isaiah, words of comfort and light that have illuminated the lives of people for more than two thousand years. The prophet sought to bring God’s message to a suffering people, people who were living amid the ravages of war, in a kind of dark ages in which there seemed to be little hope. In these words, the prophet recalls the day of Midian, an historic battle in which the Israelites triumphed, not because of their superior skill and strategy, but thanks only to the power and might of God. For the battle of Midian, Gideon gathered 32,000 men. But God said that was too many, and that if they had an army that strong, the victory would be attributed to Gideon and the army, not God. So God winnowed them down to 300 soldiers, 300 men who were not the best, strongest, and most alert. And then God delivered the Midianites to the Israelites. The God wh...

Christ the King Sunday, November 25, 2018 Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-38 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Our first reading this morning is from the first chapter of Revelation, a kind of introductory text that lets us know something about Jesus. As we hear this text, let’s keep in mind that the book of Revelation is not a terrifying prediction of the return of an angry Jesus. “Revelation is not a script for the end of the world!” It is, instead, a prophecy of the fall of earthly empire and the coming reign of God in a new heaven and a new earth. Let’s listen for God’s coming kingdom in Revelation 1:4b-8: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Fat...

Matthew 6: 25-33 November 18, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL Christina Berry Our scripture reading today comes from the sixth chapter of Matthew. The reading comes from the middle of what is often called “The Sermon on the Mount,” Matthew’s collection of Jesus sayings that explicates for us the heart of the good news. In that collection of sayings, we have the beatitudes. Writer and theologian Matthew Boring says “The beatitudes are written in unconditional performative language. They do not merely describe something that already is, but bring into being the reality they declare.” [1] In everyday terms, “performative language” is words that make something happen, like when you say “I do” at the wedding. So this entire section of Matthew is making something happen, and it is something new and different, something that has not happened before. Jesus goes on to teach about the law of love, an ethical commandment that shifts the old ways of being. “You hav...

Mark 12:38-44 November 11, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry We are continuing in the gospel of Mark for one more week in our stewardship season. You may remember that by this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been in Jerusalem for a few days of this last week of his life. On the way in to town, he stopped and healed a blind beggar, and last week, he conversed with a scribe, and the two of them agreed that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s helpful to remember, as we hear this text, that Jesus does not condemn EVERY scribe or Pharisee- the scribe in last week’s story was a kindred spirit to him. In this episode, we see Jesus at the temple. The temple in Jerusalem is a major character in this section of the gospel, even when it is not mentioned. In this last week of Jesus’ life, he keeps circling back to the temple. It has been the center of Jewish lif...

Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Mark 12:28-34 November 4, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Our first reading is from the Hebrew scriptures, the verses known as “the Shema.” These verses form the heart of Jewish theology. They call to mind that God delivered the people from slavery, and that God alone is the one they serve, the one who made them a people and gave them an identity. The word “shema” is an imperative - It means both “hear!” and “obey!” And the reminder that God is one, to be loved with all one’s heart and soul and strength, is repeated every Saturday in worship in the synagogue and is learned by every child in an observant Jewish family. Let’s hear and obey! – as we listen for God’s word to us in Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Now this is the commandment--the statutes and the ordinances-- that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children's chi...

Mark 10: 46-52 October 28, 2018 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry In a week when there was so much sorrow and violence in the news, I considered writing a new sermon, with a different text. But I remembered reading recently what a theologian had said about these times: now, more than ever, we need to hear words of hope. This text is a story of hope, and story of Jesus going up to Jerusalem for his last week, a week of sorrow and violence that ultimately ends in hope. So let’s listen for God’s hope in Mark 10:46-52. They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call ...