First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL

April 28, 2019 When the Risen Jesus appeared to the disciples, they were undoubtedly surprised. Even though he had often told them that he would rise from the dead, they had not yet believed him. When he appeared to them, alive, in the locked room where they hid, he said to them three times, “Peace be with you.” On this second Sunday of Easter, I want to focus on the peace that the risen Jesus brings to us. That peace, the peace that passes understanding, is the peace we share, the peace we are given, and the peace we work for. Today I have three stories of peace for you: one global, one local, one personal. With each of these stories comes a challenge for us: the challenge to share the peace of Christ in every place, in every way. Our first story is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, or the DRC. A little history of Presbyterians in the Congo is in order. Back in the 1890s, as Protestant missionaries began work in Africa, the Presbyterians sent William Sheppard to the Congo. Sh...

It may be helpful to know that in the children's sermon this morning, we told the story of Eutychus. Then as a way to remind people that each one of us is called to share the good news, the children went up and down the pews whispering to the adults, "Jesus loves you. Pass it on."  Acts 20: 7-12, 17-24 April 7, 2019 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL Christina Berry Our last Wholehearted Worship topic before Palm and Passion Sunday next week finds us considering the word proclaimed: the sermon. We’ve talked about the call to worship and the prayer of confession, and how you can begin each day with a call to worship, and end each day with the prayer of examen. We discussed the importance of prayer, and those three all-important prayers we all can make: “Help! Thanks! and Wow!” Then we learned about the importance of singing, for our spiritual, mental and physical health. Now we come to the sermon. For most of us, a worship service is not complete wi...