First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 February 23, 2014 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Scripture for this sermon was presented as a Readers' Theater, the script of which is below. The readers read the parts and the congregation responded by singing, "Change My Heart, O God." You can hear the music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtsHWFE6-w Lev 19:1,2, 9-18                                            Speaker 1: The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Speaker 2: But how can I be holy? Only God is holy! Speaker 1: When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gle...

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 February 16, 2013 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Today’s scripture reading comes from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 30, verses 15-20. These verses are near the end of the book, which is the last of the five books of law, the Torah. Moses has been giving a farewell sermon, which must have lasted about five hours. He has been recounting the mighty works of God and the importance of God’s covenant. He has reminded the people of God’s law, and the call to obedience. Now, he’s winding down. In sermon-speak, Moses is about to “land the plane”, with this challenge and call to decision. Moses is about to die, and the people of Israel, freed from slavery in Egypt and wandering in the desert for 40 years, are now about to cross the river Jordan and enter the promised land. Moses will not be going with them, and these are his last words. Let’s listen for God’s word to us today in Deuteronomy 30:15-20:  See, I have set ...

A Grain of Salt Matthew 5:13-20 February 9, 2014 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL Christina Berry As we prepare our hearts for God’s word from the gospel today, I want to set it in context for us. We’ll be spending a lot of time in this gospel during Lent, but until then, this will be our last focus on the gospel until the first Sunday in March. Matthew’s gospel is written for a community that is Jewish at its heart, located probably in what is now Syria, during the last quarter of the first century. The Scriptures on which they rely are what we would call the “Old Testament” – for them, that is “The Bible.” But there are more Gentiles joining them, so they are, like us, living in the tensions of transition – fully rooted in the faith of the past, and looking toward the future. They are excited, but apprehensive, about what this new way of living will bring. They are followers of Jesus, ready to go but unsure of where they will be led. The author of the gospel o...

Isaiah 42:5-9, Matthew 3:13-17 January 12, 2014 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry Isaiah 42:5-9 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Matthew’s gospel is primarily concerned with answering a central question of Christianity: who is this Jesus? For Matthew, the question is the hinge of faith – who d...

"Journey of the Magi" byStefano de Giovanni Sassetta January 5, 2014 Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2: 1-12 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL Christina Berry Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  2  For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.  3  Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.  4  Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.  5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice,  because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.  6  A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all...