New & Featured This Week
Children's sermon, Illustration, Preaching, Sermon, Worship
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher KeatingFor January 25, 2026:- Which Empire Are You Serving by Tom Willadsen based on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9.
- Second Thoughts: Can We Learn From Our Divisions? by Nazish Naseem based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-...
Worship
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha ShonkwilerLitany Of Confession
P: Discord, dissention, strife,
C: anger, violence, hatred;
P: we confess to you, O God,
C: our schemes, our willful rebellion,
our hidden hostilities toward your children.
P: We confess to you, O God,
C: our lack of trust in your presence,
our need to control, our insatiable appetite for praise.
P: We confess to...Worship
Wayne H. Keller
Adoration And Praise
Invitation to the Celebration
Begin with words similar to these: "You are all sinners in the hands of an angry God. So repent, or go to hell. That's what the Bible says, and that's what you need to believe, or else...." How would you like to hear that every week? Or even, once a year? People throughout much of church history have heard precisely that....Worship
Beverly S. Bailey
Hymns
Canticle Of Light And Darkness (UM205)
To Us A Child Of Hope Is Born (CBH189)
God Of Our Strength (CBH36)
Beneath The Cross Of Jesus (CBH250, UM297, NCH190, PH92)
In The Cross Of Christ I Glory (CBH566, UM295, NCH193--194, PH84)
Lord, You Have Come To The Lakeshore (CBH229, NCH173, PH377, UM344)
Where...Stories
John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt
Contents
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "Angel of Mercy"
Shining Moments: "A Dog's Life" by David Michael Smith
Good Stories: "God's Call" by Stephen Groves
Scrap Pile: "The Way Less Taken" by Garry Deverell
What's Up This Week
by John Sumwalt
The tsunami is still very much on our minds as the death toll keeps...Stories
C. David Mckirachan
Sandra HerrmannContents
"Ordinary Time" by C. David McKirachan
"Who's the Fool?" by C. David McKirachan
"Sharing the Light" by Sandra Herrmann
* * * * * * *
Ordinary Time
by C. David McKirachan
Isaiah 9:1-4
I like the liturgical calendar. It gives the year rhythm. It drags us through the scriptures in ways that we, in...Children's sermon, Illustration, Preaching, Sermon, Worship
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher KeatingFor January 25, 2026:- Which Empire Are You Serving by Tom Willadsen based on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9.
- Second Thoughts: Can We Learn From Our Divisions? by Nazish Naseem based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-...
Sermon
Janice B. Scott
I remember years ago watching an old film, which I think was "The Nun's Story." The young nun who was the heroine of the story had all sorts of difficulties in relationships with the other nuns. The problem was that she was super-intelligent, and the other nuns resented her. In the end the young nun went to the Mother Superior for advice, and was told that as a sign of...Sermon
John N. Brittain
How familiar Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1 sound! Chloe's people had reported quarreling among the believers. Imagine that -- disagreements in a church! There were rivalries and backstabbing even in the very earliest days of the Christian community. Paul's words are worth examining because factionalism is a perennial issue in the Christian community, found not just within modern day...Sermon
Linda Schiphorst Mccoy
A few years ago, I was on a retreat in northern Michigan, and I knew that some of our friends from home were sailing in the vicinity. One evening I went to the local boat dock, and walked through the lines of boats calling out the names of our friends, hopeful that they might be there. I remember the joy I felt when I yelled their names, and they answered! They were actually there, and they...Sermon
Dallas A. Brauninger
E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: In Christ's Name
Message: What on earth will bring us together, God? Lauds, KDM
How long must we wait, God,
for people to stop fighting
nations and nations
buyers and sellers
big ones and little ones
in-laws and relatives
husbands and wives
sisters and brothers
for me to stop...Sermon
William B. Kincaid, III
In some parts of the country it doesn't matter, but in many areas the snow which falls during this time of the year can bring things to a decisive halt. Schools close. Events are canceled. Travel becomes tricky. If the conditions become severe enough, the decision may be made that not everybody should try to get to work. Only those who are absolutely necessary should report.
For those...Sermon
R. Glen Miles
"There will be no more gloom." That is how our text begins today. For the ones who were in anguish, glory will replace the gloom. Light will shine in darkness. Celebration will replace oppression. A new day will dawn.
In one sense these verses offer a summary of the overall message of the scriptures, "The darkness will pass. The light of a new day is dawning and there will be joy...Sermon
Robert A. Beringer
After a service of ordination to the Christian ministry, a sad-faced woman came up to the newly-ordained pastor and said, "It's a grand thing you are doing as a young man - giving up the joys of life to serve the Lord." That woman's attitude reflects a commonly held belief that to be serious about our faith means that we expect all joy to be taken out of living. For many, Christianity appears to...Sermon
John T. Ball
All religions offer salvation. Eastern religions offer salvation from the illusion of being separated from ultimate reality - as in Hinduism, or from the pains of desire, as in Buddhism. Nature religions preach a salvation by calling us to realize we are linked to the natural world. Humanistic religions offer a salvation tied to the call to live in dignity and justice without divine aid. The...Children's sermon, Illustration, Preaching, Sermon, Worship
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher KeatingFor January 25, 2026:- Which Empire Are You Serving by Tom Willadsen based on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9.
- Second Thoughts: Can We Learn From Our Divisions? by Nazish Naseem based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-...
Children's sermon, Illustration, Preaching, Sermon, Worship
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher KeatingFor January 25, 2026:- Which Empire Are You Serving by Tom Willadsen based on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9.
- Second Thoughts: Can We Learn From Our Divisions? by Nazish Naseem based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-...
Children's sermon, Illustration, Preaching, Sermon, Worship
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher KeatingFor January 25, 2026:- Which Empire Are You Serving by Tom Willadsen based on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9.
- Second Thoughts: Can We Learn From Our Divisions? by Nazish Naseem based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-...
Children's sermon
(Hold up the paper) Can anyone tell me what this says? (you may have a child who knows Spanish) I know what it says, because I know a little bit of Spanish. If you know Spanish, this is pretty easy. If you don't know Spanish, this probably looks like a bunch of nonsense. It says, "Jesus loves me." Cristo is "Jesus" -- the word kind of looks like "Christ," doesn't it? Amo is "loves." Me is just...Children's sermon
Leah Thompson
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (v. 20)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about fishermen. How many of you have ever been fishing? (allow answers) Fishing can be lots of fun. You get to spend time outside, you get to relax with your friends, and sometimes you even catch a fish...Children's Liturgy and Story
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus called Simon and Andrew, James and John, to follow him. They immediately made their decision and dropped everything, for they knew the importance of their call. When Jesus calls us, do we hear him and do we respond?
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, when I'm busy I find it difficult to hear you.
Lord, have mercy.
...Commentary
Wayne Brouwer
In 1882 George MacDonald wrote a fascinating story that powerfully illumines the thought behind today's lectionary passages. MacDonald called his tale "The Day Boy and the Night Girl: the Romance of Photogen and Nycteris" (it is available online at http://www.ccel.org/m/macdonald/daynight/daynight.html). In MacDonald's fable a...Commentary
Wayne Brouwer
"Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous!" said Winston Churchill. "In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times."
In one of his essays, Albert Camus describes a powerful scene. John Huss, the great Czech reformer of the church, is on trial. His accusers twist all his ideas out of shape. They refuse to give him a hearing. They maneuver the...Commentary
David Kalas
Schuyler RhodesI was in the home of a church member the other day where I saw a marvelous family portrait. The picture had been taken on the occasion of a fiftieth wedding anniversary, and the entire family had gathered for the occasion. The celebrating husband and wife were seated in the center of the picture, flanked by their adult children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. It was a magnificent...Children's Activity
Teachers or Parents: Teach the children the hymn "I Love To Tell The Story" because it fits so well with today's Gospel text. Being a fisher of people is a way of telling the story "of Jesus and his love." Share different ways children can tell the story to their peers or their siblings and parents. The Jesus story is perfect bait because it is what we all want and need. It's the good news...Children's Activity
Leah Thompson
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME
Materials:
Yarn
Magnets
Paper clips
Fish cut from paper
Markers
Directions:
1. On each fish, write a different word from a verse in today's gospel.
2. Create a "fishing pool" -- put paper clips on the paper fish and put them in a circle on the...
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