Rev Bill

I have posted today’s sermon on my sermon blog. It’s based on Luke 11:1-13 and entitled “Keep Praying”!

Here’s a portion of it:

Several years ago a friend of mine and I went to a weekend Blue Grass Concert in North Wilkesboro, NC. After the Friday night festivities we stopped at a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the cabin we were staying in and noticed that — at a table nearby — there was a woman and a man holding hands across the table, talking quietly, gazing into each other’s eyes. They were obviously in love. My friend and I noticed what was going on at that table – and both of us reached for our cell phones at the same time and said: “Excuse me. I have to call my wife.” I’ll never forget thinking about what was motivating the calls. It was that picture of a deep, satisfying, relating conversation. It made us think: That’s what I want to participate in with my wife. I want to talk to her. I want to call home.
Jesus’ followers might have seen something in the way Jesus related to his Father, and said: “Teach us to pray like that.”

You can read the entire sermon here.

One of my favorite songs performed by a pair of brave sisters with cystic fibrosis.

Yes — America does have talent!

The aftermath of this year’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) finds us again at a point where the Presbyteries in our denomination are going to have to vote on several issues that have divided us in the past, and I am certain will do so again.

Once again (the 5th time in 14 years) the issue of ordination of those in same – sex partnerships will be debated in our Presbyteries as a new amendment to our Book of Order is now proposed. It reads that officers (ministers,elders, and deacons) submit “joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ” in all aspects of life, but removes the requirement that they live a life of “fidelity within marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” that is in the Book of Order now.

The Assembly sent out for study by the denomination a majority and minority report on same – sex marriages and took no action on calls to allow Presbyterian ministers to perform same – sex marriages in states where they are legal.

I pray that these upcoming debates will not bring a split in the denomination I love — but more than that I pray that we can come to a consensus of a Biblical view that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. Please join me in praying for our denomination as we enter another time of debate and discussion on this issue, and praying for God’s will to be done.

I was so busy last Sunday I did not post my sermon to my sermon blog — then I was out of town being the Bible Study leader at Camp Pee Dee for the week. That was a real blessing and a great experience for me!

Anyway — I have now posted last Sunday’s sermon — based on Luke 10:25-37 and entitled “Go And Do” .

Here’s a portion of it:

What will it take for us to learn how to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,
and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself

What will it take for us to learn to
Go and do likewise
What will it take for us to learn to
Go – and do?

You can read the entire sermon here.

I have also posted today’s sermon to my sermon blog. It’s based on Luke 10:38-42 and entitled “Be Prayerfully Active”. Here’s a portion of it:

A few Wednesday nights ago we were discussing the “hard sayings of Jesus” in our study of James Moore’s book

Yes Lord I Have Sinned (But I Have Several Excellent Excuses)

and we named some of the “sayings of Jesus” we found hard to follow such as “turning the other cheek” or giving someone our cloak when they ask for our coat or going “the extra mile” for someone or loving our enemies. I must admit that this passage we have before us today is one of those “hard passages” for me that I struggle with. It is not one I like to preach on – in fact I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have preached on it very often in the 25 years I have been in the ministry. I suppose my struggle with this passage comes in feeling like I have to identify with either Mary or Martha – and live like either one or the other – and I am not comfortable with having to make that choice. Yea, this is one of those “hard sayings of Jesus” or “hard passages” for me.
What about you?
Do you feel you have to identify with either Mary or Martha in this passage?

You can read this entire sermon here.

I have posted yesterday’s sermon on my sermon blog. Based on 2 Chronicles 7:12-22, Galatians 5:1,13-25, and Mark 12:13-17 it is a July 4th Communion Meditation entitled: Praying For America”.

Here’s a portion of it:

Friends — America has been called a great nation. This is very true — America is a very great nation. However, America is only truly great if Americans have a truly great faith in God — truly give to God the things due God and to our country the things due our county — and live in God’s ways – sharing God’s love with all people – and working for God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace on earth. America is only as great as our faith in God.
America has been called a Christian nation.
Indeed, our country was founded upon Christian principles — but we must return to those principles — truly give to God the things due to God — and deepen our faith in God. America is only a Christian nation as long as we — Americans — are a Christian people. Once we stop following God and Christ, we can no longer be considered a Christian nation. As a nation, America is only as Christian as we — it’s people — live out our Christian faith and let our Christian faith determine what we do as individuals — and as a country.
America has been called a strong nation.
Once again, this statement is only true if we — as Americans — have a strong faith in God – a strong commitment to giving to God the things due to God and to our country the things due our country. It’s only when we let our strong faith in God and our strong commitment to God determine what we do as individuals — as a community — as a Church — and as a nation that we can be considered a strong nation.
Only if we commit ourselves to acting on our faith – working for God’s love and God’s will for a world filled with God’s love, justice, and peace – can we be considered a great nation. America’s greatness, America’s virtue as a Christian nation, and America’s strength depends upon the depth of the faith of its people – and that means the depth of our commitment to give to God the things due to God.
America’s greatness, America’s virtue as a Christian nation, and America’s strength depends upon our ability to confess our sins – humble ourselves – and pray for God to forgive us – and find God’s new ways for us to live.

You can read the sermon here.