FIRST UNITED CHURCH of CHRIST

I love the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well — I only wish that the author of the gospel had told us the name of the woman … 

 Water and Witness

Psalm 95  John 4:5-42 

From time to time I sit in my office across from a person who has come to ask me a particular kind of question. The exact wording may vary, but the request is the same: Prove it! Prove that God exists. Prove that God is benevolent. Prove that God loves me. Prove it.

I am always somewhat at a loss when this request is made.

Continue reading Water and Witness

Here is the sermon preached by our seminarian, Damen Heitman, on Feb. 17 2008.

Damen Heitman

The only reason it was dark was because the sun has a habit of setting in the evening. There was no symbolic reason. It just turned out that 9pm was the best time for the gathering. So we assembled ourselves. Students, Professors, Staff, Band Members, Cheerleaders, Athletes, and there were even a few general Waverly citizens in attendance. The event I am referring to was a pep rally at Wartburg College. Normally I didn’t attend those types of things, but somehow that year I got roped into being a part of the featured skit.

For those that don’t know, Wartburg College and Luther College don’t get along. It’s one of those private Lutheran College rivalries that no one outside of the institutions knows about or quite frankly even cares about. Continue reading Pep Rally Theology (John 3:1-17)

Here’s my sermon for today. Feel free to attach comments with discussion/feedback.

Rev. Sandra K. Johnson
First Sunday of Lent, February 10, 2008
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Matthew 4:1-11

Saying “No”

One of the few really helpful pieces of child rearing advice I got when our children were young actually came from my own father. “Don’t say ‘no’ unless you mean it,” he said, “and then say it like you mean it.”

Well, Jesus meant it when he said “no” to each of the temptations that came to him in the wilderness, and he said so clearly in this story with which we always start the season of Lent. To Satan’s offers of spectacular economic, political, and spiritual power, Jesus says, simply, “no.” Against three offers to be like God, Jesus resists and refuses. It is no wonder that the season of Lent has traditionally been a time to say “no” to worldly pleasures and indulgences, a time to “give up” candy or teasing your little brother. Here, at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus defines himself and his work by what he gives up, what he rejects, and what he will not do: “I will not use my power to serve myself; I will not use my power to intimidate people or to test God; I will not use my power to control or exploit others.” Continue reading Sermon: Saying “No”