Purim

The Jewish celebration of Purim, which falls in the spring, is a pretty lively affair. It's sometimes called the Jewish Mardi Gras, so it's not real clear what the connection between Purim and the gloomy Puritans might be, but that's what this week's sermon is about. The Puritans managed to do some frankly awful things to each other and to the Native Americans because they were very confident that John Calvin's teaching "explained" God. Mordecai in the story of Esther was very clear that God is not to be explained, telling Esther, "For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter ... Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this." Which leads me to think, "When something unlikely happens which we have prayed for, we call it a miracle. When something unlikely happens which we did not pray for, we call it a coincidence. Nevertheless, God has plans for us He hasn't shared with us yet, to do us good, and not evil." Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.