Creeds

The Rev. Dr. Richard Smith made an off-hand comment last Sunday when some mention of the Apostle's Creed was made that he wanted to hear me, a minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) struggle through a sermon on the topic of creeds. The Presbyterian Church is Creedal. The DOC does not embrace creeds as a requirement of fellowship.

Well, Richard, here's your chance. Join us for this week's sermon, "Creeds" by clicking HERE for audio and 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.

The Defense Team

We finish the book of Job today, and the sermon asks a few questions that just may shiver the timbers of your belief. Everybody in this part of the world knows that God and Satan are in a titanic fight for our souls. I think it will come as a surprise to many that this understanding is called, "Manichaeism" after the Persian philosopher who formalized it in the third century. It's also called "Persian dualism". In this understanding, the "good" God, Ahura Mazda, struggles for the world against the "King of Darkness" -- Ahriman. The church branded dualism a heresy centuries ago.

In Job, there is no good god/bad god dualism. There is only God, and that jerks the rug right out from under the place we thought we stood so righteously. In Job, haSatan is completely under God's control, and permits the horrors which Job endured in order to aid a discussion in heaven. It's a harrowing book -- an uncomfortable book. Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky as we seek to hear what God would have us know about our place within His Creation in our sermon, "The Defense Team" 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.

Scratch My Back

It's prideful, but the church music department asked me to play the Offertory today, and I've included the "special music" on this recording. "Fast Eddie" Bowen encouraged me to reopen "The Ash Grove" an ancient piece of Welsh music, and I chose that for today.

The text is the next section of Job, and it asks us to examine our understanding of the covenant between God and man. Is it a barter covenant, or something else? And what do we mean when we stick a bumper sticker reading "God is good" on the back of our cars? Join the Congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, KY for this week's sermon, "Scratch My Back" 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.

Bumper Stickers

Trying to capture your relationship with God on a bumper sticker, however popular that might be, is a terrible idea. God cannot be contained within human words. Acknowledging that, however, doesn't alter our human need to understand. This led Job to cry out to God for a hearing. Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky for this week's sermon, "Bumper Stickers" 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.

A Carrot and Stick World

The book of Job is enormously old. It is also one of the most troubling and disquieting books in the Bible. It has remained a part of the Bible for as long as it has because of its central question: can man worship God without the threat of punishment or the promise of reward? This is, I think, a question that does not get asked all that often in contemporary Christian discussion. It needs to be, for Jesus, recall, was obedient unto death. If we are followers of Jesus, can we say less? Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte for this week's sermon on the first two chapters of Job, "A Carrot and Stick World" 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.

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.

Promise

We had a Baptism today, the first in years! Ann Reed Stone, daughter of Keith and Holly Stone was baptized into God's promises and we, the congregation, promised her and God that we would always be with her. Unfortunately, the service exceeded the capacity of the recorder, and there is no recorded sermon. Click 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.