First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who gave of their time and talents this weekend to make the 175th Annual Meeting of the Michigan Conference a huge success. I am also indebted to our church boards, and all who participated. You all certainly raised the bar for the years to come. The theme for this historic gathering was “Story and…
This is a sermon presented to the church on July 17, 2016 by Rev. Dr. Michael Chittum, the Executive Director of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and the Center for Congregational Leadership. The Readings for this sermon were taken from Genesis 18:1-8 and Luke 10:38-42. The story from Luke’s gospel is short and to the point. Jesus is on one of…
There’s an old saying in Hollywood, “You want to find a writer, just throw a rock you’re your bound to hit one.” To which many writers might add, “And make sure you throw it hard enough to help eliminate the competition.” The story written by Luke, recalls not a writer but a sinner, to which same idiom rings true. “If you want…
A man goes to his doctor because he’s been feeling very ill for the last couple of days. The doctor gives him several sets of pills, and lengthy instructions on how to take them. The doctor says; “Take the green pill with two big glasses of water when you get up. An hour later, take the white pill with another glass of…
There is something serendipitous about Valentine’s Day and the first Sunday in Lent occurring on the same day. It’s kind of like God is giving us a free pass to nosh on the chocolate without the guilt. Let us remember that every Sunday is a mini Easter, a time fit for feasting. Traditionally, Lent is about sacrifice and giving something up. But the way I see it,…
Today on the liturgical calendar the church celebrates Transfiguration Sunday. But as you well know it’s also Boy Scout Sunday, Communion Sunday, and of course, Super Bowl Sunday. While each one of these traditions is a sermon all on its own, I feel compelled to squeeze them together into one. I will attempt to do this in five thought provoking, yet rapid…
One of the most important things in writing is to know the voice of your audience so you can write to it. This is true in screenwriting, copywriting, and of course, sermon writing. The difficulty I struggle with here in Greenville is the fact that I did not grow up on a farm or work on an assembly line. I have no…
Let me begin by saying what a joy it is to welcome my mom and dad to our worship service this morning. There’s something to be said about a son preaching and proclaiming to his parents. This isn’t anything new to them. They have sat through many of my sermons before. And as I youngster, I certainly preached and proclaimed all sorts…
Yesterday, in this sanctuary, I officiated a funeral of one of our members who passed away unexpectedly. Scott was a guy who was just a few months younger than me. He was my fifth death in five days, and was the second funeral I had to get through before I could begin thinking about tonight’s message. Is it me or does it…
(Coming in on the heels of the Children’s Christmas pageant where the kids debate the true meaning of Christmas) Hey, kids I’ve been enjoying to your play but it seems like you still are a bit confused about what Christmas really is. You know it’s more than singing and having a good time? And more than presents, lights and trees. Christmas is…