Sermons and Study in the summer !
The Summer of Curiosity Sermon Series is set! Thank you for your incredible (and plentiful!) suggestions. Wow did y’all come through with fascinating topics, questions, and wonderings. I have combined similar questions and topics, and created a series that will take us through the next three months.
The schedule is as follows:
June 1 Service and Selflessness
Matthew 20:20-34 Salome’s story of service.
June 15 A Parable of Grace + Forgiveness (Amidst Broken Promises)
Matthew 18:21-35, Ephesians 2:1-9 Being saved by grace. Rediscovering the Parable of the Talents in our own time.
June 22 Hypocrisy and Faith
Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 6:5-6 Jesus teaching a parable about hypocrisy; the call to pray without needing to make it a performance for others.
June 29 LGBTQIA+ Affirmation in the Bible
Acts 8:26-40 The Ethiopian eunuch who defied norms of gender and sought baptism.
July 6 Presbyterians and Predestination: Our History and Quirks
Jeremiah 1:1-10 “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
July 13 Christian Nationalism: Faith + Truth Amidst Politics
John 18:28-40 Jesus before Pontius Pilate.
July 20 Trauma + PTSD in the Bible
Genesis 22:1-14 The sacrifice of Isaac.
August 3 Intergenerational Service! This will involve many generations in our church as a celebration for our VBS.
Psalm 145 One generation commends your works to another.
August 10 Jesus’ Siblings
Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 12:46-50 Mentions of Jesus’ brothers and sisters in scripture.
August 17 Stars Forever Shining
Daniel 12:3, 2 Peter 1:10-21 The righteous like stars that shine forever; Jesus named our bright morning star.
August 24 Hotheads and Shepherds
Galatians 2:11-19, Philemon 1:1-9a Peter and Paul arguing; Apphia commended for her leadership and service.
August 31 Decolonizing Christianity and Camp Songs Theology!
Exodus 5:1-9, 6:1-8 The promise of God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt; with the camp song Pharoah, Pharoah.
A fuller outline available in the narthex (or email Jessica office@emmanuelpc.org if you’d like an electronic copy). This includes guiding questions and thoughts around each topic.
We are in for a delightfully curious summer, where we’ll cover a wide range of topics and biblical texts! I can’t wait to see what we discover together.
Pastor Whitney
