Simple Or Easy?

Simple Or Easy?

This is Rev. Amy Piatt's sermon from Sunday, February 19, 2012. The scripture is Mark 2:1-12. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.

This is from The Message:
1 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. 2 A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. 3 They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. 4 When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. 5 Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 6 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, 7 "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." 8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? 9 Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? 10 Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), 11 "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." 12 And the man did it - got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous - and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!

The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

Simple or Easy?

Marnie's show and tell.

Listen as Marnie shares how she sees God, even when the answer to a prayer, is "no."

Marnie's Show and Tell

If You Choose

If You Choose

This is Rev. Amy Piatt's sermon from Sunday, February 12, 2012. The scripture is Mark 1:40-45. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.

This is from The Message:
40 A leper came to him, begging on his knees, "If you want to, you can cleanse me." 41 Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean." 42 Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy. 43 Jesus dismissed him with strict orders: 44 "Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people." 45 But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over

The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

If You Choose

Angela's show and tell

Listen as Angela shares how she sees God in family, bloodlines and unexpected ways in which God heals.

Also read Christian Piatt's blog about Angela's Show and Tell. Something in the Blood.

Angela's show and tell

One At a Time

One At a Time

This is Rev. Amy Piatt's sermon from Sunday, February 5, 2012. The scripture is Mark 1:29-39. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.

This is from The Message:
29 Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. 31 He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them. 32 That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, 33 the whole city lined up at his door! 34 He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word. 35 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. 36 Simon and those with him went looking for him. 37 They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you." 38 Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come." 39 He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.

The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

One At a Time

Bob's Show and Tell

Listen and watch as Bob shares how he sees God in humor.

Immediately

Immediately

This is Rev. Amy Piatt's sermon from Sunday, January 22, 2012. The scripture is Mark 1:14-20. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.

This is from The Message:
14After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: 15"Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message." 16Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. 17Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." 18They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed. 19A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. 20Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.

The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

Immediately

Ellen's Show and Tell

Listen as Ellen shares where she sees God, and how it takes more than 20/20 vision to do so.

Ellen's Show and Tell

See For Yourself

See For Yourself

This is Rev. Amy Piatt's sermon from Sunday, January 15, 2012. The scripture is John 1:43-51. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.

This is from The Message:
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." 44 (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) 45 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" 46 Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." 48 Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." 49 Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! 51 Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.

The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

See For Yourself

Charlie's Show and Tell

Listen as Charlie shares how he sees God in forgiveness, and his family.

Charlie's Show and Tell