On Sunday, June 23rd, 2019 There he is, the mighty prophet Elijah; the one who made it stop raining for 3 ½ years, who then prayed, making the rains return; the one who raised the widow’s dead son back to life; the one who challenged the priests of Baal to a duel before a pile of wood on a mountaintop, and demonstrated…
First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, a Member Church of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. and More Light Presbyterians
First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, a Member Church of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. and More Light Presbyterians
Sermons by Rev. David Oliver-Holder (Page 2)
Sunday, May 19th, 2019 How do you prepare for the unexpected, the unpredictable, the unanticipated, the serendipitous? How can anyone prepare for such? Maybe a better question is how do we remain alert day by day so that when the unexpected assaults us we can receive it as the gift that it is? Rare is…
On Sunday, May 5th, 2019 One scholar of preaching has written that on any given Sunday, some of those gathered for worship almost didn’t go, not because they had another option, nor because family or friends were in town, and it can just be so hard to get everyone corralled for church. The scholar has…
Sunday, April 28th, 2019 Easter is a season. Far from being a single day event, far from being content to proclaim “Christ is risen!” merely last Sunday when so many were here to enjoy it, we continue our proclamation today. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! And because it remains such good news, and…
Sunday, April 21st, 2019 Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed) And this always comes as such good news to God’s some years frozen Northern disciples. We need good news. We need hope. We need these gorgeous banners, the wonderful music, and all of these flowers. Yet when we read the Easter story in…
Sunday, March 24th, 2019 I just love the wisdom of those who put together the lectionary. For here we are, half way through the Lenten season. Those of us who took on Lenten disciplines, liking giving something up for these 40 days, we are really being tested just now. Especially if your sacrifice involves food.…
Sunday, March 17th, 2019 by David Oliver-Holder There are many experiences in our lives that cause great anguish. One of those experiences is having an offer of help go unaccepted or unwanted. At some point in our lives we all know someone, maybe a family member, who is in distress or danger. And we know…
Delivered on Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 By David Oliver-Holder The day had been a long one for Jesus and the disciples. Jesus had been teaching crowds early in his ministry, when at the end of the day he said, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake.” As Mark remembers it, soon after they…
Sunday, February 24th, 2019 by David Oliver-Holder Loving your enemies has always been a radical idea. We see that very plainly in the scene from Genesis. Long before Joseph’s brothers had wanted to kill him, for many reasons, some not altogether bad. Joseph was primarily a spoiled brat. He was daddy’s favorite. They had to…