Sermons from January 2021

Sermons from January 2021

Saul At En Dor

Saul at En Dor1 Samuel 28:13-15Sunday, January 31, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa IntroductionPeople try to somehow contact the dead, and interest in spiritualism has been longstanding. It was widely practiced in ancient times, yet worship of ancestors continues to this day in some parts of the world. I remember the wealthy couple who donated the estate that became the University of St. Mary on the Lake. It includes the tomb of their only son, who…

DAvid and the Showbread

David and the Showbread1 Samuel 21:6“So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.”Sunday, January 24, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction There’s a lot of literature about presence, and that just being present and paying attention to someone who is struggling can help…

David and Goliath

  Sunday, January 17, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa 1 Samuel 17:51 “Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.” Intro.When a professional sports team wins a championship, many in that team’s home city celebrate. Some teams have enjoyed ticker-tape parades. Because our daughter…

The Great Blessing

Numbers 6:24-27 Sunday, January 3, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa   Introduction:  The priestly blessing Our worship service, and most worship services, end with a benediction, a sort of blessing and then sending you back out into the world to make the most of your days until we gather again for worship.  The call to worship and invocation collects and unites us to present ourselves as a community to God Almighty, and the benediction is the…