It's Christmas Eve morning. Snow is gently falling in Cookeville and it is beautiful. Tonight, we will worship at 6:30pm. It will be a candlelight and communion service for the whole family. Throughout Advent, we have heard about Mary and Joseph and their dreams. Tonight, we will meet Jesus, God's gift to us and God's representative of the divine dream of peace on earth, good will to all.
All are invited to join us as we welcome the Prince of Peace.

A Different Kind of King

Jesus came to rule over all. It's the last Sunday of the church year and it has become known as Christ the King Sunday. But Jesus came, not with a crown of gold but with a crown of thorns. He didn't come to accumulate power but to give it away. Now we, who claim to be citizens of that kingdom, are the hands and feet, the eyes and ears of the kingdom on earth. Whatever we do reflects our faith. When we help others, we look like God and they can see God in us. What a great way to end the year.

Worship 11.3.2013

The main scripture and sermon in this video begin at the 14:38 mark.

Worship 10.27.2013 (with guest preacher Andrew Smith)

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 18:00 mark in this clip.

Worship 10.20.2013

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 15:53 mark in this video.

Worship 10.6.2013

The sermon and main scripture in this video begin at the 14:10 mark.

Worship 9.29.2013

Worship from September 29, 2013. The main scripture and sermon begin at the 20:00 mark in this video.

 

Worship 9.22.2013

Worship from September 22, 2013. The main scripture and sermon begin at the 16:33 mark in this video.

Worship 9.15.13

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 17:15 mark in this service. Rev. Dick Neil is the guest preacher.

Worship 9.8.2013

The sermon and main scripture begin at the 15:32 mark in this video. 

Worship 9.1.2013

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 14:20 mark.

Worship 8.25.13

The sermon and main scripture begin at the 19:00 minute mark.

Worship 7.28.13

The sermon begins at the 19:40 mark in this video.

Why does God ask Hosea to marry a whore like Gomer? With the help of Hank Williams and Kenny Rogers, we will explore this fascinating lesson of betrayal and redemption.

Worship 7.21.13

In this video, the main scripture and sermon begin at the 19:55 mark.

Worship 7.14.13

To hear the sermon and the main scripture, go to the 21:05 point in this video.

Last Sunday, we looked at Jesus' radical relationships with Martha and Mary; two women who knew him well and were considered disciples by the other insiders of the group. Jesus stayed at Martha's house (inconceivable for a Jewish rabbi); while Mary sat at his feet (Bible speak for an official disciple). Jesus valued women and their contributions much more than many people do today, including people within the faith community. As the young Pakistani woman said to the folks at the United Nations, people with closed minds are frightened by girls with books. Let's get more books into the hands of curious girls.

The flight attendants in San Francisco, the firstresponders in Quebec, the firefighters in Arizona. All of them are wonderful examples of  being the good neighbors thatJesus describes in his parable. Unfortunately, there are also many examples of people ignring the needs of others and passing by  on the other side of the road. The question for each of us is: what kind of neighbor will I be? That will be the sermon topic this Sunday: Go and Do Likewise. Worship begins at 11am. Lunch follows worship.

Worship 7.7.13

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 20:50 mark in this worship.

Worship 6.30.13

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 13:40 mark in this service.

All Are Welcome

On more than one occasion, I remember my Irish grandmother running around the house shouting "It's Sodom and Gomorrah! It's Sodom and Gomorrah!" At age five, I knew it was awful and I knew it had something to do with Elvis Presley. As I got older, I actually read the Bible and discovered the true sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. This Sunday's sermon will dig a little deeper into those lessons. All Are Welcome.

Our VBS Peace Camp is going very well as our children learn to make peace with themselves, peace with their neighbors and peace with the earth. Maybe we can learn something from them as well.

Worship 6.23.13

Worship from June 23rd, 2013. The sermon and main scripture begin at the 18:25 mark.

Worship 6.16.23

Worship from June 16th, 2013. The main scripture and sermon begin at the 18:10 mark.

Worship 6.9.13

Worship with guest preacher Vance Johnson. The main scripture and sermon begin at the 26:25 mark. 
 

Worship 6.2.13

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 13:50 mark of this video.
 

School is out and summer activities are underway. Our senior high youth will be in Montreat next week for the Presbyterian Youth Conference. At the end of June, we will hold our Peace Camp for the younger generation. There will be three elements to this year's camp: personal peace, peace with our neighbors and peace with the planet. Let's get started.

Pentecost Worship 5.19.2013

Please enjoy this video of our Pentecost service. The main scripture & sermon start at the 18:55 mark.

 

Today I hope to learn how to post our worship videos onto the blog site. Keep me in your prayers.

Worship 5.12.13

Worship from May 12, 2013. An anthem is at the 17:35 mark; the main scripture & sermon begin at the 21:00 mark.

Worship 5.5.13

This is the worship from Sunday, May 5, 2013. A service of ordination and installation begins at the 10:50 mark & the main scripture & sermon begin at the 19:00 mark.

Worship was wonderful on May 5. We welcomed three new officers and held a nursery open house. Next Sunday, worship will be led by elder Andrew Smith.

Worship 4.28.13

In this recording, the main scripture & sermon begin at the 12:53 mark.

 

Worship 4.21.13

In this recording, the main scripture & sermon begin at the 16:35 mark.

Women had much greater authority in the early Christian church than they would have later. The first member of the Philippian church may well have been Lydia. In fact, the early church there probably met in her home. We will explore this issue more thoroughly on Sunday. The sermon title is: Transplants Welcome. The text is Acts 16:6-15. Join us in person at 11am or stay tuned for the Youtube version later in the week.

Every Star Trek episode and movie begins with the voiceover phrase: to boldly go where no one has gone before. Of course, it wasn't true. Everywhere the crew went, there were already other people there. It would have been a dull show if it were any other way. And, no matter where we might go, God is already there, waiting for us and challenging us to broaden our horizons.

In Acts 10 & 11, Peter breaks new ground and old barriers by accepting Cornelius and his family into the community of faith known as Christianity. God asks us to step outside our comfort zones and test our own boundaries. Don't let our pesonal prejudices hinder God's loving and inclusive work. We're off the map in this week's sermon. Come and join us at First Presbyterian Church or watch us on Youtube later in the week.

On Wednesday night, we will look at how the exclusive faith of the Jewish people became the expansive faith of Christianity. Our study begins at 6:30pm. The texts of Acts, Chapters 10-11 will also be the basis of Sunday's sermon: We're Off the Map.

Our Earth Day themes worship went very well. Children created rainbow ribbon penants and we all learned a bit more about our connection to creation. Spend some time withnature this week.

Worship 4.14.13

The sermon & main scripture in this video begin at the 18:05 mark.

This coming Sunday, April 21, will be the day before earth day and our service will reflect the theme of God's good creation, along with our responsibility to care for it. The texts chosen for the day are: Genesis 8:15-22; Revelation 22:1-5; and, Psalm 104:14-23. The sermon title is: Just Take Care of It. Share your thoughts during the week then come and be part of worship. The iris and tulips outside the church are spectacular.

Easter Worship 3.31.13

The main scripture and sermon begin at the 20 minute mark.

Palm Sunday Worship 3.24.13

The second scripture and sermon begin at the 16:20 mark. 

Worship 3.17.13

The second scripture and sermon begin at the 17:30 mark in this video.

 

Worship 3.10.2013

In this service, the baptism of Micah and Quinn Kincaid begins at the 12:30 mark. The second scripture and sermon by guest preacher and executive presbyter Warner Durnell begin at the 28:12 mark.

Worship 3.3.2013

The second scripture and sermon begin at the 16:08 mark in the following video.

Worship from 2.24.13

Worship from 2.17.2013