Sermons & Worship by Rev. Dr. Louise Barger (Page 3)

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3; Psalm 33:1-5; Luke 2:8-19 It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment that was like none other. God became incarnate in a newborn baby. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14a) While creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived in a stable in Bethlehem. God had come near. No silk. No ivory. No media hype. To think of Jesus in human form seems almost strange. It is much easier to keep…

Christmas Eve Homily Scripture: Isaiah 9:2 Walking into a totally dark room where you have never been before can be very disorienting. It causes you to stop and do two things. The first is to try to allow your eyes to accommodate to the darkness, but what you really want to do is find the light switch and turn on the light. Isaiah had described that same condition spiritually for the Hebrew nation. He prophesied that “the people who walk…

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 96:1-4; Luke 2:1-5 Everything was prepared for the birth of the baby at their home in Nazareth. Joseph had tenderly watched over the welfare of his wife Mary for these long months of waiting for this special birth. Both Mary and Joseph were well aware of the fact that she carried within her the baby promised by God so long ago, the baby who was the promised Messiah. Even though they were both familiar with God’s…

Scripture: Isaiah 33:2; Psalm 89:1-4; Matthew 1:17-25 All of the human emotions that one could experience were being experienced by Joseph. He had recently learned that Mary was pregnant. No explanation; just the fact. What was he to do? He and Mary were betrothed (kiddushin). They had entered into the first part of a two-part process of Jewish marriage. That meant that they were legally bound together, and they were planning their wedding. Joseph was a righteous man, a man…

A Monologue Based on Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalm 30:10-12; Luke 1:26-38 Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you this morning. As you know, my name is Elizabeth. My husband is Zacharias, and our son is John. He has become known as John, the Baptizer, but I’m getting ahead of my story. Zach, that’s what I call my husband at home, unless he doesn’t answer me; then it’s Zacharias. But I digress. It will help you to understand…

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 89:1-4; Luke 1:26-35 Is there any good news? When one listens to the news of the day, one hears about the happenings everywhere in the world and one hears Is there any good news? As we enter this season of Advent, the answer is YES. Enter Isaiah, the prophet of God. Isaiah is the prophet to the Jewish people who are living in exile in Babylon (modern day Iraq). They are a people who need to…

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:8-12; Psalm 95:1-8; Philippians 4:4-7 In a few days we will celebrate one of the great American holidays. It isn’t that we are not a thankful people during the rest of the year; it’s just that on one of the days of the year our focus is on how much we have for which we are thankful. Sarah Josepha Hale was the advocate for the modern Thanksgiving holiday that we observe. As an editor of a magazine,…

Scripture: Exodus 35:4-10; Psalm 8; John 3:16-17 As soon as we turn the calendar to the month of November, we begin to think about the Thanksgiving holiday. Most of all we think about the blessings that have been placed into our lives and we give thanks to one another and to God. The Hebrews had much for which to be thankful. They had been rescued by God, with the help of Moses and Aaron, and brought into freedom. They now…

Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-8; Psalm 16:1-3,7-11; Hebrews 12:1-3 Today we celebrate All Saints Day; we celebrate the memory of all those who have gone before us. We especially remember those who have been translated into everlasting life during this past year. This morning we read those names that had been given to us and lighted a candle of remembrance for them. The writer of Hebrews also thought that it was important that we never forget the saints who have been a…

Scripture: Isaiah 42:8-10a; Psalm 62:5-8; Philippians 3:10-16 We recently celebrated the centennial year of this church. What a great history; what a great heritage! But what is next? What is the future to look like? Now, as we honor the past, this is our opportunity to embrace the future. Think about what it is like to embrace your children or your grandchildren. Embracing the future of this 100-year-old congregation includes wrapping our arms around whatever that will be and holding…