series: why? part#1

It struck me that as we kick off our program year this fall, I want to build on sermons I preached last fall – which could be labelled “The Restatement of the Obvious.” I hope that while I will be “restating the obvious,” I will restate it in ways that remind us who we are and why we are here in this congregation of God’s people. I want to begin with “Why Worship?” Why attend church, Sunday morning, nearly every week? Why sing hymns, listen to anthems, speak to God to confess our sins, reflect on our lives, ask God’s forgiveness or help or intervention or comfort or understanding? Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.

How do we know what God is like? Can we make him what we imagine him to be, like some form of Santa, Gandalf, an officer, a judge, or a crutch? Or has he revealed himself to us in the Bible, and specifically in his son Jesus? If you want to know God, study Jesus - his manger, his life, his cross, his empty tomb, and his work in the world today. Are you shining God's light through your life this month?

This is the first sermon in this series.