we need each other – Wicomico Presbyterian Church

Coming Home to You, Part 1: Who We Are

James 3:13-4:3,7-8 Mark 9:30-37 In all the preparations for returning to our sanctuary for worship, I have had St. Augustine of Hippo on my mind. I’ll tell you why. Augustine was born in 354 in a Roman province that is now part of Algeria, in Africa. Important for us to know: Augustine was an African. His mother, Monica, was a Christian. Augustine was raised as a Christian, but like a lot of kids, he didn’t seem to be terribly serious about it. He was a smart, and probably cocky, little guy. He ran around with a rowdy bunch and got into plenty of trouble. In his teens, he became enthralled with philosophy and embraced a religion called Manicheism, which was very popular at the time. Just about killed his mom, but she never gave up on him. He was willful and wayward and at 17 began a relationship with a young […]

QUEST, Part 4: RETURNING HOME

Psalm 36:5-9 John 15:1-17 I have heard that if you want to really get the feel of a place you need to stay there at least three weeks. One or two weeks feels like a vacation away from your real life, but sometime during that third week your perspective shifts. You begin to feel like a resident, a local. When I was in college I spent a month in Oxford, England and that happened to me. I came home from that month away and looked at everything with new vision. I became a tourist in my hometown. An obnoxious tourist, actually. I was critical of everything, I rolled my eyes at the naivete of my loved ones. I was 19 and insufferable. I have grown up since then, but still, when I return home from a journey there is always a sense of seeing things differently. I spent three weeks […]

Stories that Teach, Week 4: New Fruit

Matthew 21:33-46 Let me tell you a story about an experience I had. I was leading a Bible study in a congregation where I had just begun working. At the end of our study we stood and held hands for a circle prayer – we would go around the circle and those who want to add their petitions do. We got to Cathy and she opened her mouth to speak and just started sobbing – big shaking sobs. She spoke her prayer, all the while sobbing. It was alarming to me. I thought, “Oh my goodness, what’s the matter? What’s she so troubled about?” I was also kind of disturbed that no one else seemed to react at all. The next week it happened again. I gradually learned that this is just what Cathy does. It is a part of who she is. She opens her mouth to pray and the sobs just come falling out. Everybody knew it […]