Sermons from Sunday Worship at Falls Church Presbyterian Church in Falls Church, VA.  Also sermons from my previous position in Columbus, OH.

James Sledge

When Solomon first becomes king, God asks him what requests he has. Solomon doesn't ask for wealth or military victories but rather for "an understanding mind," an ability "to discern between good and evil." Solomon asks for what he needs to govern well, pleasing God in the process. But over the course of his rule, the king we meet in these verses disappears, replaced by an oppressive despot who destroys the kingdom he inherited from his father, David. What went wrong ? What happened to this king so vaunted for his wisdom? Could it be as simple as the loss of humility?

Humble Prayer (1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14)

At first glance, this scripture passage may seem to be urging people to be "good little boys and girls." The writer does urge a number of ethical actions, but the concern here is much bigger than making sure people behave. This passage is part of a longer discussion that speaks of taking off an old identity and putting on a new one, an image drawn from the early Church's baptism liturgy.

Who Are You? Ephesians 4:25-5:2

When a Presbyterian Church's pastor nominating committee (PNC) looks for a new pastor, there are rules requiring the committee to consider a diverse group of candidates. Yet white churches almost always hire white pastors, and there is still a bias for married white men as senior pastors. Given that PNCs are supposed to discern God's will, the pastor God has in mind for the congregation, one might conclude that God prefers married, white men. Either that or PNCs aren't terribly good at listening for God. 
In this scripture passage, Samuel passes over candidates for king who seem to meet all the criteria, but Samuel hears God say "No" to these potential kings. Is such hearing possible for PNCs, for you and me?

When a Presbyterian Church's pastor nominating committee (PNC) looks for a new pastor, there are rules requiring the committee to consider a diverse group of candidates. Yet white churches almost always hire white pastors, and there is still a bias for married white men as senior pastors. Given that PNCs are supposed to discern God's will, the pastor God has in mind for the congregation, one might conclude that God prefers married, white men. Either that or PNCs aren't terribly good at listening for God.
In this scripture passage, Samuel passes over candidates for king who seem to meet all the criteria, but Samuel hears God say "No" to these potential kings. Is such hearing possible for PNCs, for you and me?

On Listening for God (1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13)

Wind can be destructive, and an ill wind blew through the US Capitol on January 6. A wind is present at creation as well, but it is sent by God. In both Hebrew (the original language of the Old Testament) and Greek (the language of the New Testament) the same word can be translated as "spirit" or "wind," and I wonder if we are supposed to think about the wind when Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends on him.

A Holy Wind (Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11)

When a Presbyterian congregation elects elders and deacons to lead the church, they are not supposed to decide based on what they like or even what they think best. They are supposed to work together prayerfully to discern God's will. For that matter, the nominating process for elders and deacons is supposed to prayerfully discern the ones God is calling to these ministries. And perhaps the apostle Paul can be of help in understanding just what it means to be called, as well as what it means to let Christ work through  you.

Christ Working through Us (Philippians 1:21-26)

Religion, both the conservative and progressive sorts, often tends to be utilitarian. In other words, it is understood as a way of getting things we want. The problem with that is it puts us in the position of determining what God's purposes are. The first Creation story in the Bible spoke of a decidedly non-utilitarian God to Israelite exiles in Babylon. And I wonder if the doctrine of the Trinity might not function is similar fashion for modern Christians.

Unmanageable God (Genesis 1:1-28; Matthew 28:16-20)

"Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom?" It's a reasonable question that the disciples ask Jesus just before his ascension. The world was a mess, and the time the book of Acts was written, it must have seemed an even bigger mess for those first Christians. But Jesus does not tell them, or us, what God's timing will be. Instead, he gives those disciples, and us, work to do. We are to be his witnesses, and that's not about telling a few quotes or formula from the Bible. It's about talking and living in ways that threaten the status quo and speak of turning the world upside down.

Faithful Witnesses (Acts 1:6-14)

Some years ago, Derek Jeter, the New York Yankee shortstop, was awarded first base when he acted like a pitch had hit him. Video later showed it did not, as Jeter himself admitted. This led to a debate over whether he was cheating or simply being a consummate competitor. How one resolves this debate may well depend on how one understands the nature of rules. 
 As Jesus continues with is "Sermon on the Mount" in this gospel, he seems to be adding to an already lengthy list of rules in Scripture. The rule against killing gets expanded to include not getting angry. Prohibition against adultery similarly grows to include lust. Is Jesus simply upping the requirements for membership in the Kingdom, of is he inviting his followers into an entirely new reality?

Some years ago, Derek Jeter, the New York Yankee shortstop, was awarded first base when he acted like a pitch had hit him. Video later showed it did not, as Jeter himself admitted. This led to a debate over whether he was cheating or simply being a consummate competitor. How one resolves this debate may well depend on how one understands the nature of rules.
  As Jesus continues with is "Sermon on the Mount" in this gospel, he seems to be adding to an already lengthy list of rules in Scripture. The rule against killing gets expanded to include not getting angry. Prohibition against adultery similarly grows to include lust. Is Jesus simply upping the requirements for membership in the Kingdom, of is he inviting his followers into an entirely new reality?

Catching the Dream (Matthew 5:21-37)

In many Presbyterian congregations, the practice of confirmations - where teenagers become full-fledged church members - marks a kind of graduation from church. Unfortunately, organized Christianity has done much to encourage this idea that faith and belief are a status. Confirmation should be a beginning, but too often it marks an end. 
 
Baptism also gets understood in a status sort of way, but Jesus' baptism is not like that at all. It marks the beginning of his ministry. It confirms his identity, an identity that propels him into service. What if our baptisms and our church memberships functioned similarly? What if they marked us as beloved daughters and sons of God, and propelled us into the work and ministry of disciples?

In many Presbyterian congregations, the practice of confirmations - where teenagers become full-fledged church members - marks a kind of graduation from church. Unfortunately, organized Christianity has done much to encourage this idea that faith and belief are a status. Confirmation should be a beginning, but too often it marks an end. 

Baptism also gets understood in a status sort of way, but Jesus' baptism is not like that at all. It marks the beginning of his ministry. It confirms his identity, an identity that propels him into service. What if our baptisms and our church memberships functioned similarly? What if they marked us as beloved daughters and sons of God, and propelled us into the work and ministry of disciples?

Remembering Who We Are (Matthew 3:13-17)

A house in my neighborhood has a huge nativity scene in the front yard. There are steps leading up to the floor where the Holy family and other visitors are, and on those steps are two plastic figures of Santa and a snow man. Santa shows up at the manger quite often. Not too surprising, I suppose. In popular thought, both Santa and baby Jesus are part of warm, joyous, magical stories. That makes today's gospel reading a bit jarring for some. In Matthew's gospel, there is nothing warm or sweet about Jesus' birth, and the visit of the Wise Men (likely when Jesus is a year or more old) leads to an attempt by Herod to murder the Christ-child. For Matthew, the birth of Jesus sets up and conflict between the ways of human power and the ways of God.

Pharaoh and Herod vs God's Love (Matthew 2:13-23)

Most of us struggle to get our priorities straight. We may nod in agreement at the adage, "No one on their deathbed ever said, 'I wish I’d spent more time at the office,' " but we still spend too much time there, stay too busy, and ignore things that really matter. 
 The prophet Haggai chastises those who have returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon for their disordered priorities. They have become so preoccupied with the day to day struggles of life, that they have completely forgotten about rebuilding the Temple. The prophet insists that their lives are not going well precisely because of their disordered priorities. 
 What about our priorities. Church stewardship campaigns often seem like little more than annual fundraisers. But perhaps they are great occasions to examine our own priorities, perhaps even to get them straightened out a little.

Most of us struggle to get our priorities straight. We may nod in agreement at the adage, "No one on their deathbed ever said, 'I wish I’d spent more time at the office,' " but we still spend too much time there, stay too busy, and ignore things that really matter.
   The prophet Haggai chastises those who have returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon for their disordered priorities. They have become so preoccupied with the day to day struggles of life, that they have completely forgotten about rebuilding the Temple. The prophet insists that their lives are not going well precisely because of their disordered priorities.
   What about our priorities. Church stewardship campaigns often seem like little more than annual fundraisers. But perhaps they are great occasions to examine our own priorities, perhaps even to get them straightened out a little.

Rightly Ordered Priorities (Haggai 1:15b-2:9)

The question of how a church congregation relates to the world and to its community has changed a great deal over the last 50 years. At one time, churches were in a symbiotic relationship with culture. The culture expected people to attend church, and it made sure few other options were available on Sunday morning. Those days are long gone. Now culture is ambivalent, occassionally hostile, towards the church. Some have even used the metaphor of "exile" to describe the church's loss of status and place in our world. 
The prophet Jeremiah writes to exiles living in a foreign land, the home of those who defeated them. Yet he counsels them to "seek the welfare" of the Babylonians. The Hebrew word translated "welfare" is "shalom," and it means much more than welfare. Could it be that Jeremiah's advice to actual exiles has something to teach us in the church today?

The question of how a church congregation relates to the world and to its community has changed a great deal over the last 50 years. At one time, churches were in a symbiotic relationship with culture. The culture expected people to attend church, and it made sure few other options were available on Sunday morning. Those days are long gone. Now culture is ambivalent, occassionally hostile, towards the church. Some have even used the metaphor of "exile" to describe the church's loss of status and place in our world.
The prophet Jeremiah writes to exiles living in a foreign land, the home of those who defeated them. Yet he counsels them to "seek the welfare" of the Babylonians. The Hebrew word translated "welfare" is "shalom," and it means much more than welfare. Could it be that Jeremiah's advice to actual exiles has something to teach us in the church today?

In Their Shalom, You Will Find Yours (Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7)

The final verse of this scripture passage grabbed me and made me think of this summer's terrible gun violence. "O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!" Life was unraveling in Jeremiah's day, and the Babylonians would soon destroy Jerusalem. But the political and religious leaders kept saying, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. We're God's special people. Nothing bad will happen to us." Jeremiah told them otherwise, but no one listened. The people did not want to hear his hard truths. People haven't changed all that much over the centuries. We still don't want to listen to people like Jeremiah, but he has much to teach about faith.

Hard Truths (Jeremiah 8:18-9:1)

How strange that the first reports of the resurrection come from women. Women were not allowed to be witnesses at a trial in Jesus' day, and yet God entrusts the good news that Jesus is alive to female disciples. No surprise, the male disciples consider their report "an idle tale." It is pretty unbelievable. Most of us would know better that to believe such a thing. Yet perhaps like Peter, we want it to be true. Might it actually be true?

An Idle Tale (Luke 24:1-12, Easter)

Luke's version of the beatitudes are a bit more unsettling than the better known list in Matthew. And Luke has woes or curses paired with each blessings. Both woes and blessings are upside down and backwards to the ways of our world, which likely says something about the sort of world Jesus envisions.

Upside Down Blessings (Luke 6:17-26)

The gospel reading for Reign of Christ, the last Sunday in the Christian year, is a small portion of Jesus' trial before Pilate. In John's gospel, Jesus is depicted as the one in charge, rather than Pilate. In these few verses, Pilate attempts to question Jesus, only to find himself questioned by Jesus. And when Pilate tries to pin Jesus down about his being a king, Jesus speaks of being a witness to the truth, and of all who belong to the truth listening to his voice. (A note on an often misunderstood part of this reading. Jesus' words about his kingdom not being "from this world" are not about that kingdom's location. Jesus' lordship does include the world, but its origins are heavenly, aka from God.)

Belonging to the Truth (John 18:33-37)

Jesus says he is the bread of life and the bread that came down from heaven, leading to complaints among those listening to Jesus. We in the church may have heard the terms too often to recognize the offense, but it is there when you think about it. What Jesus says doesn't make sense on one level and violates some Jewish, religious notions on another. And just like Jesus' opponents in this reading, all of us have certainties that can make Jesus or the Bible or the movement of the Spirit seem offensive, something to be avoided. There are many different certainties. Conservative and liberal Christians' certainties may be of totally different sorts. But no matter the type, they can get in the way of recognizing what God is doing in the world.

More Than What We Know (John 6:35, 41-51)

In these scripture passages, Jesus speaks of two needs. He speaks of his disciples needing rest, Sabbath. And Jesus knows that the people need a shepherd. We still need both of these things, but we often try to do without much in the way of rest or Sabbath. And we are even more resistant to having a shepherd. We hate to admit that we need guidance and direction, that we can't make it on our own.

In Need of a Shepherd (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56)

I learned the story of Joseph sold into slavery as a child, but I didn't realize what a terribly spoiled brat he was. The situation in his family was so dysfunctional and toxic that it was bound to end in tragedy. Indeed, the story could well have ended for good at Genesis 37:35. But it doesn't, any more than Jesus' story ends at the cross. There is nothing so evil, it seems, that God cannot finally turn to the good. Surely a hope that we need in the current times.

Trusting God with Our Stories (Genesis 37:1-35)

Identity, whether that of a person, family, nation, culture, or faith, is rooted in stories. Not knowing, appreciating, and understanding our stories leads to loss of identity. When Christians forget their stories, it can lead to versions of faith that are distortions of who we are called to be, as well as confusion about the nature of God and faith.

James Sledge Videos