The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, At-Home Service for September 5th

The theme of this sermon comes from the opening verse of the passage read today from Isaiah (35:4-7a).

Say to those whose hearts are racing,

“Be strong, do not fear!…
Here is your God.
He will come with vindication,
God’s response saves you.”

It is difficult to pin down exactly when those words were first spoken or the precise situation the prophet Isaiah was addressing. However, even without certainty about the historical details, the words themselves imply a story.

Click here to view the at-home version of the service.

Pastor Rike’s Sermon

First, those words assumed a community of people with different experiences. Even though the people in that community didn’t all experience the world the same way, they continued talking with one another. From the perspective of our own time, such a group would be remarkable. Today we generally segregate ourselves into groups of like-minded people with similar experiences who think the same way. As will become clear in just a moment, that was not true of the community implied by the words we have heard from Isaiah.

Click here to read Pastor Rike’s sermon.

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Video Options

Follow along with the service on video led by Pastor Rike, with music performed by Randy Broker.

The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost Service for September 5th includes: 
Intro 
Hymn- Word of God, Come Down on Earth performed by the Randy Broker 
First Reading- Isaiah 35:4-7a
Holy Gospel- Mark 7:24-37
Sermon by Pastor David Rike 
Hymn- How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds performed by Randy Broker 
Prayers 
Blessing