FirstPresabq Blog

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE GOSPELS Matthew 24:36-44 click here to watch the sermon "Wakey ,wakey" Every year in late September or early October, the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska sponsors what it calls Fat Bear Week. It’s a tournament that allows folks to vote online for their favorite fat bear. Some of the largest brown bears in the world (otherwise known as Gizzlies), make their home near the Brooks River in the park. And each fall they camp out along the ba

Rev. Essie Koenig-Reinke Luke 1:68-79 Click here to watch the sermon "Guide Our Feet" When I was living and working in Northern Ireland, one of my jobs was at a Christian youth center. And during the day while the younger ones were still in school. We spent our time trying to win over the young adults. Many of whom had become disillusioned. Rather than trying to build peace, they joined in the streets rioting and causing chaos. They would come in and show us video clips of th

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE LETTERS 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Click here to watch the sermon " Idle" Stanley Hauerwas, the Duke Divinity School emeritus professor of divinity and law, wrote a book over 30 years ago titled "Unleashing Scripture.” In it he made what became a controversial statement, saying that there is no task more important for the church than to take the bible out of the hands of individual Christians in North America. Hauerwas identified a problem that a fri

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE LETTERS 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Click here to watch the sermon "Purpose" Several years ago, before we moved to New Mexico, I was attending a conference where I met a fellow colleague from Iowa. We lived on either end of the state but we had both seen an event advertised at our local YMCA. The relay across Iowa. Now, this was not the more popular, and better known event called RAGBRAI, which stands for the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Race

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE PROPHETS Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 Click here to watch the sermon "Vision" I tuned in briefly this week to one of the World Series games and noticed that there was a player on the Toronto Blue Jays named Bo Bichette. My ears perked up. Bichette? I got curious, because one of the star players on the Colorado Rockies baseball team back in the 90’s was Dante Bichette. So, I did what I so often do when my curiosity gets the better of me. I asked Google.

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE GOSPELS Luke 18:9-14 Click here to watch the sermon "Humbled" When it comes to the stories that Jesus likes to tell, not all of them are as straightforward as we would like. Some of that is by design. When we teach parables to kids in the Godly Play classroom, they come in a box that is painted gold. The box is painted gold because we want the kids to know how valuable these stories are. More precious than gold, as the psalmist might say. But they

Rev. Matthew Miller FROM THE LETTERS 2 Timothy 2:8-15 click here to watch the sermon "Unchained" What brings you to church today? It’s a question I wonder quite a bit. Not just about all of you. But anyone on any given Sunday, or Wednesday night in some places. Daily mass for very committed Roman Catholics. What brings any of us to church? Over the years I’ve heard a variety of answers: habit, community, music, inspiration, solace, peace. For some folks it’s relatively easy.