“My hands feel sticky,” I said to Steve as I attempted in vain to wipe sugar residue from my fingers. I heard a few more voices mutter “Thank you” over the din of the crowded room. “Yeah,” Steve replied, “It gets everywhere.” “Got any more creamer?” a gruff voice...
We know the Messiah of which Handel’s oratorio speaks. It’s Jesus. The Christ. Born to Mary, in Bethlehem. Yet in the whole work – 53 movements, and roughly 3 hours in its entirety, we never hear Jesus’ voice. The text tells us of the promise of the Messiah and the...
Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 24:36-44 In Greensboro, we give you a week, but then the endless rush of seasonal traditions begins. Just this weekend there was the Candle Tea, the Festival of Lights, Parades, Concerts, countless Breakfasts with the Big Guy, and the list...
Luke 2:25-35 Last night – Christmas Eve – we gathered beneath the star. As I shared a homily, I held my 5 month old baby, Elizabeth Bea, because at first, that’s what the story is about: holding a baby. My friend Ashley-Anne recalled this a few years back when...
Ecclesiastes 3.1-13 Before we look into our scripture today I would like to take a moment to introduce myself if we have not met yet. My name is Courtney Stamey and I am the second pastoral resident at First Baptist Church. The pastoral residency program is a two-year...
