North Decatur Presbyterian Church

4.30.23. NDPC’s high school and middle school youth lead every part of today’s worship service. Sam Fisher and Freeman Mosley are our preachers.

4.23.23. We explore Jesus’ habit of telling strange, mischievous stories. What is a parable? What do the parables mean? Is there something wrong with me if I just don’t understand them? Or maybe understanding isn’t the point? Rev. Lewicki preaching.

4.16.23. To celebrate Earth Day 2023 and to kick off Climate Action Week, worship asks us to cherish and celebrate our interdependence with the Creation. NDPC members Patrick Kasele and Dr. Dabney Dixon reflect on their own stories of learning to love the Creation; Rev. Lewicki invites us to speak to the plants–and to listen to what they say back to us.

4.9.23. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, indeed! Easter Sunday, 2023. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

4.2.23. We are joined in worship by the Gate City Brass, who lead us in a New Orleans-style jazz parade to celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. A very special mystery guest leads us in the parade. Rev. Lewicki preaches.

3.26.23. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issues several warnings about what will happen if we fail to put his words into practice. Is Jesus trying to scare us into obedience–or asking us to feel a deep urgency about how we will choose to use this one life we have?

3.12.23. Rev. Lewicki preaches on Jesus’ teaching: “do not judge others.” What can that mean, given the fact that Jesus is also clear that there is a distinction between “right” and “wrong?” We dive into the spiritual dynamics of judgment and replacing condemnation with curiosity.

3.12.23. Rev. Lewicki explores a collection of Jesus’ sayings at the end of Matthew, chapter 6, including the one that haunts many of us: “you can’t serve God and wealth.” How should a disciple of Jesus relate to this material–and materialistic–world?

3.5.23. Rev. Lewicki preaches on Matthew 5:17-48, which contain the most beautiful–and challenging–ethical instructions the world has ever seen.

2.26.23. Jesus announces to the disciples and to all of us what God’s “Empire” looks like: it looks like those who are poor, and grieving, and weak. We listen as Jesus shares with us how God apportions “blessings.” Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

2.19.23. We read about the calling of Jesus’ first disciples from Matthew 4 and Rev. Lewicki invites us to observe where Jesus goes, who he meets, and what he says to them. How does paying attention to these details help us understand what it means when Jesus invites us to “follow?”

2.12.23. Allison Arsenault preaching on Deuteronomy chapter 30.

2.5.23. Rev. Lewicki preaches on Jesus’ time in the desert with the devil from Matthew 4. Who is the Devil? What did he want with Jesus? And what does he want with us?

1.29.23. We welcome frequent NDPC guest preacher Zeena Regis as we explore Micah’s invitation to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. We ordain and install elders at the 11AM worship.

1.22.23. This Sunday, Rev. Lewicki begins a new sermon series to re-introduce us to Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew. As a congregation, we will read through Matthew’s gospel in its entirety over the next several months. Perhaps you’ve read it before–read it again. Maybe you only know pieces (“blessed are the poor in spirit,” “the kingdom of God is like…)–fill in the blanks by reading the whole thing. Maybe you have no idea who Matthew is and didn’t know they named a book of the Bible after him–great, read along… you’ll bring the freshest eyes! Jesus is a remarkable figure–a remarkably weird one, too. Let’s meet Jesus through this ancient Gospel story.

1.15.23. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke often of the 3 evils of modern society–racism, militarism, and economic exploitation–and he called us to a “radical revolution of values.” Rev. Lewicki preaches on the 3rd of these evils, economic injustice, and he invites us to consider the question, “Is Capitalism Incompatible with the Way of Jesus?” 

1.8.23. Today is the Baptism of the Lord. We remember our baptisms together during both worship services, and recall the life-giving, life-sustaining promises that God makes–and keeps–to us in baptism. The Rev. Samantha Hudson is our guest preacher.

12.25.22. Worship for Sunday, December 25th, Christmas Day at North Decatur Presbyterian Church. Rev. Lewicki offers a Christmas message and we sing carols and welcome the birth of Jesus.

12.18.22. It’s the fourth Sunday of Advent. We light the candle of Love. A younger and an older member of NDPC lead a short drama, a “conversation with God.” We read the story of the angel Gabriel’s “annunciation” to Mary, and we explore the meaning of her response: “let it be.” 

12.4.22. We had technical difficulties with the audio this week. We don't have a podcast this week. You're welcome to circle back to ndpc.org for this week's service video.

12.4.22. We light the 2nd Advent candle as we pray for Peace. A younger and older member of the church lead us in the candle lighting liturgy–a “conversation with God” about peace. Rev. David Lewicki preaches on the startling word that starts the 40th chapter of Isaiah: “comfort.” Communion is celebrated.

It’s the first Sunday of Advent. We light the candle of hope. Each Sunday of Advent, our meditation and candle lighting will be a led by a younger and older member of NDPC–a conversation with God. Our preacher this Sunday is NDPC Ministry Fellow Victoria Robinson. We celebrate the baptism of Coralie Arsenault. 11.27.22.

11.20.22. It’s the “last Sunday” of the church year. Advent, which begins on November 27th, begins a new year in the liturgical calendar. This Sunday we end the year by reprising an NDPC tradition: The Whole Bible in 30 Minutes. Rev. Beth Waltemath tells the story of Scripture–this time through the eyes of women, beginning “in the beginning” with Genesis, and spinning out the entire story until it ends with the dream of Revelation.

11.13.22. We gather around the 46th Psalm, from which we draw the instruction: “be still and know that I am God.” We read the whole Psalm together and discover what those words meant in the context in which they were written and what they mean for us today. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

11.6.22. It’s NDPC’s annual celebration of All Saints Day. We read the names of those of our congregation who have died in the last year. Rev. Lewicki preaches on “Remembering."

10.30.22. Our children are learning the stories of the matriarchs and patriarchs of the Hebrew Scriptures. We join them this Sunday as we explore the story of Jacob’s Ladder. It’s one of the most vivid, and most enigmatic images in the Bible. Let’s walk up and down with the angels!

10.23.22. Rev. Lewicki preaches a message about our church-wide theme, “BE.” We explore the 139th Psalm, one of the great affirmations in Scripture that wherever we ARE, God IS there. 

10.16.22. As part of our commitment to read and teach the stories of women in Scripture, this Sunday (Oct. 16th) we encounter one of the most compelling, least-known women in the Bible: Rizpah, from 2 Samuel 21. Her faithfulness will shock you and move you.

10.9.22. For Pride Sunday, 2022, the Rev. Dr. Erin Reed Cooper, NDPC Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, is our preacher.

10.2.22. Rev. Lewicki preaches a second sermon on our 2022/23 churchwide theme, “BE.” The text is the Apostle Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Athens, when he says to everyone in that public square, “In God, we live, and move, and have our being.” What was Paul saying then? What does that phrase mean now?

9.25.22. The Rev. Beth Waltemath explores the story of Hagar from Genesis. Hagar, the Bible’s first female theologian, challenges the platitudes of our faith while offering a life-giving word for women who are still treated like second-class citizens.

9.18.22. Today, we dive into NDPC’s 2022-23 theme: BE. Being is something shared by all of life, but it is something we rarely reflect upon and and often take for granted. What is being? What is it for? And what do we perceive about the being of God? This week, we read the story of God’s revelation in the burning bush from Exodus 3. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

9.11.22. Loved into Being. Rev. David Lewicki preaches on love–with a little help from Fred Rogers.

8.28.22. Rev. Lewicki preaches on “Hope.” Music Director Huu Mai sings John Lennon’s Imagine.

8.21.22. Rev. Beth Waltemath preaches on the first commandment in Exodus 20 in a message called, “Losing Your Other Gods.”

8.14.22. Rev. Lewicki shares a message about the universal human expression of faith. Our guest musicians are The Garden Fresh Pickers bluegrass band.

8.7.22. The Rev. Dr. L’anni Hill is our preacher today.

7.31.22. The Rev. Dr. William Brown, NDPC clergy affiliate and Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, is our guest preacher.

7.24.22. Our preacher today is the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Ayres, NDPC clergy affiliate and professor of Religious Education at the Candler School of Theology.

7.17.22. Jesus ends his long farewell in John's gospel with a prayer for his disciples and the larger Christian community that they may all be one. In these perilous times when our nation is being torn apart by fear and mistrust, can Jesus' prayer for unity speak to us and set us on a path of healing? Rev. Bobbie Wrenn Banks preaching.

7.10.22. Our preacher today is the Rev. Mary Anona Stoops, Pastor for Adult Spiritual Formation at NDPC.

7.3.22. This July 4th weekend, Rev. Lewicki’s sermon will discuss the current place of religion in our nation’s politics. We will listen to the poetry of Langston Hughes and enjoy music that invites deeper reflection into what it means to be an American.

6.26.22. Should I give money to someone who asks, or not? It is one of the most spiritually significant questions we are ever asked. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus says, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again.” So… why, when we are asked for money, do we hesitate? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

6.19.22. This Sunday, NDPC clergy affiliate and honorably retired pastor of Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Nibs Stroupe is our preacher. The ministry of Nibs and his partner, the Rev. Caroline Leach, at Oakhurst was the PCUSA’s most important example of how a local church can address white supremacy and build a multiracial congregation.

6.12.22. This Sunday on the Liturgical Calendar is Trinity Sunday, a day to focus on the mysterious, graceful interplay between the 3 persons of the Divine Identity. As the first post-Pentecost summer Sunday, we also lean into the commandment to take our Sabbath rest. Our preacher is Zeena Regis.

6.5.22. It’s Pentecost–the 3rd of our 3 great Feast Days in the church! We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in worship this Sunday. Feel free to wear red to church. Rev. Lewicki will be our preacher and Holy Communion will be shared.

5.29.22. Zeena Regis is our guest preacher as we focus on the 6th mark of a vital congregation, caring relationships. We hold space and silence to grieve the lives lost in Uvalde, TX, and re-dedicate ourselves to ending gun violence in the name of Jesus.

5.2.22. We celebrate the 5th “mark” of a vital congregation: Spirit-Inspired Worship. What makes worship “good?” Traditional hymns or a rock band? Exegetical preaching or liturgical dance? Long periods of silence or ecstatic drum circles? Mimes! Definitely mimes. All of these things can make for great worship–or lousy worship. Rev. Lewicki talks about how we “make” worship at NDPC and what makes a worship service “good.”

5.15.22. Leadership has long been a buzzword in our culture–the leaders who have garnered attention are often corporate titans. The church has jumped on board the leadership train by embracing the image of “servant leaders.” What exactly is a servant leader? What kind of leader was Jesus? What kind of leaders should a church be developing for the world today? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

5.8.22. On this fourth Sunday of Easter, NDPC ministry fellow Erin Tolar leads us as we reflect on the 3rd “mark” of church vitality: an outward, incarnational focus. We worship God, our mother, and we give thanks for the people in our lives who have shown us maternal love.

4.24.22. During Eastertide, we start a brand new worship series titled, “Full of Life.” In the seven Sundays from now through Pentecost, we look at the 7 “marks” of our Vital Congregations Initiative. This Sunday’s focus is on Lifelong Discipleship and how the church functions as a community of formation. Rev. Lewicki is the preacher.

Christ is risen! Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

4.10.22. It is Holy Week. It is one worship service, extended into five gatherings over eight days. Today, Palm Sunday, we meet up with a procession headed to Jerusalem, and walk alongside Jesus and his followers. Worship convenes outside on NDPC plaza and we process with percussion and singing into the sanctuary. When inside, we hear four dramatic retellings of the events of Holy Week that reveal Jesus’ prophetic witness and lead to his final sacrificial act of solidarity.

4.3.22. We’ve reached week 5 of our Lenten series, “Lighten Up: The Joyful Truth About Sin and Grace.” We promise–no devastatingly revealing hand puppets this week. Only Jesus. Specifically, we take a look at how sin and grace operated in Jesus’ life and ministry. What do we learn about dealing with our own sin from the ways that Jesus confronted and overcame sin? And, most pointedly, we ask of our own lives: do we need Jesus? Rev. Lewicki preaching.4.3.22.

3.27.22. It is the 4th Sunday in Lent. We continue our Lenten series: Lighten Up: The Joyful Truth about Sin & Grace. Grace is the fundamental reality of creation. Still, sin enters in–both individually and on a systemic level–and threatens our lives. How, exactly, does God’s grace respond to sin? Rev. Lewicki preaches, with the elp of a few “handy” puppets.

3.20.22. This Sunday (3/20) is the 3rd Sunday in Lent. After two weeks talking about sin, this week we turn to grace. Grace is the single most important idea in the Christian tradition. But it’s an elusive idea, at the same time everywhere and nowhere to be found. What is grace?

3.13.22. Welcome to the second week of our Lenten series on “Sin and Grace.” This week, we do some weed whacking around the dubious theological idea called “original sin.” The Christian tradition has alternative ways of understanding sin and the saving event of Jesus’ death & resurection that feel much more true to the nature of sin and to the great good news that we receive in Jesus. To undo the spell of original sin, we go back to the beginning, to Genesis, to where it all began. What we find there is not original sin… but original blessing. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

3.6.22. This first Sunday of Lent (3/6), we begin our Lenten series titled “Lighten Up: The Joyful Truth About Sin and Grace.” In worship together, we will explore what our tradition has taught about both sin and grace and we will explore how these theological ideas really work in our lives, at the level of our own bodies and spirits. While “sin” sounds like a heavy theme (and there is no disputing the damage it does), sin in the Christian tradition is always seen in the light of grace.

Rev. Lewicki will preach, exploring–and demonstrating–the major biblical metaphors for sin. Things will get stained, and crushed, the mark will be missed, and someone will end up in debt.

2.20.22. Joseph’s brothers could not be more surprised: the young man they left at the bottom of a well is now one of the most powerful figures in Egypt. Join us Sunday for an awkward reunion as Joseph and his brothers renegotiate what it means to be a family. Erin Tolar preaching.

Zeena Regis is our preacher this Sunday. Zeena invites us to explore one of the powerful stories from the Women’s Lectionary: Elijah’s encounter with the widow of Zarephath from 1 Kings 17.

2.6.22. This Sunday, Jesus goes fishing… and he catches people ALIVE! It could be the premise of a really creative horror flick. But it’s actually the premise of life’s most rewarding and extraordinary adventure. Rev. Lewicki preaches on Luke 5:1-11.

1.30.22. We explore the provocative story from Luke’s gospel where Jesus stands up in the synagogue in Nazareth and preaches a rip-roaring sermon. Everyone loves him… until they hate him. Why does Jesus’ sermon, based on a reading from Isaiah, create such strong feelings? If that sermon were preached to us, would we praise Jesus… or run him out of town? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

1.23.22. What do you know about the biblical figures Ezra and Nehemiah? Were these two leaders trying to Make Israel Great Again or build back better? Were walls and ethnic purity laws what Israel really needed to be truly great? What was missing? We draw wisdom from an old, old story into our own time in which the nation’s identity is fractured and contested. Rev. Lewicki, preaching from Nehemiah 8.

1.16.22. Our guest preacher today is the Rev. Nibs Stroupe. Nibs grew up in the Mississippi River Delta in Arkansas. He retired in 2017 after thirty-four years as co-pastor of Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, where he served alongside his partner, the Rev. Caroline Leach. Under Nibs and Caroline’s leadership, Oakhurst became nationally known for its leadership in multicultural ministry. Nibs is the author or co-author of several books, including Passionate for Justice, about the life of Ida B. Wells, and the award-winning While We Run This Race. In 2007 he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

1.9.22. Today’s worship service is NDPC’s annual Re-affirmation of Baptism. Those who are baptized are drawn into an extraordinary miracle–we are bound up in the hydrodynamics of God. Rev. Lewicki preaches.

1.2.22. Today is our annual Epiphany service–a service that blends poetic readings, music, images, and quiet reflection. Epiphany is the traditional day when the Magi reached the manger and gave their gifts to the infant Jesus. We remember that epiphany–and also the holy, revelatory moments in our own lives that shimmer with love and truth.

Rev. Emily Bagwell preaches about the Christmas story. 12.26.21.

12.19.21. Our theme for Advent 2021 at NDPC is “Silent Nights.” Each of the four weeks invites you into the different rhythm of this season. Week 1 focused on slowness–slowing down and perceiving time in a new way. Week 2 focuses on stillness–on “not doing,” on letting God do for us. Week 3 focuses on silence–on the beauty and depth of quiet. Week 4 focuses on the many gifts of darkness.

Rev. Lewicki explores the final theme, darkness. What is “darkness?” Is it something of which we should be afraid? Or is there a way for you to “see” in the dark? We light the 4th candle together.

12.12.21. Our theme for Advent 2021 at NDPC is “Silent Nights.” Each of the four weeks invites you into the different rhythm of this season. Week 1 focused on slowness–slowing down and perceiving time in a new way. Week 2 focuses on stillness–on “not doing,” on letting God do for us. Week 3 focuses on silence–on the beauty and depth of quiet. Week 4 focuses on the many gifts of darkness.

Rev. Beth Waltemath explores silence. We are drawn to the image of a “silent” night at Christmas time. What is this yearning for silence really about? We read the 39th Psalm and explore the connection between silence, revelation, and healing. We light the 3rd candle together.

12.5.21. Our theme for Advent 2021 at NDPC is “Silent Nights.” Each of the four weeks invites you into the different rhythm of this season. Week 1 focused on slowness–slowing down and perceiving time in a new way. Week 2 focuses on stillness–on “not doing,” on letting God do for us. Week 3 focuses on silence–on the beauty and depth of quiet. Week 4 focuses on the many gifts of darkness.

Rev. David Lewicki explores stillness. What does it mean to be still? Won’t we get left behind in a world always in motion? Why do we privilege “stillness” as a way to experience God’s presence? We light the 2nd candle together.

11.28.21. Our theme for Advent 2021 at NDPC is “Silent Nights.” Each of the four weeks invites you into the different rhythm of this season. Week 1 focuses on slowness–slowing down and perceiving time in a new way. Week 2 focuses on stillness–on “not doing,” on letting God do for us. Week 3 focuses on silence–on the beauty and depth of quiet. Week 4 focuses on the many gifts of darkness.

Today, Ministry Fellow Erin Tolar explores slowness. How do we experience time? Why does there always seem to be too little? What could it mean for us to live “in the fullness of time,” or in “God’s time?” We light the 1st candle together.

11.21.21. This Sunday is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Advent marks a new beginning. To celebrate the end of the church year, Rev. Lewicki will offer one of his favorite sermons: The Whole Bible in 20 Minutes. Beginning with the chaotic waters of Genesis and ending with the City of God in Revelation, we will hear the whole (well… almost the whole… I mean no one really wants to hear Leviticus or Habbakuk) story of Scripture. It’s an opportunity to remember that our lives are not only wrapped up in God’s love, but that we also get to play our part in one incredibly good story.

11.14.21. The pandemic has taken a huge mental toll on many of us. The statistics about mental health are alarming, but perhaps not surprising: 2 in 5 of us report having significant mental health concerns; that number rises to 3 in 5 for young adults. This Sunday, Rev. Lewicki preaches about the experience of being overwhelmed. What is it? Where does that feeling come from? What can we do about it? What help, if any, is our Christian faith and the community of the church?

10.31.21. We celebrate the annual festival of All Saints and the 66th anniversary of NDPC’s founding. On this particular day, we remember the specific people who went before us whose lives showed us what faith, hope, and love look like in the flesh. We will spend time remembering the saints–those famous and those known only to us. We will speak the names of those members of NDPC who have died in the past year. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

10.24.21. What do you have in common with absolutely every other person who ever has been or ever will be? Each of us has the shared experience of childhood.

Our experiences of childhood, however, are not the same. Your childhood probably had moments of wonder and curiosity, moments of fear and hurt. Who was there for you in those moments, to help you translate them and understand them? Who wasn’t?

This Sunday at NDPC, we will celebrate Children’s Sabbath- a day to be challenged to show up for children in our lives, and for children we’ll never meet. We will listen to the stories of children, from ancient times and far away, and also to the stories of children who are our neighbors right now. Rev. Dr. Erin Reed Cooper, preaching.

10.17.21. If you were to make a list of the most challenging, controversial gospel stories, the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenecian woman in Mark 7 will be at the top of that list. Who is this woman? Why does Jesus dismiss her so cruelly? Does her response chasten Jesus? Why does Mark include this story in his gospel? How do this story’s messages about race, gender, and power function in the world today? Ministry Fellow Zeena Regis is our preacher this Sunday. We read and pray over the names of this month’s victims of gun violence in Georgia and are joined by NDPC members in Washington, DC for the national SoulBox gathering.

10.10.21. Atlanta’s citywide Pride Celebration was cancelled again this year due to COVID, but we still celebrate Pride in worship in the sanctuary at NDPC.

What does Pride mean to you this year? How has the movement for LGBTQ+ liberation in church and society touched you and your family? What do you want to celebrate? What do you grieve? What do you need to confess? What work is left for us to do?

NDPC members offer their own testimonies in worship and we sing, pray and worship our very queer God. Ministry Fellow Erin Tolar is our preacher.

10.3.21. Some of the best conversations start with good questions—questions we’ve been meaning to ask, questions that keep us curious, and questions that lead us deeper into courage and connection. Our upcoming worship series from A Sanctified Art centers around four guiding questions: “I’ve been meaning to ask… Where are you from?… Where does it hurt?… What do you need?… Where do we go from here?” As you can see, these questions aren’t surface level; they invite us to tell our stories, share our pain, care for one another, and dream about a new way forward together. Through vulnerability and authenticity, may our courageous conversations lead us to glimpse hope, joy, and beauty—and to become the community God created us to be.

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

9.12.21. We had some trouble with the audio this week. Please find a video of the full service on the website. ndpc.org. We'll try to do better.

This week's worship was a mix of music and reading. We don't have a regular recording this week.

The theme of today’s worship is “A Psalm for Every Season,” which explores how the Psalms can help us celebrate the seasons of the Christian year: Advent, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and the Feast of Christ our King. The Psalm settings, set to familiar tunes, are taken from the Psalter for Christian Worship, a collection of all 150 Psalms by Michael Morgan. Each will be introduced with a few words to set them in the proper liturgical context, and the congregation will be invited to sing. As a visual aid, there will be on display translations of Psalm 23 from the first 3 English Bibles authorized to be read in churches: the Great Bible of Henry VIIII (1539), the Bishops’ Bible of Queen Elizabeth (1568), and a beautiful first printing of the King James Bible (1611).

8.29.21. The body is one of the central images in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the embodiment–the incarnation–of God. Paul imagines the church as the Body of Christ. Our tradition clearly loves bodies–and yet somehow Christianity became known as a religion that feared and discounted the body. We will explore the role of bodies in the Christian life–the individual body, the relational body, the social and global body, and the mystical body in this four week worship series.

Today, we explore the limits of the metaphor of the body–particularly, the limits that death and entropy present. What do we make of the fact that God invests so much energy and love in bodies that, one day, go away? Is there a mystical body that lies beyond, behind, or within the physical body? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

8.22.21. The body is one of the central images in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the embodiment–the incarnation–of God. Paul imagines the church as the Body of Christ. Our tradition clearly loves bodies–and yet somehow Christianity became known as a religion that feared and discounted the body. We will explore the role of bodies in the Christian life–the individual body, the relational body, the social and global body, and the mystical body in this four week worship series. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Today, we look at our bodies in relationship with other bodies. For a generation, our culture has insisted that we are not neighbors, or friends, or citizens, but self-serving consumers. During the pandemic, this way of understanding our relationships has been deadly. We visit Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, and its image of the body and explore what it means think of ourselves not as autonomous individuals, but as members of one body.

8.22.21. The body is one of the central images in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the embodiment–the incarnation–of God. Paul imagines the church as the Body of Christ. Our tradition clearly loves bodies–and yet somehow Christianity became known as a religion that feared and discounted the body. We will explore the role of bodies in the Christian life–the individual body, the relational body, the social and global body, and the mystical body in this four week worship series.

Today, we explore the image of the earth as the body of God. This metaphor comes from the late feminist theologian Sallie McFague, but its roots are deep in the Christian tradition and in scripture. We read Paul’s urgent message to the Corinthians to not abuse the Lord’s body when they share communion in 1 Cor. 11. Paul urges the Corinthian church to let the sharing of the body of Christ be a vehicle for their communion–God also shares the body of the earth with us to be a means of our communion. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

8.8.21. The body is one of the central images in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the embodiment–the incarnation–of God. Paul imagines the church as the Body of Christ. Our tradition clearly loves bodies–and yet somehow Christianity became known as a religion that feared and discounted the body. We will explore the role of bodies in the Christian life–the individual body, the relational body, the social and global body, and the mystical body in this four week worship series. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Today, we look at our individual bodies. For generations, Christians have embraced the ancient Greek notion that our bodies consist of two parts, one “higher” (our spirit) and one “lower” (our flesh). Nothing could be further from the truth nor more harmful to a life of faith. We go back to Genesis and explore the story of the creation of the first human and wonder about the theological implications of being BOTH dirt and divine.

8.1.21.

There’s a party goin’ on right here

A celebration to last throughout the years

So bring your good times and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate your party with you

So sang Kool & the Gang in their immortal party anthem, Celebration. Celebration is not something reserved for Saturday night. It’s also a part of Sunday morning–and of our whole life with God. As we wrap up our summer series on “re-booting our faith” through essential practices, we spend the day reflecting on the way the life of faith is seasoned with celebrations. We will sing, we might dance, we will laugh, and we will share the joyful feast of the people of God. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

7.25.21. Throughout June and July, as we return to in-person worship and begin new rhythms for life after quarantine, the NDPC community will focus on “re-booting” our basic operating system for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and appreciating beauty and forgiveness.

Can you recall the last time that something beautiful took your breath away?  Where were you? What were you doing?  What about it evoked such a response?  This Sunday, Mary Anona Stoops will explore the practice of appreciating beauty.  Using a passage from the Wisdom of Solomon, a book found in the Old Testament Apocrypha, we will explore how beauty, particularly that of the natural world, is a portal to the Holy Presence that upholds all things.

7.11.21. NDPC is pleased to welcome our preacher for Sunday, July 11th, Ashley M. Wilcox. Ashley is a Quaker minister and the author of The Women’s Lectionary: Preaching the Women of the Bible Throughout the Year (forthcoming from Westminster John Knox Press). She is a graduate of Candler School of Theology and Willamette University College of Law. Ashley teaches preaching at Candler School of Theology and her online class, Preaching with Confidence. Her writing has been published in Friends Journal, Western Friend, Quaker anthologies, and on www.ashleymwilcox.com.

7.4.21. DPC is pleased to welcome our preacher for Sunday, July 4th, Zeena Regis. Zeena will be joining the NDPC staff this fall as one of our new Ministry Fellows. Zeena has worked in hospice and palliative care as a chaplain and grief counselor since 2012. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Agnes Scott College and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary, where she was honored with the HJ Riddle Memorial Award for excellence in pastoral care. Most recently, Zeena was selected for The Collegeville Institute’s Emerging Writers Mentorship Program,  a 13-month program for writers who address matters of faith, religion, and belief in their work. She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her spouse, teenager, and two spoiled pups.

6.27.21. Throughout June and July, as we return to in-person worship and begin new rhythms for life after quarantine, the NDPC community will focus on “re-booting” our basic operating system for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and wonder and forgiveness.

This Sunday, Erin Reed Cooper reminds us of the importance of storytelling. One of the most important things we do as a worshipping community is tell stories. We tell an ancient story that has been told for generations, and we weave it together with the story of our lives. We even tell stories of things that haven’t happened yet. What does all this storytelling do? Why do we do it? And what comes next? A good story keeps you wanting more.

6.20.21. Throughout June and July, as we return to in-person worship and begin new rhythms for life after quarantine, the NDPC community will focus on “re-booting” our basic operating system for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and wonder and forgiveness.

This Sunday, we talk about the importance of prayer. Is there a stranger thing than prayer that we are asked to do as followers of Jesus? What is a prayer? What is it for? What does it do? Rev. Lewicki offers a few ideas (and a few confessions about his own prayer life) in this week’s message about the practice of prayer.

6.13.21. Re-boot: Sabbath, Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Throughout June and July, as we return to in-person worship and begin new rhythms for life after quarantine, the NDPC community will focus on "re-booting" our basic operating system for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and wonder and forgiveness.

This Sunday, we talk about the importance of sabbath-keeping. In many ways, the last year and a half has felt like a kind of sabbath. It certainly was a break from the "usual." But maybe a confined, enforced sabbath is not really "sabbath" at all. We will revisit the biblical concept of sabbath-keeping and explore why this particular form of rest is not just a divine "suggestion," but a mandate for you and for the whole creation.

6.6.21. Throughout June and July, as we return to in-person worship and begin new rhythms for life after quarantine, the NDPC community will focus on “re-booting” our basic operating system for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and wonder and forgiveness.

This Sunday, we talk about the importance of ritual, specifically, the ritual of worship. The ritual of worship is one of the most uniquely human, most impactful practices that we share. But what is ritual? What does it do for our bodies and spirits? Is it mindless groupthink? Why is the ritual of worship important for our awareness of God? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

5.30.21. You know when your computer has been running for a long time and it starts getting slow and you get that little spinning wheel and it feels like you should just throw the whole darn thing in the garbage? That’s been me–my life–during quarantine. Sometimes the best thing is to shut it all down and re-boot. That’s kind of what we imagine doing together this summer in worship.

We’re going to re-boot our basic “operating system” for the Christian life: worship and prayer and storytelling and hospitality and justice and wonder and forgiveness. Sometimes a re-boot feels like a brand new start. Even like new life. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

5.23.21. God’s presence is manifest in many ways throughout scripture. Pentecost celebrates the arrival of the Spirit of God into the church, but God-as-spirit has been on the scene since the very beginning. As we look into the creation story as told in the Psalms, we recognize how God is present as creator, redeemer and sustainer from the very beginning of the universe and in the destinies of all things, living and inanimate.

On Pentecost Sunday (and in anticipation of Trinity Sunday on May 30th), we praise God for the expansiveness and diversity of divine love and consider how, like Augustine, it might be easier to “understand” the Trinity when it becomes part of our daily practice instead of a doctrine. Rev. Beth Waltemath, preaching.

5.9.21. Many of you have been extensively trained. Most of you had more than a decade of "formal" classroom education. You trained for your work so that you could learn the precise skills you need to do it well. You practiced a sport for hours under the supervision of a coach, or a musical instrument under the eyes of a teacher. Where did you go to learn to love? Who taught you? Did you get a graduate degree in love? Did you have a coach? Did you do an intensive program? The truth is, most of us never really learn how to love. We fumble and fail and sometimes succeed. What, if anything, can we learn about love from Jesus? Can he teach us anything useful? Rev. David Lewicki preaches on John 15.

5.2.21. “God is love.” It is one of the simplest, most impactful, most misunderstood, and most ignored teachings in Scripture. This Sunday, Rev. David Lewicki explores this fascinating passage from 1 John 4 and what it means for our lives to affirm the claim that God is love.

4.25.21. The Power to Lay It Down and the Power to Take It Up.

Text: John 10:11-18 

Rev. Beth Waltemath Preaching

If Jesus is the good shepherd, what does it mean to be good sheep? The intelligence of a sheep may surprise us. This Sunday, we explore the ways we have distorted our relationship with power. Perhaps there are more ways to relate to power than exerting it or giving it up. Come to worship, willing to discern your own relationship to power in every age and every relationship. How have you overused and abused power? How have you ignored or abdicated power? When have you seen your power clearly and shared it generously? Jesus has the ability to lay his power down and to take it back up. Do you?

4.18.21. Scripture: John 20:19-29 | Rob Schoonover Preaching

Scripture: Acts 4:32-35 and Psalm 133: 

Unity In The Resurrection | Kendra Peebles 

Kendra will take a closer look at what unity looks like by naming a recent event that happened right here in Georgia. She will compare the unity found in the lectionary text to the unity embodied by our faith leaders. Unity requires more than believing in the resurrection, it requires our loyalty to Christ shown by our actions.

4.4.21.

Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen indeed!

We gather this Sunday to receive the best news of all: the tomb is empty and Christ is risen. In Mark’s gospel, however, the Risen One does not appear to the disciples. There is only a mysterious figure in the tomb, who tells the women that in order to see the risen Christ, they must go to Galilee. They must go back to the beginning, go back home. What should we make of this invitation to “go home” on Easter? What if home is not a place to which we want to go? Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

3.28.21.

Text: John 12:1-9 | Rev. Beth Waltemath preaching.

3.21.21. As we get closer to Holy Week and the story of Jesus’ death, the lectionary readings get messier. More specifically, bloodier. This week’s reading from Hebrews 5 talks about Jesus’ sacrifice. “Sacrifice” has become a bit of a dirty word–both theologically and culturally. What can we make of the profound, troubling image of Jesus as a blood sacrifice? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

3.13.21. John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verse in the Christian scriptures. Over the years, the verse has shown up on the eye black of football players, random signs on I-75, and in the consciousness of nearly every church basketball player ever. This Sunday, Rob Schoonover invites you to consider the meaning of this verse from a different perspective. He promises that he won’t make you memorize the verse for candy.

3.7.21. The Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis invites us to imagine the faithful work of Building (and reBuilding) the church through the lens of Acts 2 and 12-step spirituality. She challenges us to live into new ways of being community - with humility, honesty with ourselves, and daily dependence on the grace of God.  

2.28.21. “Who do you say that I am?” Have you ever asked someone what they thought of you? Have you wondered what your eulogy might one day say?

“Take up your cross” is Jesus’s invitation to live with integrity. It is an invitation we cannot fully entertain until we have entertained the reality of our own death and the impact of our life on this earth. “Who do you say that I am?’ Jesus asks the disciples, but we are to wonder the same thing about our own witness. Rev. Beth Waltemath considers the dance between identity and integrity in which Jesus leads his disciples beginning with Mark 8:31-9:1 and wonders at the end of this pandemic “Who would they say that we are?”

2.21.21. Wilderness is a concept that is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. What significance does wilderness have in our own journey? Join us this Sunday we examine the Gospel of Mark's account of the Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

2.14.21. Transfiguration. Metamorphoses. Change. It's the effect of God's wonder-working power. It happened to Jesus on a mountaintop. It happens everywhere around us. And it even happens to us. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

2.7.21. And He Cured Many Who Were Sick

We have never been so aware of sickness and health as we are in this pandemic. Into this moment, comes a story of Jesus as a healer of those who are sick (Mark 1:29-39). How are we supposed to hear stories like this today? We hear from some of NDPC's "healers" as they reflect on this story and their own work.

1.31.21. "Authority" is a word that makes us uncomfortable. We are often skeptical of the word authority (and we're right to be skeptical). Join us this Sunday as we examine the gentle authority of Jesus and what it means for us today." Robert Schoonover preaching. 

Mark 1:21-28

1.24.21.  Jesus calls the disciples, Simon and Andrew, and the brothers James and John. It all seems so smooth, so easy. These four men see a guy wandering by, he says a few vague words about God, and they leave their whole world--jobs, families, future--to follow him. Easy. Too easy? This Sunday, we dig a bit deeper into the story of the first disciples and explore our own reasons for wanting--or not wanting--our world to change. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

1.17.21. In the midst of a tumultuous time in American political life, and on the cusp of the annual celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. David Lewicki preaches about how we might continue to conceive of God's role in our political life today. Does God put leaders in power? Does God pull them down? Our text is from 1 Samuel.

1.10.21. This week, we read the story of Jesus’ baptism. Jesus was a grown man when he stood in a line of strangers, waiting his turn to wade into the muddy river to let Wild John plunge his head under the surface. In the years after Jesus’ death, his disciples did something peculiar. They kept dunking people under water as a sign of being joined into the life of Christ. We still do it. And we will remember our baptisms this Sunday. We welcome our interim virtual music director Paul Vasile. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Join us as the Epiphany season begins. 1.3.21.

12.27.20. Rob Schoonover preaching from Luke 2:22-40.

The new year offers new beginnings, and this Sunday’s text shows us how even folks in ancient Israel were looking for new beginnings. The text gives us a tiny glimpse of what kind of new beginnings those in ancient Israel were looking for. You may find they aren’t so different from what many of us are looking for in 2020. So tune in as Rob Schoonover attempts to tackle this interesting text. The image is is from Star Wars, but it captures the essence of what the sermon will be about. 

12.20.20. Mary's song is a fixture of the Advent season. We've come to pin our hope on this young woman's voice glorifying God in the midst of uncertainty. Her song offers a vision of our bodies and souls magnifying the essential will of the divine. But every mother knows there is grief amidst the glory. As we read Luke 1:46-55 and listen to choral interpretations of the Magnificat let us consider the minor notes of Mary's life marked by motherhood and servanthood in the shadow of an extraordinary son. Rev. Beth Waltemath preaches on The Glorifying Soul.

12.13.20. It is the third Sunday of Advent -- we light the candle of joy. This Sunday's scripture reading is from the oldest book in the New Testament, First Thessalonians. The reading begins, "Rejoice always." Always? Even this year? Even when life feels heavy and strange? We spend time naming the sources of our joy as we draw closer to Christmas. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

12.6.20. The greatest kiss in literature is from a surprising source: the Psalms. This Sunday, the 2nd in Advent, we read Psalm 85. There, the kiss of justice and peace gives us an image of the Beloved Community that we all long to share. We light the candle of Peace. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

11.29.20. This Sunday's preacher is our newest Ministry Fellow, Kendra Peebles. Please welcome Kendra to her first experience in NDPC's virtual pulpit!  The sermon will come from Isaiah 64:1-9. We often find ourselves longing like the Israelites, desiring and waiting for God to perform wonderful deeds as in the past. During this Advent season, God is desiring for us to do more than simply wait.

11.22.20.

11.22.20. Matthew 25 is the mantra of "social justice" Christians. But it is much more than a call to feed the hungry and house the homeless. It is an  invitation to see all people as bearers of the image of God, to see the incarnate Christ in the most offensive places. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

11.8.20.

"Stay awake."

"Stay awake."

"Stay awake."

Jesus tells a parable about ten young people waiting for a party to begin. The wait is long. Too long. Some were ready. Some were not.

"Stay awake," Jesus says. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

11.1.20. Matthew 5:1-12. 2020 is supposed to be the symbol of perfect vision. Instead, it is the year of collapse on multiple fronts. What do we make of all the ways we have fallen as a society and a culture? The scales may be falling from our supremacist lenses but the scales of justice continue to tip in favor of the oppressors. As we look back this All Saints' Day in 2020, we grieve all the lives we have lost as a nation, a world, and a church.  We ask ourselves how far have we fallen. How do we get back up again?  As the gospel singer says, "Is a saint really just a sinner who fell down and got up?" In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to look for the blessed in very unexpected places. We hear from some of our own members about the ordinary people who impacted their life and faith in unexpected ways.  Who is the saint leaving their mark on your life? And whose life are you blessing unawares? Rev. Beth Waltemath preaching.

10.25.20. When the world feels like it’s going to hell in a handbasket, what word helps you keep your balance, keep going, keep believing? This week, we hear someone ask Jesus the same question: “what is the greatest commandment?” Jesus’ answer is still a word that nourishes our faith, even in the most chaotic of times. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

10.18.20. Taxes (and Other Matters of Life & Death). Mathew 22:15-22. The question to Jesus begins as a trap: "Should we pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" Jesus responds by asking his questioner to pull out a Roman coin and look at it. So begins one of Jesus's most curious, powerful, and persistent lessons. Whose are you? To whom do you belong? And, by virtue of this belonging, what do you owe? Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

10.11.20. Freedom through Consecration: Exodus 35: 1- 29. Decorating for the seasons, making a meditation space, setting aside quiet time in the morning, taking daily walks to ruminate, observing a day of rest? What rituals do you do to mark time or space as sacred? How do you tame the chaos with the hope of order? After a long list of fatalities, frustrations and failures in the wilderness, the people of God pool their resources and offer their skills to build a tabernacle as a tent for holiness to dwell temporarily. The building of the tabernacle and all its precious objects like the seat of Mercy and the bread of Presence remind them that even in times of prolonged confusion, the presence of God is as close as the most precious hour or sacred object we set aside to draw divine wonder to us. Rev. Beth Waltemath, preaching. 

10.4.20. Freedom is Found in Relationship: Exodus 20:1-17: Our study of the book of Exodus turns this week as Moses receives the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai.  We discover how the freedom which we have sought through liberation from oppression, from hunger, from quarrel and doubt is broader, richer, and more intimate than we imagined. God reveals to Moses how freedom is found in relationship, through the assurance of eternal love and through the articulation of moral laws.  What we see as the story unfolds is that freedom is not just an escape from a former prison, it is a process of empowerment, one that is not always easy, but is never lonely. Rev. Beth Waltemath preaching.

9.27.20. We are all going through a "wilderness experience" during the pandemic. We are forced to journey through a new, difficult territory. For many of us, we are short on patience and quick to anger or despair. Our relationships feel tense. In this week's story from Exodus 17, the people of God are stressed and angry about the lack of water. God hears them and provides for them, sending water flowing from a rock. God provides. But what a curious name they give to this place: "Massah" and "Meribah." Testing and arguing. They remember not just the miracle, but they remember their stress and hardship. What if we remembered the places of our deepest struggle, too? How would that shape our life in and with God? Rev. Lewicki, preaching. 

9.20.20. Sometimes the world of the Bible seems very far away--another time, another culture, another world. But sometimes, the world of the Bible comes very, very close. For the next four weeks, we will be reading stories from Exodus about the journey of God's people in the "wilderness." Wilderness, in scripture, is a place of deprivation, danger, and the nearness of death. In the wilderness, the people grumble about their leaders, and wish they could go back to the past. In the wilderness, nothing about life is guaranteed--except the presence and provision of God. Rev. Lewicki preaches on Exodus 16 and manna in the wilderness. 

9.13.20.  Rev. Lewicki offers this Sunday's sermon, using Romans 14:1-12 as our focus text. It is a text that explores a question that is both perennial and also timely: what do we make of our human differences? Differences are the source of so much conflict in the world. Do we ever know when to focus on differences and when to overlook them and prioritize the ties that bind us all? Join us for a deep dive into these questions.

9.6.20. We don't have the usual sermon this week. This Sunday’s worship service is full of music. We will be back next week!

8.30.20. The Ending. On Sunday, August 30, we close our summer preaching series, The Best. Story. Ever!, in which we have revisited familiar Biblical stores to discover how their meaning has deepened as we age.  Using the Gospel reading from the Lectionary for this Sunday, Matthew 16:21-28, Rev. Mary Anona Stoops will look at the ending to the story that Jesus proposes to Peter and the disciples. Spoiler alert:  Peter does not like it, and Jesus tells him to “talk to the hand." Join us as we consider if the ending that Jesus foreshadows really is the best ending to "The Story."  

8.23.20. Two-Thousand-Year-Old Mail Fraud. Rev. Erin Reed Cooper preaching.

The Apostle Paul is a complicated character. He was a church planter, consultant, prisoner, tent-maker, and ex-Christian persecutor. Seven of the new testament books are actually letters from Paul to various churches and individuals. Another seven books are mimicking his style and tone. But who was Paul and why are his ideas about Jesus so popular? Who do I need to write a letter to in order to get myself published in the Bible? This Sunday, we will join Rev. Erin Reed Cooper to take a look at the fourth chapter of Paul's letter to the church in Galatia, and see if we can find out how this letter became a part of the Best Story Ever.  

8.16.20. "The Mustard Seed," Rev. Beth Waltemath preaching. 

Human beings love a good story. Some argue telling a story is the best way to teach us. But narratives have a shadow side too. They can be predictable and prescriptive. Even the beloved stories and myths we've already heard this summer have been used (sometimes unintentionally) as oppressive propaganda. Jesus taught by telling a narrative form that broke open our most prevailing and problematic narratives. Join Rev. Beth Waltemath as she considers the parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13:31-33 and considers how parables expand the possibilities for abundant and inclusive living. 

8.9.20. "Called Together," Rob Schoonover preaching. Text: Luke 5:1-11.

I love a good call story. It's always fun to read or listen to the story of the moment somebody was called into their greater purpose. The Bible contains a long list of epic call stories. Sometimes these stories involve burning bushes or blinding lights. Other times, they are seemingly mundane. Sometimes a calling is nothing more than a chance encounter and a net full of fish. This Sunday's text tells the story of the call of the disciples and shows us how strange and mundane call stories teach us just as much as the epic and cinematic stories found elsewhere in scripture.

8.2.20. What would you do if you came face-to-face with a lion? We find out what happened to the hero Daniel in this week's Best. Story. Ever! But what if the lion is more than "just" a lion? What if the lion is also a metaphor for what it's like when we find ourselves facing an enemy that is ready, willing, and able to destroy us? Take this metaphor one more step: what if I told you this story is a story about surviving in the face of cultural forces that want to destroy your identity -- your history, your faith, your language, your dreams? What do you do when you find yourself alone in the lion's den? David Lewicki preaching.

7.26.20. The very first Biblical story I ever learned was the story of David and Goliath. Of course, I was fascinated by the idea that another "David" was a biblical hero. And what's not to like about the story? A handsome (but scrawny) farm boy comes out of nowhere to topple the nasty foreign warrior with his courage and a slingshot. It didn't hurt that the story mirrored the plotline of my favorite movie, Star Wars, with farmboy Luke Skywalker standing in as "the chosen one" to defeat the Empire. Even today, I'm partial to the justice of "David and Goliath" stories, when an underdog rises up to defeat a more powerful adversary. But if you start poking around in the story of David, you will find much more than a rags to riches underdog story. You will find a sobering depiction of how hard it is to be a leader -- and how leaders are no better or worse than their followers. This week in our summer series, we read about David & Goliath. It is the Best. Story. Ever. 

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

6.19.20. "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came a-tumblin' down!" I remember singing that in Sunday School more than 40 years ago as we learned about Joshua taking over from Moses, his great military victory, and his leadership of God's people into the Promised Land. It was a story of courage and bravery and faith. No one told me it was also a story about genocide. And I'm quite sure that no one told me that it's all made up--Joshua and the Israelites never even fought at Jericho, let alone caused the walls to come a-tumblin' down. So what do we do with a story like this one that gets WORSE (not better) as we grow up and learn more about it? There's still a message from God here about the ways we all get confused about who and where God is when we are scared for our safety. We read the story of Joshua this Sunday in our summer series "The Best. Story. Ever." Rev. Lewicki, preaching

7.12.20. The Joseph story. Genesis chapters 37-50. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

7.5.20. Notes from Goat Island, Matthew 25:31-46 (the parable of the sheep and the goats).

Located approximately an hour east from our church on Georgia’s Jackson Lake, you can arrive by boat to an island that is totally inhabited by goats. Locals creatively refer to this island as “goat island.” Our text this Sunday details a strange and powerful story that Jesus tells about sheep and goats. Tune in as we examine this odd parable and its implications for our present world. Rob Schoonover preaching. 

6.28.20. David Roth, the one who leads Memorial Drive Ministries (not the rock icon of the 80's), preaches from Ruth 2:1-13.

6.21.20. Rev. Lewicki, preaching. In June, we began a fun summer preaching series: The Best. Story. Ever!  When  we are children, we learn about the Bible through its biggest,  brightest, most wonderful stories: wild animals, miraculous deeds, and  s/heroes of every shape and size. This summer, NDPC is going back to  re-visit the Biblical stories that captured our imaginations as children  to discover how their meaning deepens as we “grow up” and how they  speak into the social crises of this age.

Strange things happen to us in the middle of the night. Something  truly strange happened to Jacob. On the eve before Jacob was to meet his  estranged brother, Esau, Jacob finds himself in a wrestling match with a  mysterious stranger. All night long they struggle in the dirt. Finally, as dawn breaks, the stranger demands that Jacob let him go. Jacob will,  on one condition: That the man bless him. The stranger blesses Jacob and gives him a new name: Israel–“the one who struggles with God.” Who  is this stranger–Esau? An angel? God? What does this story tell you about your own existential wrestling?

6.4.20. On Sunday, June 7th, we began a fun summer preaching series: The Best. Story. Ever!  When we are children, we learn about the Bible through its biggest, brightest, most wonderful stories: wild animals, miraculous deeds, and s/heroes of every shape and size. This summer, NDPC is going back to re-visit the Biblical stories that captured our imaginations as children to discover how their meaning deepens as we “grow up” and how they speak into the social crises of this age.

Anger. Violence. We know how deeply these two are embedded in our world. We have felt the sting of both of them. But anger alone appears to be “natural.” Violence is not. In this Sunday’s worship, we read the story from Genesis 4 about Cain and his brother Abel: how anger–and then violence–enters, consumes them both, and destroys their lives. This is a hard story to read. But we dare not skip over it. It is our story. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching. 

6.7.20. Adam and Eve. Genesis chapters 2-3. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

Rev. Beth Waltemath brings you a special episode using the testimonies of members of North Decatur Presbyterian Church about their experiences of communion in quarantine. Based on the theme " What Feeds You?" as part of a class with Agnes Scott College. 

Rev. David Lewicki preaches on May 17th. In May, we explore the 9th and final Big Idea of the Bible: Beloved Community. Beloved Community is an idea popularized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that was first articulated by 20th-century philosopher Josiah Royce. It is, “a spiritual or divine community capable of achieving the highest good as well as the common good.” The roots of such community are in the Scriptures themselves, in images such as "the people of God," "the Body of God," and "the ekklesia." In May, we explore our calling to Beloved Community and ask what this kind of community offers to us and demands from us in the world we share today.

5.10.20. Rev. Erin Reed Cooper preaches on May 10th. In May, we explore the 9th and final Big Idea of the Bible: Beloved Community.  Beloved Community is an idea popularized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that was first articulated by 20th-century philosopher Josiah Royce. It is, “a spiritual or divine community capable of achieving the highest good as well as the common good.” The roots of such community are in the Scriptures themselves, in images such as "the people of God,"  "the Body of God," and "the ekklesia." In May, we explore our calling to Beloved Community and ask what this kind of community offers to us  and demands from us in the world we share today.

5.3.20. In May, we explore the 9th and final Big Idea of the Bible: Beloved Community. Beloved Community is an idea popularized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that was first articulated by 20th century philosopher Josiah Royce. It is, “a spiritual or divine community capable of achieving the highest good as well as the common good.” The roots of such community are in the Scriptures themselves, in images such as “the people of God,” “the Body of God,” and “the ekklesia.” In May, we explore our calling to Beloved Community and ask what this kind of community offers to us and demands from us in the world we share today.

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

4.20.20. This week our Executive Presbyter, Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle, offers the proclamation of the word based on Galatians 6:1-10. In that passage of scripture, the Apostle Paul encouraged the early church to not grow weary and to work for the good of all, especially in the family of faith. Even in the midst of difficulty, division, and a pandemic, Aisha encourages us to do the same. 

The Reverend Aisha Brooks-Lytle is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Central High School (Class of 251) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Music from Temple University (’99). After spending a significant time as youth director at Wayne Presbyterian Church, she obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary (’05). She served various other churches in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and surrounding areas through her music ministry and in her ministry of preaching, teaching, and pastoral care before returning to Wayne Presbyterian Church in February 2013. Aisha served as the mission pastor for Wayne Presbyterian while she was also serving as the Organizing Pastor for The Common Place, a faith-based arts and education center in Southwest Philadelphia (thecommonplacephilly.org). In 2018, Aisha began her role as the Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. She is honored and overjoyed to serve as an encourager to the congregations and leaders within a presbytery filled with a deep cultural diversity and a vast theological landscape. She believes that it is her part of her call to support healthy and vital congregations and to equip healthy and innovative leaders to live into their passion and purpose as the people of God. Aisha is blessed to have her mother, Deborah, and her son, Ellington, to join her in this adventure in the Greater Atlanta region.  (atlpcusa.org)

4.12.20. Christ is risen! Hosanna in the highest!

Once again we gather in spirit and online to worship. 

Rev. David Lewicki preaching. 

4.5.20. We are embracing virtual worship even though we can't embrace each other. This week, Rev. David Lewicki preaches about our need for salvation. 

Also, if you would like to view the entire worship service, visit facebook.com/NDPChurch and look in the video section. 

3.29.20. Part five in the series about mercy.

3.22.20. 

3.15.20. We have arrived at the season of Lent, a season of simplifying and deepening our faith. We “give up” something in order to clarify our reliance on God. We “take up” practices of prayer and serving others that bring our lives into alignment with God’s will. During the Sundays in March, we will explore the 6th “Big Idea” of the Bible, mercy.

On March 1st, we discovered on Mercy is the primary aspect of God’s character; God is merciful.

On March 8th, we explored how each of us is called to reflect God’s character by showing mercy to each other in all of our relationships.

On March 15th and 22nd, we explore another aspect of mercy, forgiveness. God forgives our sins and our debts… can we do the same for each other?

3.8.20. We have arrived at the season of Lent, a season of simplifying and deepening our faith. We “give up” something in order to clarify our reliance on God. We “take up” practices of prayer and serving others that bring our lives into alignment with God’s will. During the Sundays in March, we will explore the 6th “Big Idea” of the Bible, mercy.

On March 1st, we discovered on Mercy is the primary aspect of God’s character; God is merciful.

On March 8th, we explored how each of us is called to reflect God’s character by showing mercy to each other in all of our relationships.

On March 15th and 22nd, we explore another aspect of mercy, forgiveness. God forgives our sins and our debts… can we do the same for each other?

3.1.20. We have arrived at the season of Lent, a season of simplifying and deepening our faith. We “give up” something in order to clarify our reliance on God. We “take up” practices of prayer and serving others that bring our lives into alignment with God’s will. During the Sundays in March, we will explore the 6th “Big Idea” of the Bible, mercy. Mercy, we will discover on the first Sunday in Lent, is the primary aspect of God’s character; God is merciful. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

2.23.20. It’s February, and we’ve turned to the Bible’s 6th “Big Idea”–one that’s sure to put a jolt in your winter blues: POWER. What does the Bible say about power? What is power? What is it for? Who has it? Who should have it? What power does God have and how does God use it? Power is one of the most complex subjects in the Holy Scriptures, primarily because so much of what it teaches about power seems contradictory: Is God an all-powerful Creator, or a God who “empties himself” of power to assume flesh and die in humiliation and weakness? Each Sunday in February, we explore power from a different angle.

On Feb. 2nd, we looked at our charged world, full of good and evil powers, with the help of theologian Walter Wink.

On Feb. 9th, we explored the confounding idea that God’s strength is known in weakness.

On Feb. 16th, we interrogated the myth of “redemptive violence” and learn the theology of non-violent power with Ministry Fellow, Rob Schoonover preaching.

On Feb. 23rd, we explore the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and “Christian realism” and ask ourselves what faithful power looks like in the face of dictators, genocide, and institutional evil.

2.16.20. It's February, and we've turned to the  Bible's 6th "Big Idea"--one that's sure to put a jolt in your winter  blues: POWER. What does the Bible say about power? What is power? What  is it for? Who has it? Who should have it? What power does God have and  how does God use it? Power is one of the most complex subjects in the  Holy Scriptures, primarily because so much of what it teaches about  power seems contradictory: Is God an all-powerful Creator, or a God who  "empties himself" of power to assume flesh and die in humiliation and  weakness? Each Sunday in February, we explore power from a different  angle.

From Rob Schoonover - The Myth of Redemptive Violence:  Media,  American Mythology, and interpretations of the Bible all contain a form  of Redemptive Violence. Imperial culture’s perpetuate redemptive  violence myths as a way of maintaining power within their contexts.  Western Christianity has not been immune to this phenomenon. This Sunday  we will examine why we’ve continued to tell Redemptive Violence Myths  and we will see how the person of Christ critiques and challenges the  redemptive violence narratives that pervade our cultural imagination.

2.9.20. It’s February, and we’ve turned to the Bible’s 6th “Big Idea”–one that’s sure to put a jolt in your winter blues: POWER. What does the Bible say about power? What is power? What is it for? Who has it? Who should have it? What power does God have and how does God use it? Power is one of the most complex subjects in the Holy Scriptures, primarily because so much of what it teaches about power seems contradictory: Is God an all-powerful Creator, or a God who “empties himself” of power to assume flesh and die in humiliation and weakness? Each Sunday in February, we explore power from a different angle.

This week, we explore the confounding idea that God’s strength is known in weakness. 

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

2.2.20. It’s February, and we’ve turned to the Bible’s 6th “Big Idea”–one that’s sure to put a jolt in your winter blues: POWER. What does the Bible say about power? What is power? What is it for? Who has it? Who should have it? What power does God have and how does God use it? Power is one of the most complex subjects in the Holy Scriptures, primarily because so much of what it teaches about power seems contradictory: Is God an all-powerful Creator, or a God who “empties himself” of power to assume flesh and die in humiliation and weakness? Each Sunday in February, we explore power from a different angle.

This week, we look at our charged world, full of good and evil powers, with the help of theologian Walter Wink. 

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

1.26.19. Throughout January, we explore the 5th of the Bible’s “9 Big Ideas:” Wonder. God, by definition, is wonder-ful and fills us human beings with wonder. Wonder is awe and amazement at some aspect of our human experience that we can’t easily understand nor easily ignore. Wonder moves us to inquire into the nature of this experience and animates a life-long search for wisdom. We began the month with a service of poetry and music and reflection to mark the wondrous Epiphany (“revelation”) of Jesus to the magi. On January 12th, we explored the quirky, surprising wonders of the Holy Spirit as she moves our lives and the life of the world. On January 19th, we listened to the disturbing story of Job, whose anger and grief about his own unjust suffering is met by God with a revelation about wondrous height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for the whole creation–including Job. On January 26th, we look at the miracles of Jesus. What do miracles tell us about the wonders of God’s “kingdom”–on earth as it is in heaven? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

1.19.20. Throughout January, we explore the 5th of the Bible’s “9 Big Ideas:” Wonder. God, by definition, is wonder-ful and fills us human beings with wonder. Wonder is awe and amazement at some aspect of our human experience that we can’t easily understand nor easily ignore. Wonder moves us to inquire into the nature of this experience and animates a life-long search for wisdom. We began the month with a service of poetry and music and reflection to mark the wondrous Epiphany (“revelation”) of Jesus to the magi. On January 12th, we explored the quirky, surprising wonders of the Holy Spirit as she moves our lives and the life of the world. On January 19th, we listened to the disturbing story of Job, whose anger and grief about his own unjust suffering is met by God with a revelation about wondrous height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for the whole creation–including Job. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

1.12.20. Throughout January, we explore the 5th of the Bible’s “9 Big Ideas”: Wonder. God, by definition, is wonder-ful and fills us human beings with wonder. Wonder is awe and amazement at some aspect of our human experience that we can’t easily understand nor easily ignore. Wonder moves us to inquire into the nature of this experience and animates a life-long search for wisdom. We began the month with a service of poetry and music and reflection to mark the wondrous Epiphany (“revelation”) of Jesus to the magi. On January 12th, we explore the quirky, surprising wonders of the Holy Spirit as she moves our lives and the life of the world. On January 19th, we will listen to the disturbing story of Job, whose anger and grief about his own unjust suffering is met by God with a revelation about wondrous height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for the whole creation–including Job. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

12.22.19. In our 2019-2020 sermon series, “The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas,”  the month of December is a celebration of God’s liberation of humanity.  God is a liberating God. From the exodus out of Egypt, to God’s  intervention in history of behalf of those who are poor, to the freedom  we gain from sin and death, to Jesus, who liberates true humanity by  coming in the flesh on Christmas morning, God’s way in the world is to  hear our cries and lead us into political, economic, spiritual, and  existential freedom.

12.15.19. In our 2019-2020 sermon series, “The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas,”  the month of December is a celebration of God’s liberation of humanity.  God is a liberating God. From the exodus out of Egypt, to God’s  intervention in history of behalf of those who are poor, to the freedom  we gain from sin and death, to Jesus, who liberates true humanity by  coming in the flesh on Christmas morning, God’s way in the world is to  hear our cries and lead us into political, economic, spiritual, and  existential freedom.

12.8.19. In our 2019-2020 sermon series, “The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas,”  the month of December is a celebration of God’s liberation of humanity.  God is a liberating God. From the exodus out of Egypt, to God’s  intervention in history of behalf of those who are poor, to the freedom  we gain from sin and death, to Jesus, who liberates true humanity by  coming in the flesh on Christmas morning, God’s way in the world is to  hear our cries and lead us into political, economic, spiritual, and  existential freedom.

12.1.19. In our 2019-2020 sermon series, “The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas,” the month of December is a celebration of God’s liberation of humanity. God is a liberating God. From the exodus out of Egypt, to God’s intervention in history of behalf of those who are poor, to the freedom we gain from sin and death, to Jesus, who liberates true humanity by coming in the flesh on Christmas morning, God’s way in the world is to hear our cries and lead us into political, economic, spiritual, and existential freedom. 

Each Sunday in worship, we will explore Liberation. Perhaps our celebration of freedom in worship will give you permission to seek out a liberating lifestyle this December; to put down old holiday habits that are burdensome, and to let the Spirit show you a way of living into Christmas that feels like freedom to you and to those around you.

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

11.24.19. Throughout November, we explore PROPHECY. God knows that everyone called into power is corrupted by it. God ensures that every leader in the world is accompanied by a prophet. The prophet walks alongside the leader, is immune to the siren song of power, has no vested interest in what is, and their sole job is to keep their eyes on God’s vision of Beloved Community. Because the prophet can see and hear God when the leader can’t, the prophet can say whether the leader’s decisions create justice. When they do not, the prophet speaks truth to power. All month, we will talk about God’s prophets, beginning with an overview of Biblical prophecy, then meeting three great prophets: Elijah, Isaiah,  and Jeremiah.

11.17.19. Throughout November, we explore PROPHECY. God knows that everyone called into power is corrupted by it. God ensures that every leader in the world is accompanied by a prophet. The prophet walks alongside the leader, is immune to the siren song of power, has no vested interest in what is, and their sole job is to keep their eyes on God’s vision of Beloved Community. Because the prophet can see and hear God when the leader can’t, the prophet can say whether the leader’s decisions create justice. When they do not, the prophet speaks truth to power. All month, we will talk about God’s prophets, beginning with an overview of Biblical prophecy, then meeting three great prophets: Elijah, Isaiah,  and Jeremiah.

11.10.19. Throughout November, we explore PROPHECY. God knows that everyone called into power is corrupted by it. God ensures that every leader in the world is accompanied by a prophet. The prophet walks alongside the leader, is immune to the siren song of power, has no vested interest in what is, and their sole job is to keep their eyes on God’s vision of Beloved Community. Because the prophet can see and hear God when the leader can’t, the prophet can say whether the leader’s decisions create justice. When they do not, the prophet speaks truth to power. All month, we will talk about God’s prophets, beginning with an overview of Biblical prophecy, then meeting three great prophets: Elijah, Isaiah,  and Jeremiah.

11.3.19. Throughout November, we explore PROPHECY. God knows that everyone called into power is corrupted by it. God ensures that every leader in the world is accompanied by a prophet. The prophet walks alongside the  leader, is immune to the siren song of power, has no vested interest in what is, and their sole job is to keep their eyes on God’s vision of  Beloved Community. Because the prophet can see and hear God when the leader can’t, the prophet can say whether the leader’s decisions create justice. When they do not, the prophet speaks truth to power. All month, we will talk about God’s prophets, beginning with an overview of Biblical prophecy, then meeting three great prophets: Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

10.27.19. What is the Bible about? What “big ideas” stretch across the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in-depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In October, we explore COVENANT. The central idea in the Hebrew Scriptures is that God enters into a covenant relationship with God’s people. This relationship, Christians believe, is affirmed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Another word for covenant is promise; each of us knows how important a promise is. We can name a time in our lives when a promise that was kept gave us life–and when a promise broken took life away. Engaging the stories of Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Moses, and David, and incorporating art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we what it means that God makes–and keeps–life-giving promises. And we ask, “What does it mean for us to keep our end of the promise?”

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

NDPC held a church-wide retreat on October 20, 2019. We enjoyed fellowship and a short outdoor service together, but we did not record the sermon. Sometimes worship is a place and a time. Join us next week, when we'll be back to the usual way of things.

10.13.19. What is the Bible about? What “big ideas” stretch across the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In October, we explore COVENANT. The central idea in the Hebrew Scriptures is that God enters into a covenant relationship with God’s people. This relationship, Christians believe, is affirmed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Another word for covenant is promise; each of us knows how important a promise is. We can name a time in our lives when a promise that was kept gave us life–and when a promise broken took life away. Engaging the stories of Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Moses, and David, and incorporating art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we what it means that God makes–and keeps–life-giving promises. And we ask “what does it mean for us to keep our end of the promise?”

10.6.19. What is the Bible about? What “big ideas” stretch across the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In October, we explore COVENANT. The central idea in the Hebrew Scriptures is that God enters into a covenant relationship with God’s people. This relationship, Christians believe, is affirmed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Another word for covenant is promise; each of us knows how important a promise is. We can name a time in our lives when a promise that was kept gave us life–and when a promise broken took life away. Engaging the stories of Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Moses, and David, and incorporating art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we explore what it means that God makes–and keeps–life-giving promises. And we ask “what does it mean for us to keep our end of the promise?”

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

9.29.19. 

What is the Bible about? What "big ideas" stretch across the  scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in-depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In September, we explore CREATION. Where does our story begin? Why is there more than one creation story in the Bible? Why is life in Jesus a "new creation?" What does Revelation mean when it promises that the future will bring a "new heaven and new earth?" With art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we dive deep into the relationship between the Creator and the Creation.

Christópher (Ófe) Abreu Rosario, preaching.

Ófe is one of the pastoral interns at NDPC. He is studying at Columbia Theological Seminary in the MDiv/Practical Theology Dual Degree program with a focus on preaching. He is in the ordination process with the PC(USA), under the care of the Presbytery of San Francisco. A Dominican-American, Ófe grew up in the Bronx borough of New York City and has lived in five different countries and several parts of the United States. As a dual citizen, he is exploring what it means to live in the hyphen not just in the context of society but also the church. An honors project he is completing is exploring such topics of marginalized identity in the books of Daniel and Esther.

Ministry is Ófe’s second career. He spent about a decade in the film and television industry, also working with non-profits that utilize media as a tool to serve others. Most recently, Ófe has completed an internship at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, NJ and a Clinical Pastoral Education unit with the San Francisco Night Ministry, serving the citizens of San Francisco’s streets. At the core, Ófe is motivated by storytelling. Story is found in cultures across the globe, a unifying aspect of our humanity that, when used for good, can teach, connect, and inspire communities for just change and personal and spiritual growth. He has a bit of a sweet tooth (for cake) and loves meeting people over coffee. Welcome, Ófe. 

9.22.19. Exploring the Creation Story.

What is the Bible about? What "big ideas" stretch across the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May  2020, our worship will explore one big idea in-depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In September, we explore CREATION. Where does our story begin? Why is there more than one creation story in the Bible? Why is life in Jesus a  "new creation?" What does Revelation mean when it promises that the future will bring a "new heaven and new earth?" With art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we dive deep into the relationship between the Creator and the Creation.

9.15.19. As we begin our church year, NDPC begins a brand-new yearlong sermon series: The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas. 

What is the Bible about? What “big ideas” stretch across the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in depth, examining how the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new way.

In September, we explore CREATION. Where does our story begin? Why is there more than one creation story in the Bible? Why is life in Jesus a “new creation?” What does Revelation mean when it promises that the future will bring a “new heaven and new earth?” With art, poetry, scripture, music, and sermons, we dive deep into the relationship between the Creator and the Creation.

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

9.8.19. As we begin our church year this Sunday, September 8th, 2020, NDPC begins a brand-new yearlong sermon series: The Bible’s 9 Big Ideas.

What is the Bible about? What “big ideas” stretch across the  scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, providing these disparate  stories with continuity and integrity? Each month from September through  May 2020, our worship will explore one big idea in depth, examining how  the idea is introduced and how it deepens and develops. By the end of  the series, you will understand the span of the Bible in a whole new  way.

In September, we explore CREATION. Where does our story begin? Why  is there more than one creation story in the Bible? Why is life in Jesus  a “new creation?” What does Revelation mean when it promises that the  future will bring a “new heaven and new earth?” With art, poetry,  scripture, music, and sermons, we dive deep into the relationship  between the Creator and the Creation.

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

8.25.19. Every time a community gathers for worship, it is both a deeply conservative and a radically revolutionary act. A group of unrelated people come together in the same place at the same time, to engage in well-known ritualized actions, listening to a familiar and beloved story. This is the conservative part. The radical part is that we bring the expectation–even hope–that these elements will somehow become an encounter with the Living God. Encounters with the Living God change us forever.

During the month of August at NDPC, we explored what we do when we worship: gather, renew, proclaim, respond. The final sermon in the series will be on Sunday, September 1. You will gain a deep appreciation for what worship is and why we do what we do each and every Sunday.

Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

8.18.19. Every time a community gathers for worship, it is both a deeply conservative and a radically revolutionary act. A group of unrelated  people come together in the same place at the same time, to engage in  well-known ritualized actions, listening to a familiar and beloved story. This is the conservative part. The radical part is that we bring the expectation–even hope–that these elements will somehow become an  encounter with the Living God. Encounters with the Living God change us forever. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

8.11.19. Every time a community gathers for worship, it is both a deeply conservative and a radically revolutionary act. A group of unrelated  people come together in the same place at the same time, to engage in  well-known ritualized actions, listening to a familiar and beloved story. This is the conservative part. The radical part is that we bring the expectation–even hope–that these elements will somehow become an  encounter with the Living God. Encounters with the Living God change us forever. 

This week's scripture comes from Luke 18:9-14. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

8.4.19. Every time a community gathers for worship, it is both a deeply conservative and a radically revolutionary act. A group of unrelated people come together in the same place at the same time, to engage in well-known ritualized actions, listening to a familiar and beloved story. This is the conservative part. The radical part is that we bring the expectation–even hope–that these elements will somehow become an encounter with the Living God. Encounters with the Living God change us forever. 

During the month of August at NDPC, we will explore what we do when we worship: gather, renew, proclaim, respond. You will gain a deep appreciation for what worship is and why we do what we do each and every Sunday.

Scripture reading: Psalm 150. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

7.28.19. Throughout the month of July, NDPC will experiment with worship "unplugged." Instead of giving up electric instruments (which we don't often use anyway), we are giving up the formal liturgy that we use almost every week. Our hope is that by losing the liturgy, we can attune ourselves to the way the Spirit of God is moving in and through us during the time we are at worship. Can we notice God's presence? Can we move with it and respond to it? What does the Spirit do in our music-making... in our response to the scripture... in our praying with each other and for the world? Come and enjoy Spirit-led worship all month at North Decatur Presbyterian Church. Rev. Lewicki will convene each service. 

7.7.19. Throughout the month of July, NDPC will experiment with worship “unplugged.” Instead of giving up amplified instruments (which we don’t often use anyway), we are giving up the formal liturgy that we use almost every week. Our hope is that by losing the liturgy, we can attune ourselves to the way the Spirit of God is moving in and through us during the time we are at worship. Can we notice God’s presence? Can we move with it and respond to it? What does the Spirit do in our music-making…in our response to the scripture…in our praying with each other and for the world? Come and enjoy Spirit-led worship all month at North Decatur Presbyterian Church. Rev. David Lewicki will convene each service.

 6.30.19. "(Ir)religious Freedom."

On the Sunday before the birthday of our nation, we will look at freedom.  What are the diverse meanings of freedom in the United States today? And what happens to our own sense of freedom when we follow after Jesus? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

 6.23.19. Isaiah Lewis is a left-handed queer from Chester, West Virginia, home of the world’s largest teapot. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology in May 2019. He finds hope in the weirdness of the Bible. The scripture reading is Revelation 5:6-14.

6.16.19. Shannon Ball preaches on Exodus 1:8-22.  

Shannon Ball was baptized at NDPC  many, many years ago but moved away as a child.  She came back to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary. She has worked as a chaplain, non-profit program director, and now works for Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit affordable housing advocacy organization. 

6.9.19. Rev. Laura Mariko Cheifetz preaches on Ecclesiastes 1:2-9: It Could Always Be Worse!

The Reverend Laura Mariko Cheifetz is an ordained Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She has served in theological education, religious publishing, and social justice advocacy, and she has provided leadership in the national and international church. She is also the co-author and editor of Church on Purpose and contributor to Race in a Post Obama America, Leading Wisdom, and Streams Run Uphill. She is a contributing editor to Inheritance magazine. She lives in Decatur GA with her partner and their two Shih Tzus. 

6.26.19. Rev. Leslie Brogan preaches about the surprising things you can find in the Bible.

5.26.19. Summer is here! It's hotter than blazes, kids are bouncing off the walls, all of us are hoping for a little bit of rest and relaxation. This Sunday, Rev. David Lewicki looks at the story of Mary and Martha from the 10th chapter of Luke's gospel and uses that story to explore how we experience the tension between the work that "must be done" and the rest we all need. What are you discovering about the rhythms of work and rest that make for a healthy--and holy--life? 

5.5.19. Rev. David Lewicki preaches this week on the power of change. How does God’s presence in the world help to make necessary changes in our lives? 

5.12.19. This Sunday, we conclude our yearlong "Faith for a Lifetime" sermon series. We've explored spirituality at every stage of life, from infancy to adulthood. This week, we look at the spiritual opportunities (and crises) that come toward the end of our lives, in a time called "senescence." NDPC's Pastor for Adult Spiritual Formation, the Rev. Mary Anona Stoops, preaches from John 21:15-19.  

5.5.19. Why does Jesus keep showing up?  If we know what to do, why do we need God's guidance?  As we celebrate the Confirmation class with a worship inspired by their statements of faith and the commitments they make, we witness the farcical story of Jesus's third resurrection appearance in the Gospel of John (21:1-12) and ask ourselves will we ever get it right? Rev. Beth Waltemath preaching.

4.28.19.

"I believe in the resurrection of the body...."

The Sunday after Easter is here, the egg hunts are behind us, there's no brass to brighten our worship, and most senior pastors are resting their gilded vocal cords. This is where it gets real. What did happen to Jesus' body? What will happen to ours? And what shall we make of this core Christian conviction--the hardest of all to believe--in the resurrection of the body? Rev. Lewicki preaches on the story of Thomas from John's gospel.

4.21.19. Easter Sunday. Scripture reading: Luke 24:1-12. "Then they remembered his words."

4.14.19. This week, we include the full service. Beginning with the procession of palms, we tell the story of Jesus’ last days in Jerusalem in five scenes. We end with Jesus’ anointing at Bethany and invite you to receive an anointing as we begin Holy Week. 

4.7.19. How then, shall we relate to one another? What are other people for, if not to serve our needs? What is it to teach, encourage, and nurture another? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

3.31.19. Hearing the voice of the deeper self. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

March 24, 2019. 

With the gift of new perspective, we awaken to the pain our own past. We see clearly what we should have done, or what should have been done for us. Can we learn to see our own past through the lens of God’s mercy? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.  

March 17, 2019

What wakes us up is most often is a loss—a relationship, a job, our health, a death. It is often only a shock to the system that breaks us open to a deeper truth that lies beyond the loss. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

March 10, 2019

In order to come alive, we must wake up to the limitations of a life lived according to our own ego needs. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, where he learns that a life that feeds only itself is no life at all. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

February 24, 2019

We reflect on historical and current attitudes regarding religion and politics. Rev. David Lewicki compares a pre-Civil War theologian’s rejection of abolitionists’ religious arguments with the call for justice in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

February 2, 2019

Our yearlong Faith for a Lifetime series continues this Sunday with an exploration of the role of physical and emotional intimacy and its intersection with our spiritual life. In young adulthood, identities--recently earned, are transformed through the practice of intimacy with both lovers and also with friends. Intimacy draws us into spaces of closeness, sharing, and honesty. But because intimate relationships mirror and reveal our flaws, they challenge our self-understanding. Spiritual intimacy with God can beautifully support, inform, and bless our most meaningful relationships. Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

January 27, 2019

We return to NDPC's yearlong series, "Faith for a Lifetime," exploring the particular spiritual opportunities and challenges that meet us at each stage in our lives. As we begin our lives as adults, leaving adolescence behind, we begin to assume full responsibility for ourselves and our place in the world. We ask questions: "What am I supposed to do with my life?" "What am I good at?" "How can I make a living... and a life?" In the church, we call this our search for vocation, or "calling." Every person, we believe, is called. The questions is, to what? By whom? Rev. Lewicki, preaching. 

January 20, 2019

How does the struggle for racial justice look from here? This Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, we gather to reflect on the ongoing quest to create Beloved Community--in our nation, here in Dekalb County, GA, and within our own homes and families.

This Sunday's worship will focus on the role of creativity in transforming not only structures and systems, but also relationships and individual hearts. We are created in the image of the One who flips the script: who turns terror into poetry, hatred into protest, heartbreak into hope, sorrow into joy. We share a powerful reflection about Billie Holiday's song, Strange Fruit, as we contemplate our own own capacity for being vessels of God's creative transformation.

Rev. David Lewicki, preaching.

Today in worship we watched a video about lynching, Strange Fruit, produced by the SALT Project. The recording has Rev. Lewicki's introduction before and reflection after the video and concludes with a recording of Billie Holiday singing the song Strange Fruit.