Sermons from First United Presbyterian Church

Photo by Nikolai Justesen on Unsplash The First United Presbyterian Church “Jonah: Lingering Questions” Rev. Amy Morgan September 27, 2020 Jonah 3:10-4:11 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. NRS   Jonah 4:1  1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." 4 And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" 5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, wa...

Photo by  Markus Spiske  on  Unsplash The First United Presbyterian Church “Jonah: Overturning Expectations” Rev. Amy Morgan September 20, 2020 Jonah 3 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying,   2 "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you."   3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across.   4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overturned!"   5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.   6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.   7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no he...

Photo by  Danny Avila  on   Unsplash The First United Presbyterian Church “Jonah: A Wild Ride” Rev. Amy Morgan September 13, 2020 Jonah 2 17 But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jon 1:17 NRS) Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish,   2 saying, "I called to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.   3 You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.   4 Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?'   5 The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head   6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O LORD my ...

Todd Cravens  on  Unsplash The First United Presbyterian Church “Jonah: Son of Truth” Rev. Amy Morgan September 6, 2020 Jonah  1 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,  2 “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.”  3 But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. 4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up.  5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep.  6 The captain came and said to him, “What are you doing ...