3rd Sunday of Easter, April 18, 2021, 1st John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas Not since the trial of O.J. Simpson, in which the famous football and media star was accused of killing his wife, has our nation and world been so caught up in a courtroom drama – this time… Continue reading Remember that You Are Children of God
Sermons Archive
Commonplace Accounts of Resurrections
Easter, April 4, 2021, Mark 16:1-8 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas I wonder why the women in this resurrection account of Mark’s Gospel were afraid. Were they afraid of what they were running from – the ghost who haunted the tomb and greeted them following the resurrection, or what they were running to –… Continue reading Commonplace Accounts of Resurrections
When Bad Times Repeat Themselves
Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021, Mark 11:1-11 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas There are moments in time we can’t forget, no matter how hide we try. We may even remember where we were or what we were doing when they occurred. If you had the power to go back in time and alter these… Continue reading When Bad Times Repeat Themselves
Christ and the Priesthood of All Believers
5th Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2021, Hebrews 5:5-10, 1st Peter 2:4010, John 12:20-33 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas So, who is Melchizedek? According to the Book of Genesis, Melchizedek was the king of Salem, who greeted Abram (later known as Abraham) after the Hebrews had defeated the king of Elam and rescued Abraham’s… Continue reading Christ and the Priesthood of All Believers
Clearing Our Cluttered Temples
3rd Sunday of Lent, March 7, 2021, John 2:13-22 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas Whenever I read the story about Jesus clearing the temple of business activity that had nothing to do with the worship and honor of God, I wonder how he would view the church that emerged from his righteous resentment. Throughout… Continue reading Clearing Our Cluttered Temples
The Manifest Destiny of Christian Faith
2nd Sunday of Lent, February 28, 2021, Genesis 17:1-8, 15-16, Mark 8:31-38 The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas I’m a trivial pursuit freak, so when I encounter a peculiar word, phrase or situation in the Bible or any place else, I will research its origin. For those who wonder about the name change of the… Continue reading The Manifest Destiny of Christian Faith
Cabin Fever in God’s World Ark
1st Sunday in Lent, February 21, 2021- Genesis 9:8-17, Mark 1:9-15- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - Faith, according to the Bible, “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is the company we keep for God’s sake and not our own; a community, in many… Continue reading Cabin Fever in God’s World Ark
Transfigured or Disfigured
Transfiguration Sunday, February 14, 2021- Mark 9:2-10- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - Have you ever had a mountain-top experience where you suddenly saw things, including yourself, in a totally different light? Jesus had a mountain-top transformation where his outward appearance glowed with a brilliant radiance in the company of Israel’s greatest law-giver, Moses,… Continue reading Transfigured or Disfigured
Finding a Deserted Place to Pray
5th Sunday After Epiphany, February 7, 2021- Isaiah 40:21-31, Mark 1:29-39- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - The Prophet Isaiah describes God as one who never faints or grows weary (40:28), but this is certainly not the stamina of those who follow after God. The popularity of Jesus as a faith healer spread so… Continue reading Finding a Deserted Place to Pray
Practice What You Preach
4th Sunday After Epiphany, January 31, 2021- Mark 1:21-28, 1st Corinthians 8:1-13- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - My dad, who was a conservative Baptist minister, who also recognized his imperfections, once commented that, despite his fallibilities, when it came to preaching the word of God that was, for him, the most nervous experience… Continue reading Practice What You Preach