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
Sermons Archive
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
Adjusting to Life in Nineveh
3rd Sunday After Epiphany, January 24, 2021- Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Mark 1:14-20- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - One of the most popular stories of the Bible is the tale of Jonah who ran from the Lord when God told him to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah was so repulsed at… Continue reading Adjusting to Life in Nineveh
Being Faithful and True to God’s Way
2nd Sunday After Epiphany, January 17, 2021- 1st Samuel 3:1-10, John 1:43-51- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - My children grew up reading and viewing the Star Wars’ sagas, which, in some ways, influenced my son Devon’s path to ordained ministry. I remember him saying that the Jedi knights reminded him of Christian clergy… Continue reading Being Faithful and True to God’s Way
After Me Will Come One Mightier Than I
1st Sunday After Epiphany, January 10, 2021- Mark 1:4-11- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - This first Sunday following Epiphany has me thinking a lot about John the Baptist as the necessary forerunner to Christ, crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” (Mark 1:3) Most likely, John did not see… Continue reading After Me Will Come One Mightier Than I
In The Meantime
1st Sunday After Christmas, December 27, 2020- Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Luke 2:22-40- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - It is important to note that amid the backdrop of emerging anti-Semitism decades following the death and resurrection of Christ, the author of Luke’s Gospel emphasized the important role Jewish leaders played in the nurturing and upbringing… Continue reading In The Meantime
The Lord Is with You
4th Sunday of Advent, December 20, 2020- 2nd Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:26-38- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - “Greetings, O favored one!” said the angel Gabriel, “The Lord is with you. But we are told that Mary was much confused and even frightened by this sudden intrusion and announcement of the angel. I… Continue reading The Lord Is with You
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 