1st Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2020- Matthew 4:1-11, Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - I’ve met many transplanted Vermonters who say they moved to this state to get away from toxic working and living environments and start afresh, even at the sacrifice of lucrative careers. Yet in rural settings many… Continue reading Knowing Your Satan
Sermons Archive
Transfigured on God’s Holy Mountain
7th Sunday after Epiphany, February 23, 2020- Exodus 24:12-18, Matthew 17:1-9- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - Throughout the gospels we find numerous occasions where Jesus instructed his followers to tell no one about the miraculous events they experienced in his presence. One occasion seems comical where, after healing a man of his deafness… Continue reading Transfigured on God’s Holy Mountain
The Food of Mature Faith
6th Sunday after Epiphany, February 16, 2020- Matthew 5:21-37, 1st Corinthians 3:1-9- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - The Church in Corinth was one hot mess. It was a troubled and divided congregation fractured over issues of leadership, theology, gender, just to name a few. It was a congregation for which the Apostle Paul… Continue reading The Food of Mature Faith
Peacemakers or Peacekeepers
4th Sunday after Epiphany, February 2, 2020- Matthew 5:1-12, 1st Corinthians 1:18-31- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - When the Apostle Paul said, “The message of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing,” (1st Corinthians 1:18) he was referring to us and people like us, whose financial situation buffers us from the… Continue reading Peacemakers or Peacekeepers
Jesus Began in Galilee
3rd Sunday after Epiphany, January 26, 2020- Matthew 4:12-23- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - I’ve mentioned before that certain cities and areas of our country and world have, at one time or another, been regarded as places most people would want to avoid. I’ve also said that such places tend to be locations… Continue reading Jesus Began in Galilee
Lamb of God Who Takes Away Our Sins
2nd Sunday after Epiphany, January 19, 2020- John 1:29-42- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - The concept of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes way the sins of the world arises from the sacrificial or pascal lamb of the first Jewish Passover Feast, where the blood of an unblemished lamb was placed… Continue reading Lamb of God Who Takes Away Our Sins
The Beloved Child of God
1st Sunday after Epiphany, January 12, 2020- Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - Those who attended my son, Devon’s, ordination service in December 2018, may recall that I pointed to him as I referenced the words from Matthew’s gospel: “This is my beloved son, with whom I am… Continue reading The Beloved Child of God
Making Sense of God through Law and Grace
2nd Sunday of Christmas, January 5, 2020- John 1:1-18, Jeremiah 31:7-14- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - There’s a tendency on the part of Christians to view the New Testament as the better portion of the biblical narrative over the Old Testament. Even the reference to one section of the Bible as Old and… Continue reading Making Sense of God through Law and Grace
When God Becomes Like One of Us
1st Sunday of Christmas, December 29, 2019- Matthew 2:13-23, Hebrews 2:10-18- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - In the heightened commercialism of Christmas these days, there are few occasions we experience that celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. The emphasis seems to be on what we might give those who already have more than… Continue reading When God Becomes Like One of Us
Immanuel, God Is with Us
4th Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2019- Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25- The Reverend Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas - When the prophet Isaiah, speaking in God’s behalf, urged Ahaz, king of Judah to: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God,” the king said, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.” Now at… Continue reading Immanuel, God Is with Us
