Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sermon on Luke 23:44-46, delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025.

This morning, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, we will hear Jesus' words from the Gospel of John again. In John 19:30, after receiving the sour wine, Jesus said, "It is finished." Those standing at the foot of the cross would have certainly been confused. What exactly was finished? As we worship, we will explore the tension of Jesus' words spoken into our world and our lives. How is God's power made k...

This morning, as we mark the midpoint of our Lenten journey, we will hear Jesus' cry from the cross captured in the Gospel of Matthew, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Our Lord will express his sense of abandonment by recalling the words of the psalmist found in Psalm 22. As we worship, we will reflect on both the agonizing nature of abandonment and the purpose of the words Jesus choose...

As we mark the third Sunday of Lent, we will turn our attention to the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John. While he hangs on the cross, Jesus looks down to see the beloved disciple standing with his mother, Mary. Jesus says to Mary, "Woman, here is your son," and to the beloved disciple he says, "Here is your mother." As we worship, we will wrestle with the significance of Jesus naming a new r...

Sunday Sermon: Seven Last Words: Today You Will Be With Me… by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, as we mark the first Sunday of Lent, we will embark on a new sermon series entitled The Seven Last Words of Christ. This series will allow us to examine the meaning and implications of the words that Jesus spoke while he was being crucified. Sermon delivered on Luke 23:33-38 by the Reverend David J. Powers on March 9th, 2025.

Sunday Sermon: Greatness of God by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - Do We See This Woman? by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - At Unexpected Times by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - Through Unexpected People by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Heals - In Unexpected Places by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse will lead us as we continue to study the Gospel of Luke. In the opening verses of Luke 5, Jesus meets Peter after an unsuccessful night of fishing, and in their encounter, the trajectory of Peter's story changes. Together, we will sit with the hidden tensions competing in Peter's life, and we will see how Jesus's attention to those concerns shapes Pete...

Sunday Sermon: Concerning Mission by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Remembering Baptism by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

As we worship, we will wrestle with some important questions. What can we learn from how Jesus models faithfulness in this passage? What does it look like to seek Jesus with our whole hearts as a mother yearns for her child? What hope can we derive from the gospel’s claim that even Jesus had room to grow and mature? Sermon delivered on Luke 2:41-52 by the Reverend David J. Powers on January 5th, 2...

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - The Magi by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - Elizabeth & Mary by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Holiday Gatherings - Sheperds & Angels by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, we inaugurate the season of Advent: the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus the Christ. A new sermon series called Holiday Gatherings will help shape our journey to the manger as we examine how God shows up in the world. We will begin the series by focusing on how God shows up through prophets. The prophetic witnesses of Jeremiah, Malachi, and Micah will help reveal unique d...

Sunday Sermon - Are you the King? by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sunday Sermon: Concerning Calling by Idlewild Presbyterian Church

We will continue our exploration of the Narrative Lectionary by studying the familiar story of Jonah. While Jonah is most well-known for the three days and nights he spent in the belly of a fish, few remember why Jonah found himself in such a peculiar predicament. More than simply setting up the story of Jonah’s fishy lodging place, the scripture lesson will teach us a great deal about both the be...

In 1 Kings 17:8-16, we meet a widow gathering supplies for what she believes to be the final meal of her life. While collecting sticks for a fire, the widow will meet Elijah who will, without regard for her plight, instruct her to bring him a cup of water and some bread. With resignation on her lips, the widow will explain her situation only to have him assure her that the few supplies she has wil...

The scripture situates us as audience to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. We read of how all the elders and heads of the tribes of Israel gather for the momentous occasion as the ark of the covenant moves into the innermost room of the Temple, and then Solomon blesses the Temple. Solomon’s words invite us to contemplate the ways that God keeps God’s promises and how we might faithfully sho...

This morning, we move from 1 Samuel into 2nd Samuel where we find King David. The former shepherd boy has been brought by God from pasture to palace. After hard fought victories, David looks around his lavish royal dwelling and desires to upgrade God’s home from a tabernacle to a temple. God reminds David that it is grace not works that has brought David this far. It is by God’s initiative alone t...