Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, we will continue our Tell Me a Story series with two of the most well-known characters in all of Scripture: David and Goliath. Many of us learned this story as children as a tale of courage, faith, and the underdog who defeats the giant, and it is certainly that. However, David’s story also asks us to look more closely at the nature of power. It reveals how the vulnerable can overcom...

As we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me A Story, this week we turn to the book of Ruth. It is here that we encounter a foundational story of devotion, community, and steadfast love. Ruth's 'outsider' status and her loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi define the narrative and guide us to wrestle with God's boundary-breaking love in our own lives. Sermon on Ruth 1:1-19, delivered by the Reve...

This morning, our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, continues as we revisit one of the most familiar figures in all of scripture: Moses. Long before he led God's people out of Egypt, Moses was a fugitive tending sheep in the wilderness when he encountered God in a burning bush. Our Theologian in Residence, Rev. Dr. Stephen Haynes will explore this pivotal moment and the surprising ways God ca...

As we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, we turn our attention to the story of Joseph. Spanning nearly half of the book of Genesis, Joseph's story is a sprawling narrative full of twists and turns, betrayals and surprises. Sermon on Genesis 45:1-15, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on June 14th, 2026.

This morning, we begin a new summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, revisiting some of the biblical characters we first met as children and discovering what their stories still have to teach us today. We begin with Noah, not the nursery version with smiling animals and rainbows, but a story about a world gone wrong, a God whose heart can break, and a grace that refuses to let creation go. Sermon o...

On Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the mystery and beauty of God revealed in relationship - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - distinct yet one, bound together in perfect love. In 1 Corinthians 12:4–12, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the church, too, is made up of many gifts, many callings, and many people, all joined together as one body in Christ. As we ordain and install new elders and deacons, we w...

This morning, as we gather to celebrate Pentecost, we remember the moment that everything changed for the disciples. In fear and uncertainty, they had gathered together waiting on God’s promise. The Holy Spirit then moved among them, filling them with courage and a calling. Sermon on Acts 2:1-21, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on May 24th, 2026.

This morning, we will wrap up our Eastertide sermon series, Resurrected Life, by reflecting on what it means to be sent into the world as witnesses to the risen Christ. Our scripture will come from Acts 1:6–14, where the disciples stand between Christ’s ascension and the coming of the Spirit, learning to trust what God will do next. Sermon on Acts 1:6-14, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers...

This morning, we continue in the joy of Eastertide and in our sermon series Resurrected Life, exploring what it means to live as people shaped by the presence of the risen Jesus. Our scripture lesson comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16–20, where the disciples encounter Christ on the mountain and are sent out into the world with a calling that is both challenging and full of promise. In this pas...

This morning, we will continue in the joy of Eastertide and in our sermon series Resurrected Life, where we are exploring what it means to live each day shaped by the presence and power of the risen Jesus. Our worship will center on John 21:1–14 as the disciples encounter the risen Christ beside the sea and are invited to cast their nets once more; trusting his guidance into deeper waters. In this...

This morning, as we celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, our youth will take on the full work of worship; offering prayers, leading liturgy, reading scripture, and proclaiming the Word. Grounded in the Gospel of John, several of our graduating seniors will share sermons reflecting on what it means to hear and follow Christ's voice in a noisy world. Sermon on John 10:1-6 and John 21:15-19, delive...

This morning, we continue in the joy of Eastertide with the second week of our sermon series, Resurrected Life. In our scripture lesson, John 20:24-29, we meet Thomas the Apostle, who longs to see and touch Christ’s wounds before he can believe. In this powerful encounter, Jesus does not reject Thomas’s doubt, but meets him in it, offering peace and inviting him closer through his scars. Together,...

This morning, as we gather to worship, we'll kick off an Eastertide sermon series entitled Resurrected Life. Over the next six weeks, we'll focus on the teachings and encounters of Christ after the resurrection, reflecting on how hope, courage, forgiveness, and purpose take root in the lives of those who follow Christ. Sermon on John 20:19-23, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on April 1...

This Easter morning, we gather for the day at the heart of our faith, when we proclaim that Christ is risen and death no longer has the final word. In John 20:1–18, we encounter Mary Magdalene, who comes to the tomb in grief and leaves with a message of hope: “I have seen the Lord.” It is a story that reminds us that resurrection is not only something we believe, but something we are called to pro...

This morning as we gather for Palm Sunday we will conclude our Lenten series, Marks of a Disciple, by reflecting on the mark of compassion through Paul’s words in Philippians. As the crowds welcome Jesus with shouts of praise, we are reminded that following him leads us beyond words into lives shaped by generous, shared love. Paul gives thanks for a community that cared for him in his need, reveal...

This morning we will continue our Lenten series, Marks of a Disciple, by reflecting on the mark of peace through Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4–9. Writing from a place of uncertainty, Paul speaks of a peace that is not dependent on circumstances, but rooted in trust in God’s nearness and care. In a season that invites us to examine what weighs on our hearts, this passage gently calls us to releas...

This morning we continue our Lenten series, Marks of a Disciple, by reflecting on the mark of perseverance through Paul’s words in Philippians 3:4b–14. In his epistle, Paul describes the life of faith as a journey in which we let go of what lies behind and press on toward the life God promises in Christ. Rather than relying on his own accomplishments, Paul places his hope entirely in the grace of...

This morning, we will continue our Lenten series, Marks of a Disciple, by reflecting on the mark of humility through Paul’s words in Philippians 2:1–13. In this remarkable passage, Paul invites the church to have “the same mind that was in Christ Jesus,” pointing to Christ’s willingness to empty himself and take the form of a servant. In a world that often prizes status and self-assertion, the hum...

This morning, as we mark the First Sunday in Lent, we are beginning a sermon series entitled Marks of A Disciple. This series asks a simple but searching question: what does a faithful disciple of Jesus look like in the world? Over the next six Sundays, we'll explore the qualities that shape a life formed by Christ—boldness, gratitude, humility, perseverance, peace, and compassion. As we journey t...

This morning, we will conclude our sermon series, Who Do You Say I Am?, with a message drawn from Matthew 16:13–20 entitled “The Messiah.” Throughout the season of Epiphany, we have encountered Christ as the Word Made Flesh, the Image of God, Teacher and Healer, Crucified One, and Risen Lord, and now we return to Jesus’ own question to his disciples. Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20, delivered by the Re...

This morning, we continue our sermon series, Who Do You Say That I Am?, with “Christ the Risen One,” drawn from Luke 24:13-35 - the story of Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. This passage will remind us that Christ often meets us not in dramatic moments, but in ordinary conversations, shared stories, and the breaking of bread. Together, we’ll reflect on how resurrection is no...

When we gather, we will continue our sermon series, Who Do You Say That I Am?, with “Christ the Crucified,” as we reflect on Philippians 2:5–11 and the surprising shape of God’s love revealed in Jesus. Our scripture will invite us to consider how Christ’s humility reshapes our understanding of power, love, and faithful living. Sermon on Philippians 2:5-11, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers...

This morning, we continue to answer the question Who Do You Say I Am? with a sermon entitled “Christ the Teacher and Healer." I will preach a special Sermon from the Sofa (a format some of you may remember from a few winters ago), offering God’s Word from the warmth and comfort of home. Even while apart physically, we gather spiritually as we listen for Christ’s authority, compassion, and healing...

This morning, we will continue our sermon series, Who Do You Say That I Am?, a six-week exploration of who Christians confess Jesus the Christ to be—and why that confession still matters for our lives and our world. This week’s sermon, “Christ the Image of God,” draws from Colossians 1:15–20, a soaring passage that invites us to see Jesus as the clearest picture of God’s heart and humanity’s true...

The first installment of our study, entitled Christ the Word Made Flesh, will grow from the Gospel of John. In its opening verses, we will encounter the mystery of the Word who existed from all eternity and yet comes to dwell among us in Christ. We will reflect on the scripture's cosmic and deeply personal dimensions, as it holds together God’s eternal purpose and God’s nearness to human life. Ser...