North Decatur Presbyterian Church

We continue our summer preaching series, “The Sermon I Need to Hear.” We received several requests to engage Christian Nationalism, a political movement that fuses a reactionary version of Christianity with American identity. This Sunday, on the cusp of America’s 250th birthday, we return to a discussion of the way Christianity and American political identity inform one another. What does it look...

We continue our summer preaching series, “The Sermon I Need to Hear.” We received 3 requests to unpack The Greatest Commandment: Love God with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself. Apparently, this “simple” commandment isn’t so simple in practice. This Sunday, we talk about why practicing the Greatest Commandment is difficult and also the way to live that brings deep joy and redempti...

We continue our summer preaching series, “The Sermon I Need to Hear.” We received 3 requests to unpack The Greatest Commandment: Love God with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself. Apparently, this “simple” commandment isn’t so simple in practice. We’ll take two weeks to examine it. This Sunday, we talk about how and why these two commandments are so deeply interconnected. Next Sunda...

Our summer sermon series based on requests from NDPC members begins with a subject that affects us all: our relationship to technology. Digital technology has changed every human life, from access to the internet, to cell phones in every pocket, to relationships mediated by digital platforms. Human transformation appears to be accelerating with the arrival of Artificial Intelligence. Has digital t...

This Sunday, we celebrate the 3rd “Feast Day” in the life of the Christian church: Pentecost. Pentecost does not have a lot of famous carols to sing, we do not cut a Pentecost tree down and bring it into our living room for the summer, and the Pentecost bunny does not bring children chocolates in wicker baskets. But Pentecost is a fantastically beautiful holiday that celebrates the quirky, mischie...

This Sunday, we close our worship series on Philippians with a reflection on Philippians 4:4–9. What might it mean to “rejoice always” in a world that feels so uncertain? And how could such joy steady our hearts and minds in Christ? We will celebrate our teachers and our shared commitment to growing in faith. Preaching: Rev. Mary Anona Stoops

For 3 Sundays (May 3, 10, 17), we are exploring the Apostle Paul’s correspondence with the church at Philippi. This Sunday, we hear Paul talk about the centrality of faith to a meaningful life. But whose faith does he think matters? Yours, or Christ’s? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

For the next 3 Sundays, we explore the Apostle Paul’s correspondence with the church at Philippi. This Sunday, we receive the stunning declaration that God “empties” Godself… and expects you to do the same. What could that possibly mean? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

The Creation Care team has crafted an Earth Day worship service, with guest preacher Hannah Shultz, Program Director at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. 

The Gospel of John doesn’t end with the Resurrection of Jesus! In fact, two of John’s most impactful stories are post-resurrection stories. This Sunday, we hear the final chapter of John, which brings back the image of the Good Shepherd. Jesus says to Peter, “if you love me, feed my sheep." Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

The Gospel of John doesn’t end with the Resurrection of Jesus! In fact, two of John’s most impactful stories are post-resurrection stories. This Sunday, we hear about Jesus’ encounter with Thomas. It’s not only a story about doubt, but about what it means to say that the resurrection is a present experience. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

John 20: 10-18. Explore the mystery of the Easter story. Christ is risen, indeed! Rev. Lewicki preaching.

It’s Palm Sunday! Holy Week worship begins outside on the Plaza. Bring cut branches from your yard to wave or place at Jesus’ feet. Make and bring a sign to declare what you hope that Jesus will do: end war! Peace for all! Food on every table!

This Sunday, we read our last “Good Friday” story from John’s gospel, chapter 19: Jesus is condemned to die. There is nothing just about this judgment. In that way, the judgment upon Jesus is like many of the judgments that we continue to make. Rev. Lewicki preaches about shame, guilt, and scapegoats.

This Sunday, we read another “Good Friday” story from John’s gospel, chapter 18: Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Their interaction reveals a stark contrast between the way of “the world” and the way of Jesus. The contrast is still before us. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

This Sunday, we begin a hard series of stories from John’s gospel that would ordinarily be read on Good Friday. Peter, who has vowed to follow Jesus anywhere, disavows even knowing Jesus. Not once. Three times. How can Peter be such a hypocrite? How indeed. Rev. Lewicki, preaching. 

As we enter the season of Lent, this week’s worship will turn toward the John 11, the story of the raising of Lazarus, in which Jesus encounters the grief and death of his friends even as he turns toward his own. Join us as we listen to how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us to deeper wisdom, tenderness, and courage as we face our fragility. Rev. Mary Anona Stoops, preaching.

We stream live from our Fellowship Hall.  This weekend (2/15), we follow Jesus into yet another encounter. He meets a man who is born blind; Jesus heals his blindness by spitting on the ground and making mud to cover his eyes. The story provokes so many questions—about healing, trust, ability and disability, and about what it means to “see.” Our guest preacher is Avery Arden (they/ze, MDiv) an aut...

We stream live from our Fellowship Hall again this Sunday as repairs continue to the furnace in the Sanctuary. This weekend, we follow Jesus into another encounter—this time, with a woman who comes to draw water at an ancient well. The conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus is one of the longest in the gospels and she proves a much more formidable conversation partner than the religiou...

Pardon the audio quality -- the power is out! We stream live from our Fellowship Hall this Sunday. Our guest preacher is the Rev. Cassandra Henderson. She will be preaching on Micah 6. Rev. Henderson is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Children’s Movement (ICM), a child advocacy organization whose mission is to build a multi-faith grassroots advocacy coalition that works to create a Georgi...

We continue to explore who Jesus is through the eyes and pen of the gospel writer John. This Sunday is one of John’s enigmatic stories: Nicodemus visits Jesus at night. The story invites us into reflection about seeing, believing, about light and darkness, about the Spirit’s power, and about the power and scope of Jesus’ love. Rev. Lewicki, preaching. Because of the ice and freezing conditions, wo...

For MLK weekend, we hear King’s last sermon, delivered on March 31st, 1968 at Washinton’s National Cathedral. We hear what was on King’s heart in the days before his death: ending racism, ending poverty, and ending war. His words are no less impactful today.

We are delighted to welcome our guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, President of Columbia Theological Seminary. Dr. Aloyo will be preaching on Jesus’ first miracle in the gospel of John, turning water into wine at the wedding party in Cana. “The Miracle Begins with What’s Empty” proclaims that in John 2:1–11, Jesus does not begin with abundance, but with the jars that have run dry, calling...

It’s Epiphany, our annual worship service with poetry, music, and Communion! We celebrate the extraordinary gift of poetry this Sunday, with readings in different poetic forms from poets across the world. This year, the readings will focus our attention on Jesus’ first 3 sayings in John’s gospel: “what are you looking for?,” “come and see,” and “follow me.”

Rev. Mary Anona Stoops preaches on Matthew 2: 13-23.