North Decatur Presbyterian Church

On this first Sunday of Christmas, we begin a journey in Luke's gospel that will take us all the way through Easter. Luke is the New Testament's master storyteller--he wrote both the gospel and "part 2" of the Jesus story, the book of Acts. After the story of Jesus' birth, which we read on Christmas Eve, Luke tells a fascinating story about Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple, and meeting...

We listen to the story of Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel. Mary, long viewed as a docile and compliant recipient of the angel's message, is neither of those things, according to the Gospel of Luke. She is a powerful model of faith for us today. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

This year during Advent, we go back in time to listen to voices from the past. What did God's prophets of old dream about? What did they hope for? What were they afraid of? As we listen to the prophets speak "the hopes and fears of all the years," we compare them to our own hopes and fears. What do we bring to God? Advent 2 brings us a reading from the prophet Isaiah as he looks at the ruined city...

As we begin the season of Advent, we go back in time to listen to the voice from the past. What did the prophets of old dream about? What did they hope for? What were they afraid of? As we listen to "the hopes and fears of all the years," we compare them to our own hopes and fears. What do we bring to God? Advent 1 is the story of Daniel in the lion's den. Rev. Lewicki will lead the storytelling w...

This Sunday we walk alongside Jeremiah, the prophet of doom and gloom. Nobody wanted to hear what Jeremiah had to say. No. Body. But Jeremiah had a word from God that people needed to hear and with courage, he shared it. What would a modern-day Jeremiah sound like? Would we listen? Rev. Lewicki preaches.

Ministry Fellow Christopher Ng, second year student at Candler School of Theology, preaches on the call of Isaiah to prophetic ministry from Isaiah 6. Please support our talented ministry fellow as he preaches for the first time at NDPC.

Rev. Lewicki invites us to come back to the basics.

This Sunday, we celebrate All Saints Day. Each year, on the first Sunday of November, we invoke the names of the people through whom we experience the love of God. Who were your teachers, your caregivers, your mentors, your coaches, the people who held you, nursed you, healed you, consoled you, counseled you, and modeled for you what the way of Jesus looks like when it takes on human flesh? Holy C...

This Sunday, we read the story of Solomon building the first Temple in Jerusalem. It's a grand building... but is it the right thing for Solomon to do? Is there a right way--and a wrong way--to give thanks to God? Rev. Lewicki preaches.

This Sunday, we explore what makes a "good" leader of people. The story of King David is a fascinating, complex invitation for us consider, on the cusp of the election, what it means to say that God "chooses" a political leader. Rev. Lewicki preaches.

This Sunday, the Lectionary turns to the "historical books" of the Hebrew Scriptures, as they recount the way that the people who escaped slavery in Egypt formed a community and became a nation. We turn to 1 Samuel, where the rise of Israel's kings begins with a woman, Hannah, as she struggles with feelings of emptiness and abandonment. Hannah prays. When we look at Hannah's experience, and her re...

Revs. Caroline Leach and Nibs Stroupe, NDPC clergy affiliates, will be leading 11AM worship. Caroline and Nibs will be preaching a dialogue sermon on Ephesians 2. Holy Communion will be celebrated.

This week's scriptures are from the Exodus out of Egypt (Ex. 12 & 13). In the middle of the story of God's liberating acts, God's people are told to remember these acts long into the future through the practice of a ritual meal. We will talk together on Sunday about how shared rituals and stories reveal God's identity and our own. Rev. Lewicki preaches.

We read the Joseph story in its entirety--almost 14 whole chapters of Genesis! Don't worry, it'll be abridged. And funny. With lots of weeping. The story of Abraham's family concludes with the story of Joseph, and there is more politics (migration and empire), family drama (sibling rivalries and parenting fails), and depth psychology (insecurity, anger, revenge) in this story that in any of the wo...

This Sunday, our story focuses in on Abraham, a man "called" by God into a unique relationship with God. Abraham, however, isn't a spineless "yes man." Abraham pushes back when God seems to delay in fulfilling God's promises. God invites Abraham to come outside at night and look up at the stars. What does stargazing have to do with God's covenant? Rev. David Lewicki preaches.

This Sunday, we begin with the story of Adam & Eve in the garden. As Rev. Lewicki said several Sunday's ago, this is NOT a story that condemns humanity through "original sin." It does explore the complex depths of human frailty. It also invites us to consider God--what's God supposed to do when God discovers our weakness? The sermon will be a reader's theater, followed by congregational conver...

NDPC’s talented and thoughtful Director of Music, Huu Mai, will offer this Sunday’s message as we celebrate a Labor Day tradition at NDPC of a music-centered worship service. Holy Communion will be shared.

What do we mean when we talk about heaven and hell? Living in Georgia, chances are high you’ve driven past a billboard that screams “Do you know where you’re going when you die?” There’s a whole mythology about heaven and hell being about angels on clouds and devils with pitchforks in a sea of flames, but is that really what the Bible says? What if heaven and hell were something altogether differe...

Sin. Salvation. Two of the most loaded words in the Christian theological vocabulary. No ideas have twisted our tradition into more knots than these two. On Sunday, Rev. Lewicki will pick at these knots and pull out strands to see if we can release these words into a different meaning–a meaning that is rooted in the Scripture and free of the distortions of our ancestors Augustine and Luther.

What do we mean when we baptize someone? What is God doing in this weird water ritual? Why do we eat Communion often in the church, but only take a bath once? Rev. David Lewicki explores the meaning of baptism.

Rev. David Lewicki explores the basic idea behind the Christian celebration of Communion. What’s the point of this quirky little meal? What difference does it make? We will celebrate Communion together (of course)!

In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” What is the source of this light, and how do we allow it to shine through us? We will especially consider the role that aging plays in freeing us to bear Christ’s light to the world. Mary Anona Stoops, Preaching.

This is a terrifying political season. Much of America has lost confidence in its aging president and thrown its support behind a former president who is a convicted felon and rapist who also led an attempt to overthrow the government. No matter which party you support ideologically, our nation feels betrayed by our political leaders and hopelessly divided. What's a follower of Jesus to do in...

Rev. Lewicki preaches on "What do we mean when we say 'Jesus'?" The world--and even the church!--is full of different ideas of who Jesus was and what Jesus means. Do you ever find that difference disorienting? Yet, how you understand Jesus has a deep impact on the direction of your faith. Is he a model for how to live a human life? The atoning sacrifice for sin? Who does NDPC say...

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own cult? If you could start your own religion--call it “me-ism”--what would you believe in? How would you worship if you were the one in charge? Who would get to be in your religion? How would decisions be made--would it all be up to you… would anyone else have a voice? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.