Idlewild Presbyterian Church

In Acts 17:1-9, we hear the story of Paul and Silas sharing the Gospel in Thessalonica. While some are persuaded by his message, many others become angry and seek to bring him before the authorities of the city. As we study this unsettling account, we will sit with Paul’s persistent preaching and wrestle with the angry response of the townspeople. How might we learn from Paul’s impassioned message...

Acts 3:1-10 describes an encounter between Peter, John, and an unnamed man seeking alms in front of the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. We will explore how the encounter challenges our notions of charity, relationship, healing, and the role of beauty in our lives. Sermon delivered by the Reverend Joshua H. Narcisse on April 14, 2024.

We are called to be witnesses to the resurrecting power of Christ at work in the world. In Acts 1:1-11, we read about the appearances of Jesus to the disciples over the 40 days he walked the earth after the resurrection, and then, his ascension into heaven. We will reflect on what valuable lessons Jesus communicated to the disciples. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on April 7, 202...

There is no future that you can walk into where Jesus has not already gone ahead of you. On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ with a reading of Mark 16:1-8. We hear of the women making their way to the tomb; wondering who will roll away the stone from its entrance. The women arrive to find not a stone, but a young man who tells them that Jesus has been raised from the...

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, we center on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as described in Mark 11:1-11. Jesus sent his disciples ahead to secure a donkey on which he could ride into the city. We ask ourselves how this familiar scene might once again comfort and convict us. Given what will take place, how can we rightly call Jesus’ entry triumphal? Sermon delivered by the Reverend David...

Greater attentiveness to Christ has the power to change our lives and the world. Mark’s thirteenth chapter is devoted to stories of Jesus foretelling future events including the destruction of the Temple and persecution of those who proclaim the Good News of Jesus. Mark 13:32-37 closes the chapter with Jesus repeatedly, if cryptically, warning his disciples to “keep awake.” While much of what he f...

When asked which of the commandments is the greatest, Jesus replies with a two-part answer which lays out two familiar commandments – to love God and to love our neighbor. The scribe is pleased by Jesus’ response, and Jesus encourages the scribe that he is “not far from the Kingdom of God.” As we study scripture, we will explore together how we might transcend the world’s noise in order to realign...

When we hear stories that convict us, we have a choice in how we respond. In Mark 12:1-12, the religious leaders - chief priests, scribes, and elders - take notice of Jesus and begin to challenge his ministry. Jesus shares a parable in which tenants repeatedly disrespect their landowner and ultimately murder the landowner’s son. Jesus asks the religious leaders, “What then will the (landowner) do?...

What do we truly desire Christ to do in our lives? In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus encounters a man who is blind named Bartimaeus. Attempting to grab his attention, Bartimaeus shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” After calling the man to him, Jesus asks a life-changing question, “What do you want me to do for you?” The man expresses that he wants to see, and immediately, he regains his sight....

Sermon delivered by Dr. Catherine Meeks on Feb. 18, 2024.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Feb. 11, 2024.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Feb. 4, 2024.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Jan 28, 2024.

In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus heals a man from unclean spirits, who lived amongst the tombs. We are a people who know brokenness and addiction, therefore we are people who know what it means to live amongst the tombs. We know what it's like to try to restrain the evil in the world and in our lives and what it's like for nothing to help. This story seems to tell us that the kingdom of God is a place where...

Sermon delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on Jan 14, 2024.

In Mark 2:13-22, Levi, a tax collector answers the call to follow Jesus. In this sermon, we take a look at things from the perspective of the Pharisees, who are sharing their disdain for Jesus and Levi. Seeing this story in such an unexpected way helps us better understand the power of the Kingdom and rethink our understanding of righteousness and sin. Sermon delivered by Joshua H. Narcisse on Jan...

Song has the ability to paint an image in our minds and to express a feeling from our souls that mere words cannot. In Luke 1:67-79, we get to hear Zechariah sing of God's favor and God's forgiveness, God's rescue, and God's Redemption. He sings of memory and mercy, of Covenant and of calling. If we pay attention to his singing, our hearts might be shaped by his vision for the world. Sermon delive...

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Dec 17, 2023.

There is power in the prologue. Mark 1:1-5 is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God. This prologue, brief as it is, is purposeful. We see John, who models what it means to build for the Kingdom of God. This prologue gives us space to reflect on whether or not we are preparing a way for the Lord in the world, and it opens us up to seeing this season as a prologue for our li...

Each of us has our desolate places, yet God still holds our hope for what is yet to come. In Jeremiah 33:10-11, 14-16 the prophet Jeremiah looked upon the desolation of his world and invited the people of God to imagine, even amongst the difficulties of their present day, the possibilities of God to bring laughter and joy into the world. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Dec 3, 2...

Our scriptures bear witness to a God whose kingship is nothing like worldly kingship. In 2 Kings 22:1-10 and 23:1-3, we read about King Josiah of Israel, one of the most virtuous and faithful kings. In this sermon, the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale leads us in reflecting on the difference between earthly kingdoms and the kingdom of God, and how we’re called to live faithfully as God’s children. The R...

In Isaiah 5:1-7 we hear a love song from a broken-hearted God after God plants a fertile vineyard that fails to bear good fruit. Then in Isaiah 11:1-5, we learn that hope often arrives in unexpected places and leads us to righteous and faithful living. The Reverend Courtnay Veazey delivers the sermon on Nov 19, 2023.

Through Hosea 11: 1-9, we get to see God as a parent. There is a degree to which each of us strays from God, and yet God continues to be the faithful parent, continually wrestling with God's own love for us; a love that will not let us go. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Nov 12, 2023.

As followers of Christ, how often do we divide our energy and our time amongst the lesser idols of the world? In 1 Kings 18:20-39, we hear the voice of God through the Prophet Elijah calling us to draw close so that we might live with more earnest fidelity to Christ. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Nov 5, 2023.

The Reverend David J. Powers delivers the sermon on Oct 29, 2023.