Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, we conclude our Hebrew 101 sermon series with the word zakar which means "to remember.” In Deuteronomy 8:7–20, Moses warns the people that one of the greatest dangers of abundance is forgetting: forgetting where they came from, forgetting how they have been sustained, and ultimately forgetting God. However, biblical remembrance is about more than looking backward; it is allowing the...

This morning, we continue our Hebrew 101 series with Mitzrayim, the Hebrew name for Egypt. In Exodus 1:8-14, Egypt becomes more than a place on a map; it becomes a place of fear, oppression, and bondage for the people of Israel. Scripture invites us to consider the “Egypts” that still hold people captive and the ways we sometimes become accustomed to living within them. Yet the story of God’s peop...

This morning, as we celebrate the official start of the programmatic year with Kick-off Sunday, we will begin a series entitled Hebrew 101 - Ancient Words Every Christian Should Know, exploring four ancient Hebrew words that deepen the way we understand and live our faith. We will begin with Shema - a word that means "hear" or "listen," drawn from Deuteronomy 6:1-9. In the passage, God's people ar...

This morning, we turn to the Gospel of Matthew as we wrestle with what it means to follow Jesus. In Matthew 16:21-28, Matthew foretells his passion and death while also clearly stating what true discipleship means. Together, we will reflect on how well we follow Christ, along with the obstacles we let stand in the way. Sermon on Matthew 16:21-28, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on Sept...

This morning, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Catherine Meeks back to Idlewild as our guest preacher. A nationally respected scholar, author, and leader in the work of racial healing, Dr. Meeks served as the founding executive director of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing and now leads the Turquoise & Lavender Institute for Transformation and Healing. Sermon on Hebrews 11:1–6,...

This morning, we will conclude our I Pledge Allegiance series with a message entitled “A More Perfect Union.” Our worship will grow from Jeremiah 29:4–7 and Mark 10:42–45, and we will be invited to consider what faithful citizenship looks like when God calls us to seek the welfare of the place where we have been planted. Together, we will wrestle with what it means to create a more perfect union b...

This morning, we will continue our series, I Pledge Allegiance, with a sermon entitled My Fellow Citizens. Through Galatians 3:23–29, Paul will remind us that our deepest identity is found in Christ rather than in the categories that so often divide us. Together, we will consider what it means to be faithful citizens of the kingdom of God while also living responsibly as citizens of the United Sta...

This morning, we will continue our sermon series I Pledge Allegiance by turning toward the honesty, courage, and hope required to help our nation live more fully into its highest promises. Through the prophet Amos, we will hear God’s warning that worship and public virtue ring hollow when they are separated from justice. Sermon on Amos 5:18-24, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on August 9...

This morning, we will inaugurate a new sermon series entitled I Pledge Allegiance. In a time when faith and national identity are often blurred, this four-week study will help us wrestle with what it means to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Sermon on Philippians 2:5–11, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on August 2nd, 2026.

This morning, we conclude our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, by exploring the familiar story of Jonah. The Reverend Amy Howe will lead us as we look beyond the dramatic three days spent in the belly of a big fish and see how the story shows us Jonah's hesitation to preach repentance to a people he abhorred and God's determination to heal, not just the Israelites, but all God's people. Serm...

This morning, we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, and we turn to the book of Daniel. Our focus scripture is Daniel 6:6-28, marking a pivotal halfway point in the story. Sermon on Daniel 6:6-28, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on July 19th, 2026.

This morning, we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, by turning to the story of Esther. Our scripture will be Esther 4:1–3 and 10–17, the turning point in the story when Esther must decide whether to risk her own safety for the sake of her people. Sermon on Esther 4:1-3, 10-17, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on July 12th, 2026.

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...