FPC Bellingham

Message by Fred Hartsook, recorded April 7, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Pastor Doug.

Meet Brother James: James, the apostle and brother of Jesus, was not a part of Jesus’ ministry until after his death, when he quickly became the head of the church.

Acts 15:12-21

12 The whole assembly kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,

16 ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up,

17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord— even all the gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’

19 “Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

In a fun twist, Pastor Kerrie interviews Pastor Doug: looking under the hood of his views on theology, the power of the Bible, and why he choose to be a Presbyterian pastor!

Message by Pastor Doug, recorded March 31, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Pastor Kerrie.

He is risen, and the worst news is now the best. Worship the risen Lord.

Matthew 28:1-15

The Resurrection of Jesus

1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Judeans to this day.

Message by Pastor Doug, recorded March 24, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Mary Lynn Palmer.

Coats, towels, thorns: We are invited to go all in, and we are not necessary.

Genesis 37:1-11

37:1 Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the descendants of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him an ornamented robe.[a] 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

9 He had another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?” 11 So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Luke 19:29-40

29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,

“Blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Pastor Doug is joined by Steve Thames to discuss oil: the topic of the sixth week of Lent in Jill Duffield's book - ⁠⁠⁠Lent in Plain Sight.⁠⁠⁠

We are encouraging everyone to read this devotional each day together as a community. We will be looking at the Sunday text together each week, and paying attention to the themes the book brings up.

Join us at FPC for our ⁠⁠⁠Lent activities⁠⁠⁠.

As we continue in our Lent series - this week we welcomed a panel of artists to continue the discussion that began during the Art & Faith Conference - Art as a Spiritual Practice. Artists: Troy Terpstra, Ryan Pemberton, and Kristen Gilje. Panel hosted by Pastor Doug Bunnell.

Psalm 23/ Matthew 26:6-13

Oil: Our love for God can be extravagant and sacrificial.

Pastor Doug is joined by Mike Morse to discuss shoes: the topic of the fifth week of Lent in Jill Duffield's book - ⁠⁠Lent in Plain Sight.⁠⁠

We are encouraging everyone to read this devotional each day together as a community. We will be looking at the Sunday text together each week, and paying attention to the themes the book brings up.

Join us at FPC for our ⁠⁠Lent activities⁠⁠.

Message by Pastor Doug, recorded March 10, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Ann Hinz.

Shoes: Travel freely and lightly where you find welcome.

Exodus 3:1-6

1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ 5 Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ 6 He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Mark 6:6b-13

6b Then [Jesus] went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Pastor Doug is joined by Addie Ward to discuss coins: the topic of the forth week of Lent in Jill Duffield's book - ⁠Lent in Plain Sight.⁠

We are encouraging everyone to read this devotional each day together as a community. We will be looking at the Sunday text together each week, and paying attention to the themes the book brings up.

Join us at FPC for our ⁠Lent activities⁠.

Message by Pastor Doug, recorded March 3, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Laurie Bunnell.

Coins: The kingdom is a radical welcome to all, we are not to do anything that might inhibit someone, especially financially.

Luke 21:1-4

1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

John 2:13-22

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18 The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.