MVP Message

Preaacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 4:14-21

In Luke 4, Jesus returns to his hometown synagogue and stands to read from the prophet Isaiah before proclaiming how the scripture has been fulfilled in their midst--today. It is a powerful proclamation of people being set free. In this message, Pastor Donna explores what an embodiment of this text might look like, alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. calling the church into this critically important work in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:10-17, 21-22

How might we fully claim our belovedness, standing firm on the belief that we are the source of God’s joy? How might this truth impact how we treat all of creation? And how might this central aspect of our identity be the reason we can rejoice--no matter what?

Join us on this week as we ponder these questions before being invited to explore several prayer stations designed to help us remember our baptism and claim our belovedness.

Preacher: Grace Rogers, Howard and Mary Martin Ministry Intern

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12

This week we speak on the story of those three magi that were there the day Jesus was born in that manger, and the faith they had to stay the course and follow faith. Hoping and believing that there is something better, more promising, more real, just by faith alone. This is something we should practice in our lives, continuing to believe that God has a plan for us, and through faith and will, we will see it to happen.

Preacher: Carie Dupree, Candidate for Ordained Ministry

Scripture: Luke 2:21-38

As new parents to Jesus, Mary and Joseph could feel weary for what lies ahead, but perhaps these sacred rituals—and those who bear witness to them—bolster them and give them courage for the journey. How do our sacred rituals root us and help us live into new chapters with courage?

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Luke’s Gospel tells us that when Mary gives birth to Jesus, she lays him in a manger, for there was no place for them in the guest room. Scholars argue about where, exactly, the birth occurs—and why. Was it in an inn or the living room of a simple peasant home? Was Bethlehem teeming with visitors who were also there to be counted in the census? Was Joseph’s family inhospitable because they disapproved of his marital situation? Regardless of where the birth occurs, we know that Christ is born in a crowded, unlikely place.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scriptuers: Luke 1:46-55, 67-80

When Zechariah’s voice returns after John is named, he sings a story of praise for God’s protection and promise. After Elizabeth exclaims blessings upon Mary, Mary also sings a song about a God of liberation who pulls the powerful from their thrones and lifts up the lowly. Both songs are songs of hope in which justice and joy are interwoven.

Join us this week for the fourth Sunday of Advent as we light the candle of love and ponder the power of singing.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Psalm 126 & Luke 1:57-66

Our journey with Zechariah and Elizabeth continues this week with a passage in which Elizabeth gives birth to her promised son before her neighbors and family celebrate with her. She follows through on the instructions shared with her and names her child John. And when Zechariah affirms the name given by the angel and Elizabeth, his speech is restored—a moment that fills everyone with awe.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scriptures: Isaiah 40:1-11 & Luke 1:24-45

While we may not always be able to rejoice, we can always seek to carry each other's joy which is what Elizabeth and Mary do for each other in Luke's Gospel. Elizabeth has finally received the news that she is pregnant. But rather than rejoicing, she remains in seclusion for five months. She is all alone until Mary, who is also carrying an unexpected child, arrives at her home. When Mary arrives, the child leaps in her womb and she is filled with the Spirit. Joy fills her entire body.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 & Luke 1:1-23

As Advent begins, we start by acknowledging the weariness, grief, rage, and hopelessness we carry—and we also affirm that we are made for joy. We start our worship series with Zechariah and Elizabeth who have battled infertility and have lived many years. Perhaps they feel the weight of hopes and dreams unattained. Like the psalmist, let us ask, “how long?” and plead for restoration while trusting that restoration does, indeed, come.

Preacher: Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33

As we finish up our Sermon series on Fearless Discipleship, this week we touch on the topic of trusting in God, and worrying about less. In the reading Jesus addresses the stress that we cause when we consider too much to focus on. When we truly trust in God, and put our focus on him, our lives become less stressed and chaotic.