In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.

The 2nd Sunday of Advent opens us unto the air. We hear a story from Ezekiel, who shares a chilling and ultimately hopeful story about a valley of dead bodies brought back to life. By what? By wind, by breath, by Spirit. The air announces Christ’s coming. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.

Advent begins with fire. We hear a story from Daniel about 3 men whom an evil emperor tries to destroy in a fiery furnace. But God has other plans for these men, for the emperor, and for fire itself. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Does God have a plan for your life? This Sunday, we gather around the words of the prophet Jeremiah, specifically chapter 29, where he writes to the people who are in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah speaks of God “having a plan” for those people. What, exactly, was that plan? And what lessons–what hope–can we draw from these words for today? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

"For unto us a child is born."

For many of you, those words are instantly recognizable. From the pen of Isaiah, they are a prophetic prediction of the birth of… King Hezekiah of Judah! Let’s dig into prophecy this Sunday–both biblical and modern. What was God doing to change the world through the prophets? What IS God doing to change the world through the prophets among us today? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

We warmly welcome guest preacher Kristen Ivy to the pulpit for both services this Sunday. Ms. Ivy has been a regular teacher this fall at NDPC’s parenting group and in our adult formation classes, helping us learn anew what it looks like to raise children in the Christian faith and center children in the life of our congregation.

Kristen earned a Master of Divinity from Mercer University (2009) and began a seventeen-year journey in non-profit work where she played an integral role in developing educational and religious curricula for kids and teenagers. She is the Co-Founder of The Phase Project, a research-led initiative to help adults grow in empathetic understanding of preschool, elementary, and teenage humans.

We celebrate All Saints’ Day this Sunday. At the beginning of worship, we name the saints of NDPC who have passed over into eternal life during the past year. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Celebrate NDPC’s 70th anniversary! A message about the future of the church from Rev. Lewicki.

We continue to follow the story of Samuel, chosen by God to help God’s people identify a leader. This week, Samuel is directed to go the family of Jesse, where he picks the youngest, smallest child to lead God’s people. This story (1 Sam. 16) prompts us to wonder aloud about God’s role in our politics, and also to wonder what qualities of a leader–and of a person–really matter. We celebrate the baptism of Oscar Watson at 11AM. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

In a world that often pulls us toward fear or distraction, God still calls us by name.

Join us this Sunday as the Rev. Mary Anona Stoops preaches from 1 Samuel 3:1–10 on the Hebrew word “hineni”—“Here I am.” Together we’ll explore what it means to live with attentive, open-hearted presence, especially on Pride Sunday, as we celebrate God’s call to beloved community and courageous love.

We are delighted to welcome guest preacher the Rev. Sarah Lane, pastor of Zo Presbyterian Church. Zo Presbyterian Church is a new church development in our Atlanta Presbytery in which most of the members are immigrants or refugees from Myanmar. The Zo church worships in the sanctuary at NDPC every Sunday at 2PM. We are delighted to welcome Rev. Lane to share the good news at NDPC’s 11AM service.