Westminster Presbyterian Church, Alexandria Va

Almost our entire cultural heritage expects us to search for and find personal happiness, meaning and purpose to our lives, and a spiritual identity or relationship with God. Jesus tells two parables describing a search: a shepherd looking for a sheep, and a woman looking for a lost coin. Who is the searcher in these stories? Who is the searcher in our lives? What do these parables tell us about finding? Larry Hayward preaches today from Luke 15:1-10.

From existential threats such as disease and nuclear war to the immediate physical challenges of food, energy, and potable water, being of citizen of the world today means grappling with vast change. General James Cartwright, USMC (Ret.), sets the stage for us on three great issues we are facing: technology, especially in communications and in the partnering of persons with machines; migration and demographic changes brought on by climate change; and governance, including the institutional and cultural biases that tend toward denial of change. How do we do the soul-searching necessary to adapt to these changes? How do we look beyond ourselves to embrace the changes that are coming? General James Cartwright served as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2007-2011. He is introduced by WPC member Michael Donley, who served as the 22nd Secretary of the United States Air Force. General Cartwright references the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds

The book of Philemon is in many ways a book about change: the degree of change, the pace of change, the embracing of change that arises from deep within our Christian faith. In the nostalgia which some of us feel and the change which all of us face, what can this shortest of Biblical books teach us? Larry Hayward preaches today from Philemon.

When it comes to dinner guests, Jesus ranks among the worst. The Pharisees practice hospitality by inviting Jesus to dinner, and he proceeds to tell a story about…the best way to host a dinner party. Jesus, as he tends to do, continues to disrupt our ways of thinking and our lives for the sake of the kingdom. Casey FitzGerald preaches today from Luke 14:1, 7–14 and Hebrews 13:1–8.

“Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” When Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, the church leaders react and the whole crowd rejoices. What does this healing tell us about Sabbath? What do we do when our insistence on right practice comes into conflict with the freedom that comes with Sabbath? The Rev. Casey FitzGerald preaches today from Luke 13:10-17.

Brutal heat. Long-running and simmering divisions. Lingering stress. Sound familiar? We might long for words of peace, a Scripture that soothes us from the troubles of today’s world; instead, we get a Jesus who predicts division, a scorching heat carried by southerly winds. How do Jesus’ words in this passage challenge some of our assumptions about how we understand his message? Rev. Patrick Hunnicutt preaches today from Luke 12:49-56.

This summer, the “Jewels in the Attic” series has addressed Biblical passages that are either not very familiar, might be mundane or boring, or have some troublesome aspects to them. Today, we consider the value and role that Biblical texts such as these – and the Bible as a whole – can play in our life. How can the Bible give us meaning and relevance? How does God use these passages to speak to us about things happening in our community and nation today? How can we make Bible reading more a part of our lives? Larry R. Hayward concludes the summer sermon series preaching from 2 Timothy 3:10-17. The Scripture passage is read by Rhyan Hance.

In today’s world, ideas have consequences. How important is it to have clear, well-considered ideas of who we are and what we believe? In what spirit do we develop and share those beliefs? And what is the “sound doctrine” that makes up the content of those beliefs? Dr. Larry R. Hayward continues the summer sermon series “Jewels in the Attic?” The Scripture lesson is 2 Timothy 1:8–14, 2:1–7, 4:1–5.

The Rev. Dr. Larry R. Hayward continues his summer sermon series, Jewels in the Attic. The scripture for today is 1 Timothy 6:6-19.

In today’s letter to Timothy, Paul lays out the duty of small house churches to determine who among its members has need and to focus the church’s support toward such members. What can Paul’s instructions teach us about how we live in community today? Larry Hayward preaches today from 1 Timothy 5:1-16.

This week has been a tough one in our nation, following the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the police officers in Dallas. Among the pieces of advice Paul gives Timothy concerning leadership and his own Christian commitment is this: “Set the believers an example in speech and conduct.” How can we -- as individuals, as a community, and as a nation -- seek to listen and move beyond our own comfort zones? Dr. Larry R. Hayward preaches from Psalm 77 and 1 Timothy 4.

Evangelism: It’s not a numbers game. When Jesus sends out his followers, he sends them out to offer peace, share meals, and share stories together—to build relationships. But in today’s world, where we seem to be more divided than ever, how do we create community? How do we provide hospitality when it means being uncomfortable? Casey W. FitzGerald preaches today from Luke 10:1-11, with reference to “Community: The Structure of Belonging” by Peter Block.

In this passage from 1 Timothy, we discover a list of qualifications of those who would be a bishop in a first century Christian congregation (the leader of a local house church). While this list is specific to those congregations living under the Roman Empire, how can it speak to issues we face in leadership today, within the family, within the church and community, and within our nation? The Scripture passage today is 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

When it comes to the Bible, how do we decide if its words more reflect attitudes of its own day and time than attitudes that lie in the heart and mind of God? Do we have the right to conclude that one part of the Bible has authority for us, while another part doesn’t, that one part bears witness to God’s Word while another part bears no such witness? Larry R. Hayward explores this challenge through 1 Timothy 2:1-15 and Old Testament scholar Phyllis Trible’s article “Authority of the Bible.”

The texts of 1 and 2 Timothy reflect a time when Christianity had evolved from being a movement to being an organization: with standards and traditions and rules and regulations and offices and office-holders. In addition to being rather settled and mundane, they contain some very troubling passages. The people of these Pastoral Epistles, who lived a hundred or a hundred and fifty years after the death and resurrection of Christ, are actually closer to us in experience than those who lived in his immediate aftermath. We are settled into our life and our world, trying to make sense of events that happened eons ago, events that we have been told hold the key to life here and life in the world to come. And some issues we face – in daily life, in politics, in work – are not much different than the issues they faced. If we can work our way through these difficult passages in scripture – and in the way those passages have been used in church and society – we may be

Rev. Patrick Hunnicutt preaches on Confirmation Sunday. The scripture for today is Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10-14.

On this weekend in which as a nation we remember those who have lost their lives in battle, and on a day in which as a church we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember “the death of Christ” until he comes again, we look at two lectionary texts that provide similar insight and challenge. Dr. Larry R. Hayward preaches today from 1 Kings 18:20-40 and Luke 7:1-10.

Central to our Christian faith is caring for God’s creation. What is our relationship to the natural world? In this lecture series, Dr. Tony Tambasco will suggest elements for a “creation spirituality,” drawing on the Pope’s encyclical and Elizabeth Johnson’s book "Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love."

The doctrine of the Trinity is embedded in our worship—in our hymns, in our affirmation of faith at baptisms and communion, in our assurance of pardon. But what does it actually mean for us? On Trinity Sunday, Larry Hayward explores this mystery using Marilynne Robinson’s book of essays "The Giveness of Things." The Scripture lesson is John 1:1-5, 14.

The story in Genesis 11 is not so much a true story about a tower, but a truth-telling story: about a people who reach for the heights in order to remain where they are, and a God who has other plans for them. Patrick Hunnicutt preaches from Genesis 11:1-9.