Sermon, The Rules of Improv: Always Be Supportive, Rev. Dr. John Ballenger
Sermon Audio
Lent 2012
Ash Wednesday and Lent February 22—April 1 Promises, Promises Lent begins Ash Wednesday, February 22, with two services and Imposition of Ashes at noon and 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Throughout the season of Lent our focus will be an exploration of the idea of covenant. What promises do we make to God? What [...]
The Rules of Improv: Characters and Relationships
2 Kings 5:1-17 Sermon Audio In 2009,America’s longest running soap opera aired its final episode. Seventy two years and more than 15,000 episodes after its first broadcast as a radio program in 1937, Guiding Light’s main characters drove off into the sunset for their next adventure and left millions of fans hanging. Seventy two years [...]
The Rules of Improv: Change, Change, Change!
Mark 1:29-39 Sermon Audio I’d like to begin today with a rather unusual approach to examining the text. Look down your pew…these are the people with whom you will now commence to tell a story, in full, from start to finish. I’ll begin, then the person on the furthest left (my right) of your pew [...]
The Rules of Improv: Focus on the Here and Now
Mark 1:21–28 Sermon Audio Rev. Edgar Palacios We are Calvary Baptist Church, a community of faith. We are united because we share the faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is dynamic, practical and transformative because faith is centered in Jesus Christ. The more we imitate Jesus more we know him. The issue today is how to [...]
The Rules of Improv: Take Action
Mark 1:14-20 Sermon Audio Every year around this time the family of Calvary Baptist Church takes a step back to think about what it is we are doing here on this corner of Washington, DC, trying our best to be followers of Jesus and to live together in Christian community in such a way that [...]
The Rules of Improv: Anything is Possible
1 Samuel 3:1-10 Sermon Audio Rev. Amy K. Butler Who would have thought, just a few years ago, that a pastor would arrive at church on Sunday morning, having emailed herself the sermon for that day…only to find that the Internet is completely down at church. So, she takes a very small jump drive and [...]
The Rules of Improv: Fill in the Blanks
Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon Audio Rev. Dr. Amy Butler Happy new year to you all. It feels great to be here in worship beginning the new year together after a hectic holiday season. Welcome back, and a special thank you to all of you who were with us in worship on Christmas and New Year Days. [...]
The Rules of Improv
Christmas Eve Homily
Rev. Dr. Amy K. Butler It’s funny to me. Today is all about you, Jesus, but we never hear how you felt or what you did. Joseph packed up the family and traveled to Bethlehem; Mary gave birth; the shepherds watched their sheep and the angels sang; the wise men traveled from afar. But [...]
