Genesis 1:26-28, Romans 8:18-21 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.  (Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776) It was about a year ago that I set out the list of

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8b   Just as the Constitution of this United States established our country under the rule of law, so did the 10 Commandments establish the descendants of Abraham as the nation of Israel. Before Abraham’s descendants moved to Egypt because of a famine, they were a small tribe of people. So, the only laws they knew were the ones the Pharaoh for

Reading of Rev. John Rodger’s Sermon from December 11, 1783 (edited for length) A Sermon preached in New York, December 11, 1783 Appointed by Congress as a Day of Public Thanksgiving throughout the United States By John Rodgers, D.D. Founding Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York New York: Printed by Samuel Loudon   “ The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. ” The subject of this divine poem, from which I have taken my text, not o

Shared during Sunday Worship on January 25, 2025. Gracious and loving God, we come before you, trusting you to open our hearts and prepare our lives to receive Christ anew.  Prepare us to recognize your presence among us. Teach us patience when waiting is difficult, courage when hope feels fragile, and faithfulness in all the ways you call us to serve. Help us set aside the distractions and fears that keep us from trusting your promises, and draw us deeper into your peace.  

Shared during Sunday Worship on January 25, 2025. Holy Creator, whose warmth sustains us through the deepest cold: we thank You and praise You for the gifts of creation, redemption, and daily provision. We acknowledge Your presence here and everywhere—Your constant generosity, Your enduring love, and Your sovereignty over the source and purpose of all things.   We rejoice in the joy found in Your presence, for it is a joy that becomes our strength. We are grateful for the lig

Isaiah 6:1-8 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.  Psalm 8:3-5 “ If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy. ” — St. John Vianney (the Curé of Ars)   “ And though all that remains of the Temple is one wall, still to stand and pray

Psalm 8:1-9  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honour.  Psalm 8:3-5   “What are human beings?”  A deceptively powerful question from Psalm 8. The answer, of course, depends upon who you ask.  Ask a biologist:  Humans are classified under the gen

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b Why at Brick Church are we looking at the 250th anniversary of our country?    Birthdays and anniversaries are times to reflect on what our life has been and what we hope it will be going forward. This year marks the 250th birthday of our country and its founding. And rather than focusing on a comprehensive history we will especially focus on the founding va

Ephesians 1:3-14 Every morning in Africa, a gazelle awakens. It knows it must run faster than the lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion awakens. It knows it must run faster than the gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle  —  when the sun comes up, you'd better be running. This parable has become the theme song for modern American life. We wake up on the run; we leap out of bed, take our showers, wolf down breakfas