“The Sacrifice of Abraham,” Rembrandt, 1635. Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church Jan. 28, 2024 Genesis 22:1-19 Our passage this morning is the story of Abraham being commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. It’s a fairly well-known story and very challenging and if we’re honest it’s quite offensive to our modern sensibilities. […]
Cain smiting Abel with God’s Expulsion of Cain from the Garden of Eden is a painting by Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) January 14, 2024 M.L. King Weekend Context: The story of Cain and Abel is the second story in the Bible. Ch. 1 is a poetic celebration of God’s Creation of all that is. […]
Pastor Rich Knight July 23, 2023 Exodus 16:1-21 Before I read the passage, I want to offer a suggestion for studying Old Testament stories. It’s this: Don’t worry about, did it happen or not? That’s not the point of the stories! They were not written down to inform, but rather to inspire and instruct. […]
Pastor Rich Knight July 16, 2023 Exodus 17:8-13 – the setting is that the Israelites are in the wilderness. It’s two months after their escape from Egypt. Perhaps in the year 1445 BC. Amalek is mentioned in this passage. He was the grandson of Esau. Remember the Jacob and Esau story, where Jacob stole […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church, UCC Father’s Day, June 18, 2023 We’re going to look at 2 Old Testament stories today. Here’s something to remember about Old Testament stories: The Bible doesn’t tell us what should have happened. The Bible tells us what actually happened, and we’re supposed to figure it out […]
This sermon is dedicated to Linn Flint, Our incredible Office Administrator for the past 20 years. We celebrated her ministry and retirement on May 14, 2023. Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church, UCC May 14, 2023 I was going to read a passage from II Chronicles 3. In the essence of […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church Feb. 6, 2022 Selections from Job An Outline of the Book of Job Prologue – Job Is Tested (1-2 written in prose) Job’s Soliloquy (3) The Great Debate: 1st Cycle of Speeches (4-14) The Great Debate: 2nd Cycle of Speeches (15-21) The Great Debate: 3rd Cycle […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church, UCC Sept. 5, 2021 Job 1:13-22 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church Feb. 21, 2021 II Peter 1:16-18 (Some parts of scripture are stories that were told and retold over many, many years and eventually written down by those with no firsthand knowledge of the events. Notice in this passage that it’s written by an eyewitness, Peter.) For we did […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church Feb. 17, 2021 – Ash Wednesday Of all our holy days and holidays Ash Wednesday is the most blunt and the most honest. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Oh, and Happy Ash Wednesday! Can you think of another holiday […]