Westminster Presbyterian Church, Alexandria Va

When it became clear that I was going to be preaching on the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday on which we light the pink candle of joy, I was thrilled to be presented with this section of New Testament gold, Elizabeth and Mary, two women, both great with child, bonding and caring for one another, and the emotionally stunning Magnificat. It is not that often in our sacred text that we explore encounters between two women, especially encounters between two women with dialogue. It is also not common for us to witness characters in our sacred story burst into song. Yet both of those holy signifiers shine forth from the page like the Advent candles we just lit indicating that something special, something unique, something full of Advent joy is present here. Rev. Jacob Bolton preaches on the Third Sunday of Advent. The scripture lesson is Luke 1:35-56.

Rev. Whitney Fauntleroy preaches on the First Sunday of Advent. The scripture lesson is Matthew 24:36-44, and is read by Rev. Larry Hayward.

Did you know that annually over 300,000 people from around the world complete the journey to Santiago de Compostela in Western Spain? WPC members Dave & Amy Donselar will share their stories about these ancient pathways. Hear about the remarkable people they’ve crossed paths with; the people with whom they’ve shared meals and common experiences that slowly broke down their differences and helped form a global community of pilgrims. Join in for some light-hearted lessons learned on the Way of St. James across France, Spain, and Portugal.

I recently learned that the liturgical holiday we are celebrating today – called Christ the King or Reign of Christ Sunday – is a relatively recent addition to the ancient church calendar known as the lectionary. Christ the King Sunday was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 – less than a hundred years ago. He instituted the day in response to the growing sentiments toward nationalism and secularism that emerged from the devastation of World War I. In a rare show of ecumenism, Protestants embraced this liturgical designation and added Christ the King to the church calendar every year as the final Sunday in the liturgical year before the new year begins with Advent. Thus, in our country, Christ the King nearly always falls on the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving, a time when we celebrate and give thanks for all the good we have received from our lives in this land. Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on Christ the King Sunday. The Scripture lesson is selected verses from Jeremiah 23; Colos

A common criticism of today’s society is that we live in our own particular bubbles and often fail to understand those who have very different beliefs and aspirations than our own. This 3 week interactive course with WPC member Dr. Jim Muyskens is designed to provide us a better understanding of other major religious traditions as we compare & contrast the basic tenets of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism with those of Christianity. The hope is we’ll gain greater understanding of other traditions as well as gain a deeper appreciation of our own. Where do various traditions align, and where do they differ from our own? We’ll end with a discussion of effective means for confronting inter-faith conflict and for advancing inter-faith dialogue. Part 3 of 3.

A common criticism of today’s society is that we live in our own particular bubbles and often fail to understand those who have very different beliefs and aspirations than our own. This 3 week interactive course with WPC member Dr. Jim Muyskens is designed to provide us a better understanding of other major religious traditions as we compare & contrast the basic tenets of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism with those of Christianity. The hope is we’ll gain greater understanding of other traditions as well as gain a deeper appreciation of our own. Where do various traditions align, and where do they differ from our own? We’ll end with a discussion of effective means for confronting inter-faith conflict and for advancing inter-faith dialogue. Part 2 of 3.

Elder Gordon H. Smith has served as member of Sixth Quorum of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to his two terms in the U.S. Senate from Oregon, he’s practiced law at Covington & Burling, and has served as a stake high councilor, bishop, public affairs director and full time missionary in New Zealand. An hour you won’t likely forget, learn from a life-long Mormon, as passionate about his faith as his country and his service.

Giving to the church can be more than a pragmatic decision to support the church’s work. It can be part of a challenged, inspired, aspirational heart. Our giving reflects the center of our being…our hearts. Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is Proverbs 3:1-12, and is read by Rev. Patrick Hunnicutt.

"One of the great gifts of being on the staff at Westminster is that several Sundays - twice on a Sunday - I get to hear about the importance of using Pulitzer Prize-winning authors in your sermon. So I will follow suit when I make an allusion to Kendrick Lamar." Rev. Whitney Fauntleroy preaches on the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is Luke 18:9-14, and is read by Rev. Larry Hayward.

A common criticism of today’s society is that we live in our own particular bubbles and often fail to understand those who have very different beliefs and aspirations than our own. This 3 week interactive course with WPC member Dr. Jim Muyskens is designed to provide us a better understanding of other major religious traditions as we compare & contrast the basic tenets of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism with those of Christianity. The hope is we’ll gain greater understanding of other traditions as well as gain a deeper appreciation of our own. Where do various traditions align, and where do they differ from our own? We’ll end with a discussion of effective means for confronting inter-faith conflict and for advancing inter-faith dialogue.

What can we learn from the Old and New Testaments about some of the issues and structures that vex us today? Pastor Larry Hayward will lead us to take a look at government/politics, class differences, legal traditions, the military and the family and challenge us to think about these structures through the lens of the Old and New Testaments. Week Four: Family.

Because our faith exists within the world, we join with others and become a community, an organization, an institution within the world. We are more than a collection of individuals who seek interaction with God on a personal level; we are a people, a community, organized to worship, serve, learn and grow together. We are an organization. We are an institution – what Peter calls “a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Rev. D.r Larry Hayward preaches on the twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is Acts 1:12-17, 21-26, and is read by Rev. Whitney Fauntleroy.

Rev. Patrick Hunnicutt preaches on the twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is Luke 17:5-10, and is read by Rev. Jacob Bolton.

What can we learn from the Old and New Testaments about some of the issues and structures that vex us today? Pastor Larry Hayward will lead us to take a look at government/politics, class differences, legal traditions, the military and the family and challenge us to think about these structures through the lens of the Old and New Testaments. Week Three: Legal Traditions.

What can we learn from the Old and New Testaments about some of the issues and structures that vex us today? Pastor Larry Hayward will lead us to take a look at government/politics, class differences, legal traditions, the military and the family and challenge us to think about these structures through the lens of the Old and New Testaments. Week Two: Class.

What can we learn from the Old and New Testaments about some of the issues and structures that vex us today? Pastor Larry Hayward will lead us to take a look at government/politics, class differences, legal traditions, the military and the family and challenge us to think about these structures through the lens of the Old and New Testaments. Week One: Government.

I want to ask today why a local church would engage in ministries that seek to improve or change society as a whole or ministries that focus on people who lie beyond the congregation’s membership: people who have spiritual or physical needs, people who may live anywhere in the world, and people who may or may not profess Christian faith. In other words, why does the church give time and attention to people beyond its members? Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is 1 Corinthians 11:17-29, 33-34, and is read by the Rev. Whitney Fauntleroy.

Our primary forebear, John Calvin, opened his massive theological treatise on what Protestants believe – Institutes of the Christian Religion – with these words: “Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God;” followed by, “Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self.” When we learn of the world through all its systems of knowledge, we learn of self and we learn of God; when we learn of God, through liturgy, music, preaching, and teaching, we learn of God and we learn of self. Calvin’s purpose was to show “how [the knowledge of self and the knowledge of God] are interrelated,” we might say “inextricably intertwined.” Our theology and liturgy encompass what we know and experience in the world, in its created beauty and its fallen sadness. Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is 2 Timothy 4:9-13, and is read by the Rev. Whitney Fauntleroy.

A conversation with an award-winning Israeli journalist about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the potential for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Amir Tibon, the Washington correspondent for Haaretz newspaper, Israel’s paper of record, will speak about his work covering the conflict on the ground, and what he has learned about America’s role in the conflict here in Washington. Why has this conflict been so difficult to resolve? How is the United States affecting the situation? And what can be done to create a better future in the region? In his role as Washington correspondent for Haaretz, Amir covers the U.S.-Israel relationship, the Middle East peace process and the American Jewish community. His reporting on Israel and the Middle East has appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Politico Magazine, The New Yorker, The New Republic and other leading U.S. publications. In 2015, he was nominated for a National Magazine Award for a story on the last round of Israeli-Palestinian pea

It struck me that as we kick off our program year this fall, I want to build on sermons I preached last fall – which could be labelled “The Restatement of the Obvious.” I hope that while I will be “restating the obvious,” I will restate it in ways that remind us who we are and why we are here in this congregation of God’s people. I want to begin with “Why Worship?” Why attend church, Sunday morning, nearly every week? Why sing hymns, listen to anthems, speak to God to confess our sins, reflect on our lives, ask God’s forgiveness or help or intervention or comfort or understanding? Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.