Messages
My grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Plumer Smith, was a Presbyterian missionary to the Belgian Congo for 43 years, retiring in 1956. My mother Ruth Gilmer was born on Mutoto station, in the Congo. My mother passed on to me what her father Plumer told her: "If someone asks you to speak, say ‘Yes.’" So it was, that some dozen or so years ago, I was asked by the late Mrs. Ruth Martin, a faithful member of our Bible Study class, if I would speak at Grace Chapel in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, that summer. I said "Yes." I have been blessed to be asked to return there, and to speak on occasion elsewhere in the area. Those messages are listed below.
- God Can Bless Our Shortcomings July 21, 2002
- Stewardship of Power July 6, 2003
- Keeping Faith in the Age of Science August 3, 2003
- Jonathan and David September 12, 2004
- Our Father’s World July 31, 2005
- Prayer: It’s not Magic August 13, 2006
- When God Calls August 12, 2007
- Responding to God’s Gifts July 27, 2008
- Good News from Jeremiah August 2, 2009
- Promises, Our’s and God’s July 11, 2010
- Big Gifts August 29, 2010
- From Discouragement to Hope August 26, 2012
- God Is On Your Side August 25, 2013
- If You're Happy and You Know It August 14, 2014
- Creation, Old and New May 31, 2015
- Be Not Discouraged August 23, 2015
- Giants in the Earth June 21, 2015
- God’s Promises April 3, 2016
- Coveting: a victimless sin? August 28, 2016
- What is Most Valuable May 7, 2017
- Paul to Corinth and Us August 27, 2017
- Giving Thanks November 19, 2017
- Thinking About Our Heroes August 5, 26, 2018
- Standing on Holy Ground August 25, 2019
- Concerning God and Taxes March 8, 2020
- The Righteous Shall Live by Faith August 30, 2020
- Praise for Missions October 25, 2020
- In the Garden Easter Morning April 11, 2021
- The Sower August 29, Sept 19, 2021
- For All the Saints November 7 2021 U-tube video of the service
- Our Freedom in Christ August 28, 2022
- The Good Mother May 14, 2023 U-Tube video of the service
- Barnabus - Son of Encouragement August 27, 2023
- Hope in Difficult Times November 12, 2023 U-Tube video of service
- Labor Day - Workers and Talents September 1, 2024 U-tube video of service
- Hope in a World of Chaos October 13, 2024 U-tube video of the service
- Veteran's Day - Jonathan and David November 10, 2024 U-tube video of the service
As I was compiling this list and editing the various documents to put them into a proper .pdf format, I find that I do seem to keep coming back to familiar passages, and familiar themes. I can't escape the power of the Elijah story, reinforced by the blessing of Mendelssohn’s oratorio. I seem to keep coming back to Paul’s words to the Romans, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. And I seem to repeatedly find myself concluding with Jesus’s words at the conclusion of the Revelation of John, inviting all who will to partake of the water of life. I have been blessed by these words, and I hope that others will be as well.
Bible Study
The Coronavirus Emergency means that we could not meet on Sundays for Bible Study. But, that doesn't mean we can't study the Bible! The following are some documents where I wrote down thoughts on some of the passages we have been studying. Later we were able to meet as the emergency subsided a bit. I kept these up for those who could could not attend. As of May 30, 2021, the emergency was subsiding. Normal class sessions resumed in a normal manner in the fall.
- Thoughts about Micah March 22 2020
- About Malachi March 29, 2020
- Isaiah and the Servant of the Lord April 5, 2020
- Easter and Resurrection April 12, 2020
- Some Thoughts concerning the Book of Esther April 19, 2020
- From Isaiah: God's pronises of Covenant and Community April 26, 2020
- On Zepheniah May 3, 2020
- Zechariah - Coming Blessings May 10, 2020
- Jeremiah: Prophets, Kings and People May 17, 2020
- More Contemplation about Jeremiah May 24, 2020
- Hosea Models Gods Love May 31, 2020
- Considering Proverbs June 7, 2020
- Proverbs 2 June 14, 2020
- Proverbs 8 The Value of Wisdom June 21, 2020
- Proverbs 9 Wisdoms Feast June 28, 2020
- Matthew 11 and Wisdom> July 5, 2020
- The Boy Jesus July 12, 2020
- Jesus Visits Nazareth July 19, 2020
- Jesuss Wisdom in John July 26, 2020
- James and Wisdom August 2, 2020
- James - Hearing and Doing August 9, 2020
- James - Faith and Works August 16, 2020
- James and the Tongue August 23, 2020
- Two Wisdom Examples from James August 30, 2020
- Joseph Dreams September 6, 2020
- Joseph and Pharaoh September 13, 2020
- Joseph Sees his Brothers Again September 20, 2020
- Joseph and Brothers Reconciled September 27, 2020
- Jonathan and David October 4, 2020
- Love your enemies October 11, 2020
- The Good Samaritan October 18, 2020
- On God's Love October 25, 2020
- Loving by Serving November 1, 2020
- Abiding Love November 8, 2020
- Confident Love November 15, 2020
- Sharing Love November 22, 2020
- Impartial Love November 29, 2020
- Called Through Heritage December 6, 2020
- Called Before Birth December 13, 2020
- A Regal Response to Holy Light December 20, 2020
- Called to Prepare the Way December 27, 2020
- Called to Proclaim January 3, 2021
- Called to Significance January 10, 2021
- Called to Heal January 17, 2021
- Called as Intercessor January 24, 2021
- Prophesying Daughters January 31, 2021
- Called to Evangelize February 7, 2021
- Mary Magdalene February 14, 2021
- Priscilla February 21, 2021
- Lydia February 28, 2021
- Prophets and Moses March 7, 2021
- Joshua and Conquest March 14, 2021
- Huldah and Jerusalem in the time of Josiah March 21, 2021
- Elijah March 28, 2021
- Isaiah April 4, 2012
- Ezra and the Law April 11, 2021
- Nehemiah Rebuilds the Wall April 18, 2021
- Lamentations April 25, 2021>
- Micaiah May 2, 2021
- Isaiah of Jerusalem May 9, 2021
- Jeremiah at the Siege of Jerusalem May 16, 2021
- Ezekiel in Babylon May 23, 2021
- Johah in Nineveh May 30, 2021
- Bartimaeus Calls on Jesus September 19, 2021
- Praise of God at Pentecost September 26, 2021
- Make a Joyful Noise October 3, 2021
- Praise God for Justice and Righteousness October 10, 2021
- Give Thanks for DeliveranceOctober 17, 2021
- The Joy of WorshipOctober 24, 2021
- Praise God with Music October 31, 2021
- All People praise God November 7, 2021
- Praise for God November 14, 2021
- Rejoicing in Heaven November 21, 2021
- Justice and Obedience to the Law December 5, 2021
- David and Mephibosheth December 12, 2021
- Hagar and Ishmael Not ForgottenJanuary 9, 2022
- The Laws of Justice and MercyJanuary 16, 2022
- Justice, Judges, and Priests January 23, 2022
- Justice and the Marginalized January 30, 2022
- Nathan Condemns David February 6, 2022
- Ezra Seeks God February 13, 2022
- Bildad Misunderstands Gods Justice February 20, 2022
- Serving a Just God February 28, 2022
- Babylonian Captivity Ends March 6, 2022
- Celebrate Passover Liberation March 13, 2022
- Freedom to Worship March 20, 2022
- Lest We Forget March 27, 2022
- Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem April 3, 2022
- The Passover with the Disciples April 10, 2022
- Freedom in Jesus Christ April 24, 2022
- Freedom from Sin May 1, 2022
- Freedom for the Future May 8 2022
- Freedom and the Law May 15, 2022
- Christian Freedom May 22, 2022
- The Spiritual Fruit of Freedom May 28, 2022