Bethesda United Church of Christ

Sermons

Taming the Tongue; Rev. Dee Ledger, September 12, 2021

James 3:1-12

Fresh water… it is something that is sorely lacking in many parts of the world.  Something that we sometimes, maybe often, take for granted.  Water that we use for drinking, bathing, and cleaning dishes or clothes.  Water that we do not have to travel very far to get; water that is available upon demand—our demand. … [Read More]

Doers of the Word; Rev. Dee Ledger, August 29, 2021

James 1:17-27

The German religious reformer, Martin Luther, famously called the Epistle of James “an epistle of straw” in comparison to the other books of the New Testament canon. In theological language, Luther believed that one was justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone.   He called this sola fide, or faith alone.  He relegated the epistle of… [Read More]

Put on the PPE of God; Rev. Dee Ledger; August 22, 2021

Ephesians 6:10-20

Perhaps you remember singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” or “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” as a child.  Or maybe you have some vague recollection of the terms “church militant” or the “church triumphant” from a church liturgy in a Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, or other setting.  Or maybe you remember learning in some long-ago bible study… [Read More]

An Understanding Mind; Rev. Dee Ledger, August 15, 2021

1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14 and Ephesians 5:15-20

While I was at Divinity School, a friend of mine from high school came to see me.  At the time, I was living in one of the oldest dormitories still in constant use in the country.  It had housed such famous students as Horatio Alger and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  We knew this because there were… [Read More]