The shortest verse in the Bible used to be John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” This verse was a friend to every child who ever had to compete in a Sunday school memory verse contest. Alas, the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible changed the verb tense from “Jesus wept” to “Jesus began to weep,” and doubled the length of the verse. What will the kids do now? A better question is, “What are those tears for?” Take a look at this interpretation of the raising of Lazarus by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. What does his body language, left hand raised, right hand gathering his robe into a fist at his hip, say about Jesus’s mood? I showed this Rembrandt etching to a congregation I served in North Carolina,
Click here or on the image to be redirected to our worship service for the fifth Sunday in Lent.
We're worshiping online this Sunday. Find us at our YouTube channel at 10:00 AM CDT. We'll share the service to our Facebook page and to this blog later Sunday. The video has all the details.
The monks and nuns of old isolated themselves from human society. Think of the stay-at-home order we’re under as a mandate to live a semi-monastic lifestyle for the next month. In the fourth century a monk named Evagrius identified eight bad thoughts that bedeviled monks and nuns in their struggle for perfection. Sometimes Evagrius would personify a bad thought as a demon. As we shelter in place, we would do well to beware of what Evagrius called “the noonday demon.” This fellow makes it seem as though the sun were standing still, and every day lasted 50 hours! He tempts us to check our watches or phones constantly to see if it’s dinnertime yet. Our apartments or houses come to feel like pri
We can't gather in-person, but we will gather online this Sunday at 10:00 AM! Pastor Marvin will preach on Jesus's gifts of eyesight and insight. A small and mighty team of musicians will help us praise God. Check out the video for more details:
Our minister and worship leaders will stream Sunday worship though our YouTube channel on March 22 at 10:00 AM. Just search for us on YouTube: First Presbyterian Church - Columbia MO. The service will be uploaded to our Facebook page shortly afterward. Find us on Facebook: @fpccolumbia. Grace and peace to you! Marvin
You can now find Pastor Wally's Wednesday evening presentations on the Enneagram on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. Download the Zoom app and join the meeting here. Wally's talk on the Givers and the Performers begins Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 PM.
Check out this handy PDF from our Board of Deacons. It contains encouraging words for living through this Coronavirus season. It also explains how we will continue to worship and care for each other.
Dear friends, I wanted to touch base with you about Sunday worship. As of now, both the 9:30 and 11:00 services are on for Sunday, March 15. That said, there are several groups of people who should not attend Sunday worship: If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, do not attend worship. Call your doctor, and call us so that we can lift you up in prayer. If you are over the age of 70, we discourage you from attending worship. If you have a chronic or underlying health condition (heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, etc.), we discourage you from attending worship. If your immune system is compromised for any reason, do not attend worship. We will live-stream both services on Facebook. Find
Dear friends, Please make note of the following changes to our schedule: Thursday's Medicaid expansion event has been postponed until this summer. A specific date will be decided later. Saturday Cafe has been canceled for the rest of the month of March. Saturday's Trivia Night to benefit our Youth Ministry has been postponed. It will be rescheduled later. Tuesday's COGA event, "The Life and Times of the Apostle Paul," has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. Wally Landrum's presentation on the Enneagram next Wednesday, March 18, is still on, however, dinner will not be served that evening. As of now worship will still occur Sunday at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. We are adding ch
We're thankful for our relationship with the True/False Film Fest! Every year 16 Hitt Street becomes a place where the people from the world over come together and, through the medium of cinema, engage in meaningful conversations about our community and our world.
We're striving to be a place where the community can find renewed health and wholeness:
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for self-discovery and transformation. Join us on Wednesdays through April 8 and find out more!
