Leaves of Grace
Reflections and Sermons from the Burke Presbyterian Church Community

Beth Braxton
August 30, 2009

James 1:  17–27
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Introduction to the scripture:
 
The book of James is known as a book of moral exhortations, the five chapters are a moral discourse for the early Christian community. Out of 108 verses in this small book of the Bible, there are 59 imperatives. These are noted as the moral imperatives of […]

Continue reading “Practice What You Preach” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
August 23, 2009
Genesis 2.7-9, 15-17, 3.1-13, 22-24
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We all know what this story is about, right?
 
The Fall… Our pew Bibles call it “the first sin and its punishment”… Original sin… that state of being that we all take part in by simply being […]

Continue reading “You Will Be Like God” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
July 26, 2009
Genesis 15:1-6
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
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Paul Jones remembers the day that he found faith—or perhaps I should say, the day faith found him.
By the time I heard the story, at a conference in Colorado, Paul Jones was a seminary trained theologian and ordained monk in the Trappist order. Over the course of his […]

Continue reading “By Faith” »

Deryl Fleming
July 19, 2009
Mark 6: 30-32, 45-46
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Anyone here need a break?  If not, I suspect it’s because you’ve had one.  On Monday the Washington Post carried a long article on the West Wing’s “grueling schedules and bleary eyes”.  When the White House mess opens at 7:00 a.m. a line of staffers who have already been […]

Continue reading “Give Me a Break” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
July 12, 2009
Mark 4:35-41
Job 38:1-11
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Many of you asked me this spring whether there would be a sermon series this summer like the Harry Potter one and the Children’s Lit one. And as you can see, I decided not to do one. I gave it a lot of thought, and nothing really felt authentic […]

Continue reading “Out of the Whirlwind” »

Deryl Fleming
July 5, 2009
II Corinthians 12:2-10
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I suspect no one in this room has a literal thorn in the flesh.  I remember having one under a nail and in so deep I couldn’t dislodge it.  I probably prayed as in O M G, but I also found my way to an ER where a doctor removed […]

Continue reading “Grace Sufficient” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
June 21, 2009
John 9
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If you could ask God any question, what would it be?
Of all the mysteries in all the world, what would you bring to God to be opened up and explained?
My guess is that a fair number of you would ask some question about how a loving and just God can […]

Continue reading “And Now I See” »

Beth Braxton
June 14, 2009
Job 12:7-10
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Yes, the earth’s is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof and the world and those who dwell therein! We are all connected on this planet earth like one big spider web.   And we are consumers, natural consumers, that is, we consume plants and animals to live - for our  nourishment; we […]

Continue reading “What Do They Teach?” »

Beth Braxton
May 31, 2009
Acts 2:  1–21
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INTRO TO SCRIPTURE:
The disciples you will remember were told by Jesus to wait and pray.  But as good Jews, living within twenty miles of Jerusalem, they were bound to attend the Jewish festival of Pentecost. Pentecost means “The fiftieth”, another name was the Feast of Weeks. It was so called […]

Continue reading “Our Own Native Language” »

Beth Braxton
May 17, 2009
John 15: 9-17
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I remember the playground recess years when I was 10, 11 years old.  There would be wonderful weather like this in Atlanta and we would choose up sides for a game of softball.  Of course, the two boys who were the best players were captains and then one by one […]

Continue reading “I Chose You” »