Ronceverte Presbyterian Church

Morning Worship, 2/5/12

2012-02-06T10:21:00.002-05:00

After a chance encounter with a dog carrying his broken chain, I began to wonder if put God is the same position--do we keep God on a chain, forcing God to break free to track us down in the streets? Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 1/22/12

2012-01-23T09:24:00.001-05:00

At this stage in Jesus' life, he is self-assured and completely confident. He calls his first disciples, and they follow...immediately. Do you know that feeling of confident, self-assurance? Have you ever waken up full of awesome? Has it been a while? *This sermon relied on visuals in the sanctuary (pictures of the congregation showing their "awesome" side), which will be lost on this audio

Morning Worship, 1/15/12

2012-01-23T09:02:00.003-05:00

When Jesus emerges from the River Jordan after being baptized by John, God greets him with a mighty affirmation: "You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Surely, that made Jesus feel good, didn't it? How does it make you feel when you are affirmed? How do you affirm others? Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 1/8/12

2012-01-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

Does the story in today's scripture about a boy, a king, and a threatened life sound familiar to you? It should. It certainly would have to the ears of first-century Jewish hearers. And therein lies its meaning. Enjoy!

Penny Lane & Buddy stop by for a visit...

2012-01-03T15:09:00.002-05:00

Our good friend Penny Lane and her little brother Buddy, whom we learn about and from every week in the children's sermon, stopped by over Christmas to say hello. Take a look...

Morning Worship, 1/1/12

2012-01-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

This time of year, folks often make resolutions. Can you think of some common ones? Don't most involve doing more? What if we resolved to do less? What if, like the child Jesus in the temple, we used our freedom to sit with God and listen and learn? *A classic moment unfolded in the Children's Sermon this Sunday. I pointed to the manger scene, which was full last week but now had only a

Audio System Fixed!

2012-01-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed when listening to our services online, or especially through headphones, that the sound was only being played back on one side. Thanks to the talents of audio engineer Craig Johnston, our problem is solved! You can now listen on your computer, stereo, or iPod with sound in "stereo," coming through both sides loud and clear! Thanks, Craig!

Candlelight Worship, 12/18/11

2011-12-19T16:33:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, God chose to come to earth. Why? Because, as God goes to great lengths to show at Christmas especially, God wants to be in relationship with us. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 12/18/11

2011-12-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

If you had the chance to hold the baby Jesus, would you? Most folks jump at the opportunity to hold a cute and cuddly child. But this child...is neither cute nor cuddly. This child will make the wolf and the lamb lie down together. This child is...powerful. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 12/11/11

2011-12-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

Mixed messages abound this time of year. We Christians insist that cashiers in stores wish us "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays," when the very problem is that we've allowed Christmas to be resigned to stores. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 12/4/11

2011-12-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

When I have a goal, I work to reach it. No stopping the smell the roses. When I get in the car to go somewhere, I go. No stopping along the way at tourist attractions. I've heard all of the "life is a journey, not a destination" rhetoric, but I haven't started believing it...yet. Advent is good for people like me, for it teaches us the importance of waiting, of watching, and of listening...

Advent Harp Concert

2011-11-29T11:40:00.001-05:00

To mark the beginning of the Advent season, Leah & Rodger Trent provided an Advent Harp Concert with Scripture readings this past Sunday night. *The recording begins halfway-through the first piece. Our apologies for that. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 11/27/11

2011-11-29T11:11:00.001-05:00

This time of year, it's culturally common for us to utter the words, "Thank you," more often than usual. But what does it mean to be theologically thankful? Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 11/20/11

2011-11-29T10:58:00.001-05:00

For centuries, theologians have been saying that everything is connected. For centuries, no one noticed. Only recently have economists and scientists, for example, begun to jump on the bandwagon. Everything...is... connected! Enjoy!

"Happy Kids" in the Beckley paper!

2011-11-18T07:53:00.001-05:00

A project initiated by our Mission Team in 2010 was featured this week in The Register-Herald (Beckley). The story begins: "The Happy Kids Project is a network of churches, clubs, non-profit organizations, individuals and civic groups working together to aid at-risk youth by providing school-related items for students whose families cannot afford them and assisting students in funding for

Morning Worship, 11/13/11

2011-11-15T09:53:00.001-05:00

The moral of the parable of the talents is simplistically difficult: If you have good news to share, you better share it...or else. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 11/6/11

2011-11-15T09:34:00.001-05:00

Pearl Buck, the great author from West Virginia, once said, “If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” On this All Saints Day, when we remember the saints who have come and gone, leaving behind their lessons to us in the pages of history and in our own memory, let us look back…so that we can look forward. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 10/30/2011

2011-10-31T10:17:00.002-04:00

Our culture conditions us to be first. To be the best. To be served. To win. Christ conditions us to be last. To be our best. To serve. To surrender. Do you see the difference? He turns everything upside down. He doesn’t want us to wear our faith in boxes on fringe; he wants us to live it in our actions by being not the first, but the last. Not the winner, but the one who surrenders.

2011-10-24T09:35:00.003-04:00

One year ago, 33 men were trapped 2,300 feet underground in a Chilean copper mine. The hell they faced is incomprehensible to us. And yet, the hell that has haunted them since then is all too familiar to us. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 10/16/11

2011-10-17T10:05:00.000-04:00

Leslie Clay is a Presbyterian Mission Co-Worker in Nicaragua along with her husband, Carl Agsten. Originally from Charleston, she's back in West Virginia for a few weeks to tell the story of her mission work. Here, she preaches on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 9/25/11

2011-09-26T10:19:00.002-04:00

This week concludes my sermon series on the book of Jonah. After finding his way out of the belly of the beast, Jonah relents to God's call and goes over 500 miles to Nineveh. Despite his worst prophetic efforts, the people listen to Jonah...and he is angered at God. Why? And what message does God give in response to Jonah? Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 9/18/11

2011-09-26T10:18:00.001-04:00

Do you know the story of Jonah and whale? I thought I knew it all: Jonah was sentenced to the belly of the beast as punishment for a crime. But the more I read this story, the more I question that traditional reading. Why did Jonah end up in the belly of the beast? Enjoy!

Block Party Pictures

2011-09-20T11:54:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday we hosted a Block Party at the church. Check it out!

Morning Worship, 9/11/11

2011-09-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

"Where were you on 9/11?" Most people remember, and rightfully so; 9/11 was a monumental mile-marker in the life of our country and the world. But perhaps the more important question is, "Where did 9/11 lead you?" May the Lord bless and keep you.

Worship on the Greenbrier River, 8/28/11

2011-08-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we gathered at the Greenbrier River for worship to celebrate the sacrament of baptism and receive a new member. What a blessing it was! Whether you couldn't make it or would like to remember the special day you can see below for a few pics taken by our Clerk of Session, Kay Smith.

Morning Worship, 8/14/11

2011-08-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

Jesus says, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Our mouths are full of vile vulgarities. If we were to see ourselves on video, we would hear ourselves saying things our mothers would slap us for saying. Idiot. Dummy. Hippie. Gay. Crazy. Redneck. “It is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 8/7/11

2011-08-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

I confess that for the past few weeks I’ve been in a spiritual rut, of sorts. Each time I go to pray, I can’t seem to find the right words. Each time I open the Bible, I can’t seem to find the message. Each time I look for the face of God in the world, I can’t seem to see past my own hand. Have you ever found yourself in a spiritual rut? Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 7/31/11

2011-08-01T11:11:00.002-04:00

The Bible contains numerous types of literature--poetry (Psalms), law (Leviticus), biography (Gospels), letters (Romans). But it also contains one non-traditional type--the soap opera. The story of Jacob & Esau is a soap opera of biblical proportions, and it comes to a surprising conclusion... Enjoy!

Morning Worship, 7/24/11

2011-07-25T10:28:00.002-04:00