HMC Blog

The Tower of Babel

hmcblogadmin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:06:33 +0000

Here is an opportunity to being the conversation for the sermon on February 14, 2010. The following represents the questions that the sermon team is wrestling with this week:

Scriptures: Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 3:1-13

What is the problem/sin of building the tower?

Is the confusion of languages and the dispersion of people a punishment or a push to fulfill a vision?

How do we experience the challenges of language today?

Is the “gift of tongues” on the day of Pentecost signal the reversal of the “curse of Babel?”

What does the gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost and in the early church represent? How do we experience this gift today?

Genesis Readings for 2010 Sermon Series

hmcblogadmin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:03:54 +0000

The readings for each week of the January – February 2010 series:

Date	Scripture	Focus
January 3	Genesis 1:1-25; 2:4-17	Creation of the World
January 10	Genesis 1:26-31; 2:15-25	Creation of Humanity
January 17	Genesis 2:1-3	Creation of the Sabbath
January 24	Genesis 3:1-13; 4:1-16	The Fall
January 31	Genesis 6:1-9:28	The Flood
February 7	Church School Sunday
February 14	Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-13	Tower of Babel

Christmas to Lent Worship Series

hmcblogadmin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:53:19 +0000

The worship focus from January 3 through February 14 will be a study of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. This section at the beginning of the Bible is often referred to as the “pre-history” section of the scripture. It begins with two accounts of creation (chapters 1 and 2) and leads up to the call of Abraham and Sarah (chapter 12). It includes familiar stories like “the fall,” Noah and the ark, and the tower of Babel.

Families and individuals are encouraged to engage in this study beyond the Sunday morning worship experience. This could include any or all of the following: 1) Read Genesis 1-11 in one setting. 2) Read the scripture for the coming Sunday each day and write down the thoughts and questions that come to your mind. 3) Write down new thoughts, reflections or ongoing questions that you have after the worship service. 4) Reflect on these scriptures in your family setting, Sunday school class or other group that you gather with regularly. 5) Create a drawing, write a poem or a song that expresses your experience of the story and share that with at least one other person.

A part of the experience of this study in worship will be an “experiment” in preaching. Rather than the traditional one person preaching, there will be two to five persons sharing together out of their study and reflections on the scripture. The persons who will be sharing in this “experiment” are: John C. Murray, Ryan Kopper, Brooke Gugal, Cody Zabroski and Jan Erb. Each Sunday at least two of these persons will be sharing with the congregation.