North Decatur Presbyterian Church

This Sunday, we read our last “Good Friday” story from John’s gospel, chapter 19: Jesus is condemned to die. There is nothing just about this judgment. In that way, the judgment upon Jesus is like many of the judgments that we continue to make. Rev. Lewicki preaches about shame, guilt, and scapegoats.

This Sunday, we read another “Good Friday” story from John’s gospel, chapter 18: Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Their interaction reveals a stark contrast between the way of “the world” and the way of Jesus. The contrast is still before us. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

This Sunday, we begin a hard series of stories from John’s gospel that would ordinarily be read on Good Friday. Peter, who has vowed to follow Jesus anywhere, disavows even knowing Jesus. Not once. Three times. How can Peter be such a hypocrite? How indeed. Rev. Lewicki, preaching. 

As we enter the season of Lent, this week’s worship will turn toward the John 11, the story of the raising of Lazarus, in which Jesus encounters the grief and death of his friends even as he turns toward his own. Join us as we listen to how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us to deeper wisdom, tenderness, and courage as we face our fragility.Rev. Mary Anona Stoops, preaching.

We stream live from our Fellowship Hall.  This weekend (2/15), we follow Jesus into yet another encounter. He meets a man who is born blind; Jesus heals his blindness by spitting on the ground and making mud to cover his eyes. The story provokes so many questions—about healing, trust, ability and disability, and about what it means to “see.”Our guest preacher is Avery Arden (they/ze, MDiv) an autistic, genderqueer, leftist minister who lives in Atlanta with their wife and two cats. Most of Avery’s ministry takes place online, and includes a multifaith podcast of transgender stories; affirming liturgy and workshops; and a Disabled AND Blessed YouTube series. Avery is a board member of More Light Presbyterians.

We stream live from our Fellowship Hall again this Sunday as repairs continue to the furnace in the Sanctuary. This weekend, we follow Jesus into another encounter—this time, with a woman who comes to draw water at an ancient well. The conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus is one of the longest in the gospels and she proves a much more formidable conversation partner than the religious leader Nicodemus. She offers us a model for our own encounter with the living water, the source of life. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Pardon the audio quality -- the power is out! We stream live from our Fellowship Hall this Sunday. Our guest preacher is the Rev. Cassandra Henderson. She will be preaching on Micah 6. Rev. Henderson is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Children’s Movement (ICM), a child advocacy organization whose mission is to build a multi-faith grassroots advocacy coalition that works to create a Georgia where all children thrive. She is a graduate of Spelman College and the Candler School of Theology, and is a gifted preacher and community organizer.

We continue to explore who Jesus is through the eyes and pen of the gospel writer John. This Sunday is one of John’s enigmatic stories: Nicodemus visits Jesus at night. The story invites us into reflection about seeing, believing, about light and darkness, about the Spirit’s power, and about the power and scope of Jesus’ love. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.Because of the ice and freezing conditions, worship is on Zoom. 

For MLK weekend, we hear King’s last sermon, delivered on March 31st, 1968 at Washinton’s National Cathedral. We hear what was on King’s heart in the days before his death: ending racism, ending poverty, and ending war. His words are no less impactful today.

We are delighted to welcome our guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, President of Columbia Theological Seminary. Dr. Aloyo will be preaching on Jesus’ first miracle in the gospel of John, turning water into wine at the wedding party in Cana. “The Miracle Begins with What’s Empty” proclaims that in John 2:1–11, Jesus does not begin with abundance, but with the jars that have run dry, calling forth life where there seems to be none. This story invites us to trust that God’s transforming power often starts precisely at the point of exhaustion, turning emptiness into new life, joy, and possibility.

It’s Epiphany, our annual worship service with poetry, music, and Communion! We celebrate the extraordinary gift of poetry this Sunday, with readings in different poetic forms from poets across the world.This year, the readings will focus our attention on Jesus’ first 3 sayings in John’s gospel: “what are you looking for?,” “come and see,” and “follow me.”

Rev. Mary Anona Stoops preaches on Matthew 2: 13-23.

In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.The 4th Sunday of Advent is about the earth. In the first chapter of John’s gospel, every molecule of matter is imbued with divine purpose and presence–the earth itself awaits the fullness of Christ’s coming. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.The 3rd Sunday of Advent is about water. Isaiah invites us to “come to the water” to experience a vision of the world that God is ushering in. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.The 2nd Sunday of Advent opens us unto the air. We hear a story from Ezekiel, who shares a chilling and ultimately hopeful story about a valley of dead bodies brought back to life. By what? By wind, by breath, by Spirit. The air announces Christ’s coming. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

In this Advent, we hear a set of 4 biblical stories that foreground the 4 elements of nature: fire, air, water, and earth. The creation itself appears to witness to and long for God’s arrival. We wait, with heaven and nature, for the joy that is coming to the whole world.Advent begins with fire. We hear a story from Daniel about 3 men whom an evil emperor tries to destroy in a fiery furnace. But God has other plans for these men, for the emperor, and for fire itself. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

Does God have a plan for your life? This Sunday, we gather around the words of the prophet Jeremiah, specifically chapter 29, where he writes to the people who are in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah speaks of God “having a plan” for those people. What, exactly, was that plan? And what lessons–what hope–can we draw from these words for today? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

"For unto us a child is born." For many of you, those words are instantly recognizable. From the pen of Isaiah, they are a prophetic prediction of the birth of… King Hezekiah of Judah! Let’s dig into prophecy this Sunday–both biblical and modern. What was God doing to change the world through the prophets? What IS God doing to change the world through the prophets among us today? Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

We warmly welcome guest preacher Kristen Ivy to the pulpit for both services this Sunday. Ms. Ivy has been a regular teacher this fall at NDPC’s parenting group and in our adult formation classes, helping us learn anew what it looks like to raise children in the Christian faith and center children in the life of our congregation.Kristen earned a Master of Divinity from Mercer University (2009) and began a seventeen-year journey in non-profit work where she played an integral role in developing educational and religious curricula for kids and teenagers. She is the Co-Founder of The Phase Project, a research-led initiative to help adults grow in empathetic understanding of preschool, elementary, and teenage humans.

We celebrate All Saints’ Day this Sunday. At the beginning of worship, we name the saints of NDPC who have passed over into eternal life during the past year. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.