Worship Video and Audio, October 10
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, October 10th at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: October 10
(Sunday, October 10 At 11 AM, Hybrid Worship: In-Person and Live-Streamed On Zoom)
Scripture: John 1:1-5 and Genesis 1:1-5
Sermon: "Shaped By Story" by Rev. Mark Harper
For the remainder of the church year, I want to try something a little different, at least for me. I will be drawing on foundational passages from both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament to help us try and listen for the ways God introduces the idea of new, alternative life and a Beloved Community into creation as well as into the lives of those who are paying attention (and maybe even some who are not!). The Bible is complicated, but I think I hear an ongoing hum throughout that is inviting a new song and a new way of life in resistance to the death-dealing Powers of our world. I hope that the passages we listen to together will inspire you to think about others that tell the same story and might speak to you even more powerfully.
October 3 2021
This Sunday, October 3rd, 2021, was very important in the life of Takoma Park Presbyterian Church. Here are some images from that day.
Worship Video and Audio, October 3
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, October 3rd at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
TPPC Donations Spur Food Production in Jiñocuao
In September 2021, TPPC received the final report on the CEPAD-Hurricanes Project that assisted 38 communities in Nicaragua -- including 35 families in our sister parish in Jiñocuao -- to recover from the devastating impact of two back-to-back hurricanes in November.
This Sunday’s Worship: October 3
(Sunday, October 3 At 11 AM, Wold Communion Sunday, Hybrid Worship: In-Person and Live-Streamed On Zoom)
Scripture: Psalm 102:25-27 and Mark 1:16-20
Sermon: "Here We Are Again" by Rev. Mark Harper
I am delighted and humbled to be leading worship with you as your newly called pastor. How appropriate that on our first Sunday together, our Lord has provided a feast of celebration and nourishment for the journey ahead. May God guide us ever closer to the Beloved Community rooted in Jesus' love and compassion.
Grace and peace,
Mark
Worship Video and Audio, September 26
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, September 26 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: September 26
(Sunday, September 26 At 11 AM, Hybrid In-Person and Live-Streamed On Zoom)
"Compassion, Witness and Service: Reflections on Being a Deacon" (Lisa Kiely, Martha Kiger, Madline Morsha-Taylor and Karen Lange)
Our Native Plant Garden
From spring through fall, you will find many species of wild trees, shrubs, flowers, and ferns growing in the Native Plant Garden here at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church. We grow native plants to support the web of life that surrounds and supports us, including mammals, birds, insects, and the plants themselves.
Worship Video and Audio, September 19
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, September 19 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: September 19
(Sunday, September 19 At 11 AM, Live-Streamed On Zoom)
Scripture: Psalm 145:10-18 and Ephesians 3:16-21
Hymns: Today We are Called to Be Disciples; Called as Partners in Christ’s Service; Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!; Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love
Sermon Preview: “Growth from the Roots” by the Rev. John Molina-Moore, General Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery
Worship Video and Audio, September 12
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, September 12 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: September 12
(Sunday, September 12 At 11 AM, Hybrid Worship Live-Streamed On Zoom and in-person)
Scripture: Psalm 133 and Matthew 25:31-40
Hymns: O For a World; Open My Eyes, That I May See; Come Live in the Light
Sermon Preview: Meditations by members of the Committed Racial Mindfulness Ministry
“Every proposed reform, every moral deed, is to be tested by whether and to what extent it contributes to the realization of the Beloved Community…When one cannot find the ‘beloved community,’ she needs to take steps to create it and if there is not evidence of the existence of such a community then the rule to live by is To Act So As To Hasten Its Coming.” - Josiah Royce (founder of the Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Worship Video and Audio, September 5
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, September 5 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: September 5
(Sunday, September 5 At 10 AM, Communion Worship, Hybrid Worship Live-Streamed On Zoom and in-person)
Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16 and Luke 22:14-20
Hymns: Spirit of the Living God; Seek Ye First; Eat This Bread; Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ; Take My Life
Sermon Preview: “A Seat at the Table” by Rev. John Seaman
Today’s worship and Holy Communion service is special. It is called a Ceilidh (pronounced “kaylee”) Service and is based on the Scottish/Gaelic tradition of ceilidhs or informal gatherings of people that provide an opportunity to share food, music, and stories. There is an emphasis on simple hospitality, enjoyment of community, and sharing a meal in such a service. People are invited to greet those on Zoom or around them briefly during the sharing of the peace and are encouraged to learn the name of at least one new person.
Worship Video and Audio, August 29
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, August 29 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: August 29
(Sunday, August 29 At 10 AM, Hybrid Worship Live-Streamed On Zoom and in-person)
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 and John 14:1-6,18-19,25-27
Hymns: Faith Begins by Letting Go; My Shepherd Will Supply My Need; God of Our Life
Sermon Preview: “A Word of Thanks and a Prayer” by Pastor Jim Riesner
“The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” –Walter Brueggemann
This is the last Sunday that Jim Reisner, our Interim Pastor, will be with us.
This Sunday’s Worship: August 22
(Sunday, August 22 At 10 AM, Hybrid Worship Live-Streamed On Zoom and in-person)
Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and Colossians 1:15-20
Hymns: When Morning Gilds the Skies; To God Be the Glory; How Firm a Foundation
Sermon Preview: “Many Waters” by Pastor Jim Riesner
“I’ve been to the mountaintop … I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” --Martin Luther King, Jr., the night before he was assassinated
Worship Video and Audio, August 15
Links to the video and audio of the online worship service held on Sunday, August 15 at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church are now available.
This Sunday’s Worship: August 15
(Sunday, August 15 At 10 AM, Hybrid Worship Live-Streamed On Zoom and in-person)
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-11 and Philippians 4:4-13
Hymns: Our God, Our Help in Ages Past; Jesus, Priceless Treasure; If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee
Sermon Preview:
“A Future with Hope” by Pastor Jim Riesner
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most beloved texts in all of scripture. Its context takes us to a deeper meaning that makes this blessing all the more powerful.