North Decatur Presbyterian Church

Sin. Salvation. Two of the most loaded words in the Christian theological vocabulary. No ideas have twisted our tradition into more knots than these two. On Sunday, Rev. Lewicki will pick at these knots and pull out strands to see if we can release these words into a different meaning–a meaning that is rooted in the Scripture and free of the distortions of our ancestors Augustine and Luther.

What do we mean when we baptize someone? What is God doing in this weird water ritual? Why do we eat Communion often in the church, but only take a bath once? Rev. David Lewicki explores the meaning of baptism.

Rev. David Lewicki explores the basic idea behind the Christian celebration of Communion. What’s the point of this quirky little meal? What difference does it make? We will celebrate Communion together (of course)!

In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” What is the source of this light, and how do we allow it to shine through us? We will especially consider the role that aging plays in freeing us to bear Christ’s light to the world.Mary Anona Stoops, Preaching.

This is a terrifying political season. Much of America has lost confidence in its aging president and thrown its support behind a former president who is a convicted felon and rapist who also led an attempt to overthrow the government. No matter which party you support ideologically, our nation feels betrayed by our political leaders and hopelessly divided. What's a follower of Jesus to do in this moment? Rev. David Lewicki will preach on the subject and following worship, invites everyone who wishes to remain in the sanctuary for conversation about how we find purpose and agency in these complicated days.

Rev. Lewicki preaches on "What do we mean when we say 'Jesus'?" The world--and even the church!--is full of different ideas of who Jesus was and what Jesus means. Do you ever find that difference disorienting? Yet, how you understand Jesus has a deep impact on the direction of your faith. Is he a model for how to live a human life? The atoning sacrifice for sin? Who does NDPC say that Jesus is? Who do you say that he is? Join the conversation this Sunday in worship.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own cult? If you could start your own religion--call it “me-ism”--what would you believe in? How would you worship if you were the one in charge? Who would get to be in your religion? How would decisions be made--would it all be up to you… would anyone else have a voice? Rev. David Lewicki preaching.

With Rev. Lewicki traveling this week, we are delighted to welcome NDPC clergy affiliate the Rev. Bobbie Wrenn Banks to the pulpit. Her sermon is titled Bridge Over Deep Water, and the texts we will read is Psalm 46:1-5, 10-11; Matthew 14:22-33.

10.15.23. People laugh at Presbyterians because we say we like things “decent and in order.” We do need to loosen up. After all, there’s a lot about God in Scripture that is truly wild. This Sunday, we look at one of the wildest prophets, Ezekiel, and compare his writing to an ecological movement known as “re-wilding,” and we ask whether the church isn’t due for some re-wilding ourselves. Rev. Lewicki, preaching.

10.8.23. Rev. Lewicki walks us through the story of Noah and the Ark. We love to read it to children… but look again. Is this really a children’s story? It’s a story that addresses the most difficult aspects of human nature and our relationship with the earth. It’s particularly powerful to read in a moment of climate catastrophe.

10.1.23. Rev. Lewicki explores the two creation stories in Genesis. What happens when we look at the world as it is imagined in these two stories? What do they tell us about what the earth and human beings are made for? What might need to change in the ways that we occupy the land that God creates for us all?

9.24.23. In Joshua, God promises God’s people land–and God’s people murder the land’s inhabitants, divide it up, and occupy it. It was a devastating pattern replicated in the Americas–and right here in Georgia. It’s time to reimagine our spiritual relationship to land–to undo the damage of ideologies of occupation and to imagine how to truly share the “promised land.” Rev. Lewicki preaches.

9.19.23. In the book of Joshua, God seems to direct Joshua to conduct a divinely-sanctioned ethnic cleansing in order to make room for God’s people in the Promised Land. It’s one of the most chilling books in scripture. Why would we even read it? As we begin exploring our annual theme, Making Room, Rev. Lewicki sees Joshua as a powerful place to begin our reflection about how complicated and spiritually-demanding this process of “making room” can be in practice.

9.10.23. We begin the new church year with an exploration of our ’23-’24 theme: Making Room. As a person of faith, we are consistently invited by God to make room: for guests at our table, for refugees in our community, for spiritual practices in our busy lives, for… God. It’s harder than it sounds. Over the coming year, we will explore this theme and respond to God’s invitation to make room.

8.27.23. God lives in the congregation.

8.20.23. If you want to learn something about a person, we often ask, “where are you from?” Where we are from says something about us–what formed us, the shape of the world seen from that place. What happens if we ask that same question of God: where are you from? The answers, drawn from Scripture, are surprising, and they teach us about the character of the God who loves us and about how we can love God back. Rev. Lewicki preaches a four week series.

8.13.23. If you want to learn something about a person, we often ask, “where are you from?” Where we are from says something about us–what formed us, the shape of the world seen from that place. What happens if we ask that same question of God: where are you from? The answers, drawn from Scripture, are surprising, and they teach us about the character of the God who loves us and about how we can love God back. Rev. Lewicki preaches a four week series.

8.6.23. If you want to learn something about a person, we often ask, “where are you from?” Where we are from says something about us–what formed us, the shape of the world seen from that place. What happens if we ask that same question of God: where are you from? The answers, drawn from Scripture, are surprising, and they teach us about the character of the God who loves us and about how we can love God back. Rev. Lewicki preaches a four week series.

7.30.23. Essential Wisdom.

7.23.23. Responding to God's Gifts.