sermon

Life’s Newness

Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. May 19, 2019 Text: Revelation 21:6, Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6             Beth Shalom Synagogue sits on Beacon Street in Squirrel Hill. In 1970, this Conservative Jewish congregation embarked on a building campaign. The most impressive result of the building campaign lies in the lower lobby. I took a Palestinian student to Beth Shalom to speak as part of a youth dialogue on Middle East reconciliation, in 1990. When he…

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Throne Workers

Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. May 12, 2019 Text: Revelation 7:15, Acts: 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17             We awakened this morning to a beautiful world. Spring is in the air. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. Our world is a gift. God made it, and it is good. God crowned His creation with humanity. He made humanity in His image and it was good – like the rest of creation. But human goodness leaves much…

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Witnesses

Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. May 5, 2019 Text: Act 2:32, New Testament: I Peter 1:3-9, Acts of the Apostles: 2:14a, 36-41                 How many of us have been in a courtroom to watch a trial? How many of us have watched a courtroom on television? There’s a great difference between watching a courtroom on television and being in a courtroom. Television courtrooms lack the intimacy of experiencing a courtroom. There is nothing like…

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sermon

Joy to Come

Rev. Dr. John J. Lolla, Jr. April 28, 2019 Text: Revelation 1:8, Gospel: Acts 5:27-32, New Testament: Revelation 1:4-8             We’re aware of our human predicament. We love life. Yet we’re aware it will not last. There’s an ending date ahead for all of us. We don’t know when or where that Omega moment will come. But it will come. Will our Omega moment come in an instant, in a flash without our awareness of…

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