Posts by Sarah Lloyd
Sweat Equity
Sweat Equity Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD 21201 October 4, 2020 Gospel Matthew 21:33-46 33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants…
Read MoreLively Commentary
Lively Commentary Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First &Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD 21201 October 25, 2020 Matthew 22:34-39 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to…
Read MoreRender Unto God
Render Unto God Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD 21201 October 18, 2020 Gospel Matthew 22:15-22 15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and…
Read MoreReal Hunger & Real Thirst
Real Hunger & Real Thirst Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD 21201 October 11, 2020 Gospel Matthew 22:1-14 1Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves…
Read MoreThe Students Left Behind by Remote Learning by Alec MacGillis, in The New Yorker & ProPublica
Many of you know Alec MacGillis, a regular at First & Franklin Presbyterian Church. On Monday, September 28, The New Yorker published a piece he wrote about a young person he met at our church. Before long, Alec became this young person’s mentor. I think you will find his thinking lucid, challenging, and heartfelt. Here…
Read MorePower Grab or Gift of Power?
Power Grab or Gift of Power? Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD September 27, 2020 Philippians 2:1-13 1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the…
Read MoreLate in the Day
Late in the Day Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore, MD September 20, 2020 Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for her vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, she sent…
Read MoreWhy is Love Important?
Day 5 of the school year on Zoom: Why is Love Important? Distance education for small children poses real hardships, too many to count, but even these contexts are not without their moments of light-hearted humor and maybe, if given an opportunity, some wisdom along the way. A teacher posed this question, Why is Love…
Read MoreA Note from Rob
Our daily lives have been turned upside down as a result of the pandemic. At the end of my run this morning, I saw a woman pulling into the parking lot of the Mt. Royal Elementary School. She had two children with her. If I had to guess, I would say that she was a…
Read MoreMorning Prayer 091120
Meditation “Maybe I was praying for him then, in my own way. Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people– lots of people– pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they…
Read MoreFirst & Franklin Cocktails and Things About Cats
If you’re looking for some casual fellowship, join us on September 11 at 7 p.m. for First & Franklin’s Cocktail Hour . . . our theme, which we will hold loosely, is “Things About Cats . . .” BYO story about a cat, joke about a cat, poem about a cat, something about a cat.…
Read MoreMorning Prayer 091020
Meditation “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . If, in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all people the most miserable. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for those who love him.” What…
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