February 9 Worship: "Then It Will Be My Duty: Abraham Lincoln and the 1864 Election"

Some of us braved the cold (and after the service began, snow) for the annual Lincoln Sunday worship service.  Despite the rather dreary morning, the music was spirited -- especially the choir's anthem, an arrangement of a spiritual, "New Born Again" and the closing "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

In between, the heart of the service was the Lincoln sermon, an examination of leadership in times of crisis.  The first half of the sermon wove together two stories: Lincoln's fear in the summer of 1864 that he might lose reelection that fall and the prophet Elijah's emotional confrontations with the evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  The second half considered what the lessons of this prophetic leadership might be for the significant challenges of our time, especially in the church.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.