"A Sanctuary in the City… Living Faith"

Sermons by The Rev. Christina Westbury (Page 4)

Chrissy has a passion for people. She works to forge connections and encourage community everywhere she goes. A high-energy extrovert, Chrissy loves preaching, teaching, and advocating for community connectedness in the church and in the world. She has a strongly Trinitarian theology focusing on the idea that to be created in the image of the Triune God means to be created to be in dynamic and loving relationship with God and with one another.

Chrissy was called to serve First Presbyterian in August, 2017. This is her first ordained call after graduating from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in May, 2017 with a Master of Divinity degree, a Master of Arts (Religion), and a certificate in Educational Ministry. Before entering seminary, she served as Director of Christian Education at Chapel Lane Presbyterian Church in Midland, MI. Her family includes her husband and partner, Dirk Westbury and their two children, as well as their dog, Bauer, and their cat, Calvin (a seminary stray who “providentially” wandered their way one January). Chrissy was an active member of the LPTS community, serving on the Seminary Council as a student representative, leading the Seminary’s effort to become an Earth Care School, singing in the Seminary choir, heading up the Agape Theater group, serving as a teaching assistant, and as a Student Chapel Coordinator. Outside of school, she loves theatre, books, anything “crafty” and creative, and baking.

She is the recipient of the Norma Rich Merit Scholarship, The Burton Z. Cooper Prize in Constructive Theology, The Melanie Lane Preaching Award, The Bernice Bean and Gladys Kendall Prize for Academic Excellence, and The Fielding Lewis Walker Award in Doctrinal and Historical Theology.

holy spirit as lens to see Jesus

Seeing Jesus

I firmly believe that Christians of good will can disagree on many issues. I will, however, say, as it is written in the Theological Declaration of Barman – one of the confessional documents of the Presbyterian church – that I reject the idea that there are areas of my life that do not belong to Jesus. I reject the idea that I can talk about the life and witness of Jesus, the death and resurrection of Jesus without talking about how it is relevant in every aspect of my life today. And I will suggest that seeing Jesus as Jesus defines himself forces us to ask some difficult questions.

Shall We Dance

Trinity Sunday – Genesis 1:1-2:4a; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Shall We Dance – Our second reading this morning is from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verses 11 through 13. Here, he writes:”Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order. Listen to my appeal. Agree with one another. Live in peace. And the…