King Avenue UMC Sermons: Recent Episodes
Pastors, King Ave UMC
January 26 John Keeny Wisdom for Life: Do Something Philippians 2:12-13 Proverbs 6:6-11*
January 19 Human Relations Day Wisdom for Life: Let Go of Lesser Things Colleen Ogle Proverbs 22:3
January 12 Baptism of the Lord Wisdom for Life: Cultivate Your Heart Colleen Ogle Luke 19:12-26 Proverbs 3:1-2, 4:23*
November 24 Christ The King Mercer Scholarship Offering John Keeny Philippians 4:4-9 Psalm 100*
October 6 World Communion Sunday John Keeny I Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Ephesians 4:25-5:2*
August 18 Special Offering Humanitarian Aid Border Colleen Ogle Romans 8:18-25 Psalm 107*
Sorry for the delay! Technical difficulties in our normal route of audio recording, but I was able to extract the audio from the YouTube video recording! Please enjoy...
March 31 John Keeny Romans 12:1-13 Romans 12:14-21*
March 10 First Sunday in Lent Daylight Saving Time Begins John Keeny Genesis 3:1-7 Romans 5:18-21*
John Keeny's response to United Methodist Church Special General Conference in St. Louis.
March 3 Transfiguration Communion John Keeny Luke 9:28-31 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2*
“I’m not going to presume to know how LGBTQI+ feel, or tell you what you should do. We don’t just look bad - We ARE bad. I find myself being embarrassed to call myself a United Methodist, but I’m proud to say that I serve King Avenue Church. We have hurt LGBTQI+ people even more. We are called to love the good AND hat the evil. If you only love the good, you’re sentimental. If you only hate the evil, you just become a damn good hater. I’m tempted to hate the United Methodist Church and be a damn good hater. But there is a lot of good that is happening that we should love. ⅔ of the United States delegates voted for inclusion. That’s good. We are NOT alone. We are called to love the good.
Very little will happen TO us. King Avenue is still a safe place to come and worship. We will still host the CGMC Joy Concert, and Cap Pride Band. We’ll still have a rummage sale, tutor children, sing songs, ring bells, make bologna sandwiches for the poor, put on shows… There will be no tangible effect except for the hurt.
The scripture passage is Luke 9:28-43a. The Transfiguration.
Jesus suffered death in the hands of the authorities, but was resurrected through the hands of God. Resurrection follows death. Something has to die in order to be resurrected or reborn. If you want to be re-born into sobriety, you have to first die to your addiction. This is not just about physical death, but dying to old ways.
Our tendency is to hold on tightly to something that is known, even when it should die. The same is true of the church. By resisting death, we resist new life. We need to prepare for new life by allowing the United Methodist denomination as it is to die. If we try to save the church at all costs, aren’t we preventing the resurrection of a new denomination?
At General Conference, I looked over the delegates and realized that I was witnessing the death of the United Methodist Church. And it gave me hope. We are Easter people. In the transfiguration, Jesus gave the disciples a view of hope - bright, full of light and life.
Watch this video of JJ Warren who captures the bright future of our younger generation speaking at General Conference. His passion, light, and life allows us to get a glimpse of the future of our church if we don’t hold them back. Shouldn’t we let the old church die to make way for this new life?
I doubt there’s a future for the United Methodist Church - But a Wesleyan Church or a Reconciling Methodist Church has a BRIGHT FUTURE, a ministry into the world between this vision and into the future. We need to practice resurrection - Not by being passive, but by actively working towards it. We can build a new expression of inclusive Methodism.”
Sermon from 2004... This sermon by Rev. Don Wallick followed a previous UMC General Conference held in Pittsburgh. Although the "incompatibility clauses" in the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline were added in 1972, progressive and reconciling churches have been working hard for the past 10-15 years to remove those passages. This sermon was delivered to an uncertain and hurt congregation. Thank you, Don.
NNEMAP Special Offering John Keeny Deuteronomy 28:15-24 Isaiah 40:1-11*
When we talk about God, which God are we talking about? Authoritarian God (angry & punishing), critical God (angry & absent), distant God (noncommittal & absent), or benevolent God (loving & graceful & present)? When we pray “Our Father who art in heaven...,” what does the word “Father” conjure up in our minds? God is... parent, light, love, creator, sustainer, potter, all-knowing, all-giving, still small voice, shepherd, rock, burning bush, the great I am, mysterious. What we know of God is a fraction of who God is, indescribable. What God understands about us - immense. To help us understand God, play with the word “God.” Helps us to expand our understanding. Jesus did that. He described God and defined God, but didn’t confine God. God is bigger than our small understanding, words, dogmas, creeds. What we see in Jesus helps us to understand God more fully, in all of God’s complexity and in more facets and connotations. Talking about God helps us experience God. Consider the metaphor of God as the sea. Even we experience the sea in its ebb and flow, the sea remains the sea.
February 3 Communion Colleen Ogle Matthew 5:38-48
Speaking the same words sometimes don’t have the same meaning to everyone in the conversation. How do we talk about our beliefs? We are reluctant to have spiritual conversations. Avoiding using religious terms makes those words disappear. The concepts relating to those terms disappear. We lose the ability to talk about our spiritual beliefs. Those realities fall away. Our language reflects our perspective. English uses active language where it’s clear who is responsible. But words such as atonement, redemption, and resurrection are not being used anymore. We try to protect words, we define them and set them in stone. This creates a circumstance where if you agree, you’re in and when you don’t agree, you’re out. We don’t explore the word, but fossilize the word in the past. We sometimes use a bridge word as a substitute in order not to alienate someone. But that causes the word to disappear. A quandary! Give yourself permission to play with a word with its different perspective, meanings, and connotation. Keep words alive. Use them. Words are important. “Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." Words are important. Especially when paired with experiences and actions.
January 27 Colleen Ogle Deuteronomy 24:10-15 Matthew 20:1-16*
The preaching text is Matthew 20:1-16. What is the Kingdom of Heaven like? The parable of the workers in the vineyard. This story is one of resentment when some receive blessings through lifelong devotion to the law towards those who receive blessings through Grace. The workers in the story think there was a breach in justice. They believe in equal pay for equal work, and those who came later didn’t do the same work. The landowner believed in a living wage.People don’t all the same circumstances when it comes to what they bring to the Work of the Kingdom. There are stumbling blocks (like prejudice) that get in the way for some to do the Work, but all have the ability to contribute. There’s value in ALL people and in the dignity of work. MLK Jr. spoke of shifting our thinking from thing-oriented to people-oriented. This shift in management focus shows dignity and value in all people and their chance to earn a living wage. Mercy and kindness. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This is not a political statement, but rather a spiritual one. This speaks to God’s message of value, grace, and mercy for all God’s children.
January 13 Baptism of the Lord John Keeny Isaiah 43:1-7 Mark 10:35-45*
What was Jesus’s understanding of His baptism? He was already Jewish, and was already clean from sin. He got into the water with the sinners in order to become one with them. He took on sin to bring people back. Jesus’s whole life is a redemption ministry. Sometimes redemption ministry requires suffering, sacrifice, and getting dirty. Are we willing to be baptized into that ministry? Jesus’ redemptive ministry was His choice. Our participation in it is also a choice. MLK Jr and his leadership in the civil rights movement required suffering. He accepted suffering so as not to add suffering to the world. Creative suffering.
January 6 Epiphany Communion John Keeny Ephesians 3:1-12 Psalm 72:1-7, 1-14*
Tweets #kachurchchat Today is Epiphany Sunday, the manifestation of God through Jesus. This is how we know what God’s intention is for humanity. Aha!!!
God’s invention and blessing and light is for ALL people. The epiphany comes in the darkness. Do we sometimes feel in the dark? How can we be made aware of God’s light so we can see clearly?
The farther we get away from the light, the darker it gets. With even a little bit of light, we can see and not stumble. We go from hopelessness to hope, sometimes even when others can’t see it.
Epiphanies - light shining in darkness - allow us to see the benevolence of God and of humankind. It’s a dream. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.” MLK Jr.
We need to live as though the dream is already true. Live into the light as we see when some don’t see.
December 30 1st Sunday after Christmas Day Colleen Ogle 1 Samuel 2:18-20,26 Luke 2:41-52
December 24 Christmas Eve 4:30pm Family Service 7:30pm Candlelight Service 11pm Candlelight Service John Keeny Isaiah 9 Luke 2
November 25 Christ The King Sunday United Methodist Student Day John Keeny Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37*
November 4 Communion All Saints Day Daylight Savings Ends* John Keeny Revelation 7:9-17 Philippians 1:3-11
August sermons focus on questions that Jesus asked: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? What do you want me to do for you? Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?
August sermons focus on questions that Jesus asked: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? What do you want me to do for you? Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?
Ash Wednesday February 14 7pm in the King Avenue Sanctuary Imposition of Ashes & Holy Communion
December 3 Communion 1st Sunday of Advent John Keeny I Corinthians 1:3-9 Psalm 80:1-7,17-19