Smoky Hill UMC Weekly Sermon: Recent Episodes
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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." This fourth Beatitude will be the focus of our worship this Sunday. I will be in worship with you Sunday, but I will not be preaching. I have invited our Mountain Sky Conference Evangelist, Rev. King Harris, to bring us the message. His message is titled "The Pursuit," and is based on Matthew 5:6 and Micah 6:6-8. Perhaps a good question for us to be thinking about as we prepare ourselves for worship this week is: What is it that I hunger and thirst for most in my life? And is that where I put my energy and attention? I look forward to gathering and worshiping together Sunday at 10:30 am! -Pastor Derek
When we hear the word "meek" in our culture, there are all sorts of negative connotations that come to mind. Weak, being a doormat, allowing others to take advantage of us, being small and insignificant, are some of the ways we might describe people who are considered meek. We honor and reward people who we might describe as the opposite of meek: the powerful, those who would take advantage of others for their own gain, those who assert themselves in ways that proclaim "it is my way or the highway." When Jesus says "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth," he is speaking of those who walk through life with a gentleness and humility that honors both oneself and others. The Gospel of Mark records the beginning of Jesus' ministry with Jesus acknowledging the presence of God's Kingdom among us, then inviting us to "repent, and believe in the good news." Repentance, it seems, necessitates a certain level of humility and meekness, confessing that we do not have all the answers and are not as "good" as we might like to think of ourselves as! Are meekness and repentance related to one another? This Sunday's message, based on Matthew 5:5 and Mark 1:9-15, will explore these dimensions of our faith journey. I hope you will join us on facebook live at 10:30 am. -Pastor Derek
The Gospels record two instances where Jesus is said to have wept. One is the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha’s brother, who dies and is raised back to life by Jesus (AFTER having already been buried!). The story referred to as The Raising of Lazarus is found in John 11. The other story where Jesus weeps is in Luke 19. This is where, in anticipation of his crucifixion, Jesus is looking over Jerusalem and lamenting its inability to recognize what truly makes for peace. In both cases, Jesus is in mourning. This Sunday we will be focusing on the second Beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). Like the poor in spirit, those who mourn find themselves bumping against their limitations – here the limitation of mortality. Most, if not all of us, have found ourselves mourning the loss of someone – or some thing – in our lives. Sunday we will hear God’s encouragement when a season of mourning enters our world. See you Sunday on Facebook live! -Pastor Derek
This Sunday we begin an eight-week sermon series on the Beatitudes. The series will take us into and through the season of Lent. which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. There are 8 Beatitudes, each of them lifting up an aspect of our faith experience. Through his teaching (which is a part of a larger teaching called The Sermon on the Mount) Jesus is helping his followers discover that when they are living as God intends, they will find themselves blessed. The Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5:1-12, and this Sunday we will focus on the first: “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” We gather, open to the Spirit who leads us in worship to discover truths about ourselves, our world, and about God. We will be celebrating communion this Sunday, and so I invite you to gather with communion elements available (bread, crackers, juice, wine) as we remember God’s providing for us along our journey – with bread and with companions! My message is titled “The Beatitudes: Valuing the Un-Valued.” See you Sunday morning on FaceBook Live at 10:30. -Pastor Derek
In our Scripture passage for this Sunday morning (Mark 1:21-28) Jesus was confronted while he was teaching in a synagogue by a man with unclean spirits. Jesus dramatically and enthusiastically casts out the demons. Sunday we’ll be looking at two demons currently plaguing our country and the church: Racism and White Supremacy. Just as the demons asked Jesus “What do you have to do with us?” we’ll examine what we as individuals and a congregation have to do with those two demons. - Pastor John Kingsbury
We meet for worship this Sunday halfway between the second impeachment of our current president and the inauguration of our new president. We also meet with our country deep into the depths of a pandemic that is continuing to take lives at a record setting pace. If ever there has been a time when we need to be reminded of our connectedness to one another, it is now. And that connectedness goes well beyond our own country. We need reminders of our connection to sisters and brothers around the world, as well as to the earth itself. This Sunday is, in the United Methodist Church calendar, Human Relations Day. This Sunday is celebrated each January on the day before Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is recognized. It will be good to be together and worship as a church family – even if online! My message this week is titled “We All Need…Somebody” and is based on John 1:43-51. I hope you will be able to join us – either live at 10:30 or later by recording. Bless each of you! - Pastor Derek
We fast forward quickly through Jesus’ childhood, youth, and young adulthood. The lectionary moves us directly from the departure of the Wise Men to Jesus’ baptism at the age of 30. Down and out to the Jordan River goes Jesus, joining people from all over the land of Israel. In Mark’s gospel, the heavens are “torn apart” as the Spirit descends following Jesus’ baptism. God’s presence breaks in, making it clear that God has not abandoned the world, but intends to reclaim it, and us, in the embrace of unconditional love. After a week of continuing deaths due to COVID, and chaos in our nation’s capital, it will be good to gather together in worship Sunday morning. May God’s grace surround you now and always. See you online Sunday at 10:30. - Pastor Derek
A happy and blessed new year to everyone! This Sunday in worship we will be celebrating Epiphany Sunday. During this Sunday and season, we lift up the theme of Christ's unveiling, the recognition, and the celebration that the light of God's love and salvation have come into the world - for everyone. This is symbolized in Scripture by the visit of the "Wise Ones" from the east (Luke 2:1-12). They follow their wisdom to locate and worship the Christ child in Bethlehem. My message, titled "Home By Another Way," will invite us to reflect on our journeys and how the things we have experienced and seen impact the directions our lives take. We will be celebrating communion, so you are invited to have communion elements (bread, crackers, juice, wine) on hand. We will also be invited to pray together - out loud! - the Wesley Covenant Prayer. Methodists have prayed this prayer at the beginning of each new year for centuries(!). Join us online at 10:30 this Sunday...instructions for connecting are included below. - Pastor Derek
Worship: Our “Traditional” Christmas Eve service, on Facebook Live. Gather with your family in your home, and have your candles ready as we will close the service in the dark singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.
As we gather for worship this Second Sunday of Advent, we acknowledge that being displaced can mean several things. We can be displaced mentally or emotionally. We can be displaced spiritually. And we can be displaced physically. And of course, there are all sorts of combinations including each! The Good News is that God seeks us out and offers us hope – even and especially in our times of feeling displaced. My message, “Displaced: No Room for Them Anywhere, It Seems,” connects us with the story of Mary and Joseph needing to travel to Bethlehem, and upon their arrival finding no room in the inn (Luke 2:1-7)! Mary Edlund will be sharing her and her husband Lee’s experience of being displaced during these days. And we will be celebrating Holy Communion together. You are encouraged to gather elements (bread, crackers, and juice or wine) you can use in your space as we take communion together. See you Sunday morning at 10:30 am on Facebook Live! -Pastor Derek
"Displaced: Where Hope Finds Us" Our Advent theme for this year is an acknowledgment of our existential predicament as we begin a new Christian year together. Most, if not all of us, find ourselves in a much different place than we expected to be when 2020 began. And the paths we have followed to arrive at this new reality has been a journey we likely would not have chosen if we had been given a choice! But here we are. Here we are. For the next few Sundays, we will hear from some Smoky Hill members who have, and are, experiencing displacement in some very real and significant ways. This Sunday Kristi Skarphol will share her experience as a High School teacher. We appreciate Kristi opening a window for us to see into a part of her life that has changed dramatically in 2020. My message this week is titled, "Displaced: Were Perfect Openness Becomes Possible." It is based on the Annunciation story in Luke 1, and the Magnificat, Mary's Song, in that same chapter. The Good News is that God finds us even in - and maybe especially in - those times when we are feeling most displaced and lost. I hope you will be joining us online - 10:30 Sunday morning! -Pastor Derek
Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, writes these words: “For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you…” In Paul’s absence, it seems that Timothy’s zeal and excitement about sharing the Gospel has waned a bit. There is something about presence – both physical and spiritual – that helps us to remain steadfast and focused in our lives of faith. During the past eight months, we have needed to be physically apart as a local expression of the Body of Christ. For some, myself included if I am being honest, there have been times when being separated from our siblings in Christ has brought challenges to keeping the light of faith burning bright. This Sunday morning, Stewardship Celebration Sunday, is an opportunity for us to be renewed and reminded that our faith in Christ is never in vain, and that God continues to work miracles of love and hope – and that God does this not only FOR us but THROUGH us. Are you ready to be used by God? We will see you on Facebook Live Sunday morning at 10:30, and for those who can come Sunday afternoon at 4 pm in person at the Gazebo. -Pastor Derek
This Sunday’s sermon scriptures are Psalm 116:1-9, 12-14 and Mark 8:34-37. It is entitled: “Give from Love Instead of Fear.” Have you ever silently reflected on why you give to the church, causes, and to people? Have you really reflected on the motivation behind your altruistic deeds, all of which are about giving? Perhaps words like duty or obligation come to mind. Maybe you tell yourself, “because I ‘should’ give” or do this particular act. Or...and you are not alone, maybe you give out of what’s left, after you feel financially secure. Have you ever given out of your lack because you have a crazy faith in God’s promises to provide for all your needs? When duty or “should” is our motivation, or if we give God what is left over; then we are operating from a place of fear and not faith. This means we don’t truly trust God’s love for us and are not resting secure in God’s love. As a result, we give from a place of fear and not love. Last year, I talked about giving as a spiritual practice or discipline. This Sunday’s sermon further extends that theme. -Pastor Felicia
All-Saints Sunday has always been one of my favorite Sundays of the Christian year. While we remember those who have died over the last 12 months, the tone is not one of sadness, but of triumph and victory. An old phrase, using traditional language, proclaims that the celebration on the First of November is about the transfer of membership from the Church Militant (at work) to the Church Triumphant! This year we remember and celebrate the lives of 3 saints from Smoky Hill whom we have said goodbye to: Eve Pistorius, Linda Parks, and Larry Arterburn. Our celebration of Communion takes on special significance this Sunday, as we intentionally recall that our celebration includes the Communion of Saints. My message, titled “These Are They,” is based on Revelation 7:9-17, and specifically verse 14. Let us join together online at 10:30 am (remember to reset your clocks this weekend!) and I invite you to gather communion elements as we share in this meal as a family. -Pastor Derek
“Social Distancing” has become so much a part of our daily vocabulary, that we hardly notice the negative implications of a phrase like that anymore. This Sunday’s scripture, Luke 16:19-31, is the story known as The Rich Man and Lazarus. It is about wealth, and the dangers of accumulated wealth, but it is also about the ways we distance ourselves from one another – and what that does to our very souls. I would encourage you to read the story, perhaps a couple of times, before Sunday morning. Allow its various meanings to sink in and speak to your heart in whatever way God might intend. The title of my message, borrowed from our friends in the Real Estate business, is “Location, Location, Location!” Join us on Facebook Live Sunday morning at 10:30, or later in the day or week on our various platforms. -Pastor Derek
The focus of worship this Sunday will be the Confirmation of 5 of our youth. They went through confirmation classes last winter and spring, and due to the COVID outbreak, we waited until we felt we could safely confirm them together as a class. That time is here! Be sure to join us for worship at 10:30 on Facebook Live, as we, the gathered community, offer them our prayers and support. They are an incredible group of young disciples! Sunday's message will incorporate their voices, as well as other leaders from the congregation. And we will have some special music from Lily Legleiter, one of our Sr. High youth. Romans 5:1-11 is the focus for the message, which is titled "The Effects of Grace in the Hearts and Lives of Believers." See everyone on Sunday! -Pastor Derek
This Sunday's scripture text is Deuteronomy 7:1-9 and the sermon title is "The Promised Land: Was it Meant for ALL or only a Few?" In Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation of the Bible, Dr. Musa Dube posed a question, which is as poignant today as it was when she wrote them twenty years ago: Why the Biblical text and its Western readers were instruments of imperialism and how Black Africans can justify their faith in a religion that has betrayed them..."a religion of the enemy, so to speak." This question is not just limited to Blacks in Africa but to persons of color in America and youth and young adults of all races. Personally, I can't count the number of times I have been asked how I can believe in and preach a faith that continues to oppress people of color. Sadly, I personally know and have been told about youth and young adults who cannot connect with the Bible, because it is "irrelevant, misogynistic, patriarchal, and endorses slavery and other kinds of oppression". Today, we look at the story of the Israelites entering the Promised Land, Canaan. We read that God told the Israelites to "utterly destroy them...and show them no mercy...for the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth..." Since at least the 16th century, Western Europeans have used this passage along with several others to justify the annihilation of Indigenous Americans, Manifest Destiny, slavery, colonialism, and imperialist agendas. I don't know that I can completely blame them, when scripture has God telling the Israelites to engage in similar behavior towards the Canaanites. Or is it...? What do we make of this God and what do we tell our youth and young adults? Do we ignore those parts of the Bible that seem ethically problematic while embracing the rest? If so, does that mean that certain parts of the Bible are NOT sacred? What makes the Bible sacred? I have wrestled with these questions for quite some time and cannot say that I have "the answer." I have some thoughts for reflection. At the end of the day, scriptures like today's raises more questions than it answers, and we each must prayerfully reflect on what status the Bible holds for us and our lives. As for me, the Bible remains a sacred text...with some caveats I'll share. - Pastor Felicia
Anne was a dancer. A part of a youth group I led in a church I previously served, she had a sweet, gentle, humble spirit, and she was honest in her ability to see herself and her gifts clearly. Anne was a good dancer. But I'll never forget the day she said to a group of us, "I'm a dancer, but I've got no rhythm." My mind did a double-take as it tried to square those seemingly incongruous statements. "A dancer with no rhythm," I thought to myself. Is that even possible?
I wonder if we might be in a time and a place where dancing may be our only way out – or better yet, our only way through. As a society, as the United Methodist Church, as individuals and families, many of us may be feeling stuck – almost paralyzed – by the trauma we are experiencing. COVID-19, long-overdue racial and economic reckonings, cultural divisiveness fueled by a spirit of winner-take-all politics, ever-intensifying extreme weather causing record-breaking destruction of habitat and lives...all these (especially together) are raising stress (and distress) levels for everyone!
Barbara DeAngelis, a counselor and consultant, has written, "The moment in between what you once were, and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place." Friends, we know who we have been (or are at least discovering it in some new ways). Who we are now becoming is yet to be revealed. This is that in-between moment when we are invited to step out onto the floor of the Dance of Life. (No wallflowers at this party!) Now is the time we are called as Christians to give witness to the one we call the Lord of the Dance. We do this by loving courageously, sharing generously, and seeking to model compassion in everything we do.
Now I know that too many folks in our culture, dancing may seem to be only a trivial distraction or mere recreation. In many indigenous cultures dance is understood to have the power to impact and change the world. In Native American dance, for instance, outsiders may focus solely on the beauty and the pageantry; for those who participate, the dances signify and carry deep meaning about the world, the values of the people, and how they relate to the natural world as well as to one another.
In his book Clare: A Light in the Garden, Murray Bodo writes of how St. Francis of Assisi and Sister Clare understood their calling. He says it was their desire to "show the world its hidden heart." I hear such beauty in that phrase. They would live so that people would see in them what had been buried away and forgotten in people's lives: love of neighbor and compassion for the poor and forgotten ones.
What if you and I were to walk – DANCE! – in such a way that others, in seeing us, would be prompted to rediscover in themselves that place of compassion, humility, grace, and generosity of spirit? The choreography need not be complicated or over-rehearsed. It need only be marked by authenticity and freedom. Like Anne, we don't even have to have rhythm - the rhythm of God's mercy and love finds us. We only have to accept the invitation to get on our feet, make our way to the dance floor, and join in the dance that is already begun! What are we waiting for?
Pastor Derek
This Sunday’s scripture text is Genesis 9:18-28. The sermon title is: The Curse of Ham: When Scripture is Misused for Selfish Reasons. Today’s scripture text is not in the lectionary and many in the church are unfamiliar with it. Beginning in 1830, southern slaveholders began to misuse the text to justify slavery, disenfranchise people of color, and protect the role of honor in their psyche. Before we go judging slaveholders for their reprehensible behavior, I encourage you to pause and consider whether you have weaponized scripture to justify your judgement or criticism of others who live or think differently than you. If we are honest, we all have been guilty of misappropriating scripture for our own agenda, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. Either way, what became known as The Story of Ham is a cautionary tale about how dangerous it is to mishandle God’s word. Jesus said the Word is spirit, truth, and life. Whenever we misappropriate it for selfish gain or to judge and criticize another, we engage in sin. - Pastor Felicia Introduction - "The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The story of Jesus' encounter with the woman of Syrophoenician birth (in other words, Not a Jew), is a difficult one to hear. Even now I still wince when I hear Jesus' reply to this woman, comparing her to a dog, and implying that her people are not worthy of God's attention. What is going on here? Mark 7:24-30 is where you can read this story, and as we worship we will open ourselves to God's Spirit so that we can encounter it's good news. My message is titled "Bringing Our Whole Selves to the Word." Once again, we will be worshipping outdoors and in-person at 10:30 am, as well as online. Our 3rd graders will be receiving their Bibles, and we will be commissioning our newly trained Congregational Care Ministers. I hope to see you there! Pastor Derek Introduction - "The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/