McFarland UMC Podcast: Recent Episodes
McFarland UMC
A Sermon for Pastor Wayne’s last Sunday in the pulpit following his retirement after six years at McFarland United Methodist Church and eighteen years in the Holston Conference. The sermon is based upon 2 Corinthians 13:11-13.*** Saying goodbye is a daily part of life, but when it involves someone who deeply impacts us, it becomes much harder. Pastor Wayne’s sermon draws on the Apostle Paul’…
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Sermon for June 9, 2024. In Pastor Wayne’s latest sermon, he explores how Jesus consistently pushed boundaries and challenged the status quo, as depicted in the Gospel of Mark. From the outset of his ministry, Jesus performed miracles, called disciples, and healed the sick, drawing both widespread attention and the ire of religious leaders who saw him as a threat to their power and the stability…
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Our Scriptures for today are: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; and John 3:1-17 In today’s sermon, Pastor Wayne addressed a common misconception held by some ministers who claim they do not preach doctrinal sermons, deeming them boring and irrelevant. This preacher insists he only preaches Christ crucified, focusing on practical issues rather than theology. However, Pastor Wayne points out…
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On this day of Pentecost, our lessons were from Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 105: Romans 8:22-27 and Acts 2:1-21 Pastor Wayne’s sermon reflects on Jesus’ final words to His disciples at the ascension, emphasizing the Great Commission to preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations. It recounts the Pentecost event, where the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to speak in various languages…
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This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus to heaven 40 days after the Resurrection. Our Scriptures are Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 1; Ephesians 1:15-23; and Luke 24:44-53. Pastor Wayne’s sermon reflects on the significance of Ascension Sunday and the message conveyed through the Apostle’s Creed, emphasizing the physicality of Jesus’s existence and his ascension into heaven. It highlights the Great…
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We continue our look at how we are to live following the resurrection in this sermon from May 5, 2024. The scriptures are: Acts 10:44-48 Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17…
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Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NRSVUE). Join us as we explore this “I AM” saying of Jesus. Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:25-31 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8…
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On this 4th Sunday of Easter, we look at the image of the Good Shepherd. Our readings are: Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18…
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Scriptures this week are: Acts 3:12-19 Psalm 4 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36-48 In this sermon delivered by Pastor Wayne, he reflects on a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus as recounted in Luke’s Gospel. The disciples, filled with fear, grief, and shame after Jesus’ crucifixion, find themselves huddled together, trying to make sense of their world turned upside down. Suddenly…
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Easter changes everything! So how does this change relate to us? We turn to the epistle of 1 John for the next few weeks. Join us on the journey.
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The story of the Resurrection as found in Mark 16:1-8 seems incomplete. The women leave the garden because they are frightened and they told no one. It seems incomplete because no one did anything. But is that the story that Mark wanted to convey? Perhaps the emphasis is on the fact that they did nothing because there was nothing to be done. God had done it all. Death was vanquished.
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The sermon on John 3:1-21, delivered by Pastor Wayne, delves into the symbolism of Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night, exploring the themes of darkness as spiritual blindness and the transition from ignorance to understanding. Nicodemus represents those who question Jesus and struggle with his teachings, yet also embodies the journey of seeking truth and enlightenment. The sermon emphasizes the…
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The scriptures for today are: Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; and John 2:13-22 In Pastor Wayne’s sermon, he juxtaposes the idealized image of the Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with the harsh reality of the region’s puppy mills. He challenges the theological justifications for animal exploitation while weaving in an allegorical story about the creation of…
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This sermon offers a profound reflection on the nature of discipleship and the essence of Christian faith as portrayed in Mark 8:31-38. Here’s an analysis of its key points: 1. Peter’s Misunderstanding: The sermon begins by highlighting Peter’s misconception of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Peter, like many Jews of his time, expected a triumphant, conquering Messiah who would deliver…
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On this First Sunday in Lent, our Scriptures are: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; and Mark 1:9-15. In his sermon based upon the Gospel text, Pastor Wayne delves into the significance of Jesus’ wilderness experience, particularly focusing on Mark’s concise account compared to the more detailed versions in Matthew and Luke. It reflects on the symbolic elements of the wilderness…
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The sermon reflects on the concept of mountaintop experiences, drawing from the biblical account of the Transfiguration in Mark 9:2-9. These experiences are described as moments of intense connection with God, where individuals feel spiritually uplifted and enlightened. However, Pastor Wayne emphasizes the importance of not remaining on the mountaintop indefinitely but returning to the valleys of…
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Our scriptures today: Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; and Mark 1:29-39. Pastor Wayne’s sermon on the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany explores the concept of waiting on the Lord. He challenges the traditional understanding of waiting as a passive expectation for God to act, suggesting that Isaiah calls us to recognize God’s presence within and around us. Waiting…
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Moses was hiding out in the wilderness when he encountered a burning bush that was not being consumed by the fire. At this miracle bush, Moses encountered God and received his marching orders to “tell old Pharaoh to let my people go.” Peter had just received high praise from Jesus, “upon this rock I will build my church…” he said. But then when Peter objected to the future that Jesus was...
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This is the third and final message in a series dealing with the General Rules of the Methodist Societies: 1) Do No Harm; 2) Do Good; and 3) Stay in Love with God. These rules stand at the very heart of what it means to be Methodist. If implemented, they could change the world. They definitely change the lives of the very folks who make them a rule of life. The Scriptures for today’s message revolve around James 5:13-20 and
In this second week of this 3-week series on the General Rules of the Methodist Societies, we take a look at the second rule, Do Good. The scripture text for this week is found in James 3:13-18. Other texts for the day include Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105, and Matthew 14:22-33 The General Rules are a way of living. They remind us that it is not about us. It is about both loving God and loving neighbor. The both/and nature of
We United Methodists have been through the wringer over the past few years. It has been a time when disagreements have come to a head and some folks have decided that we can no longer be in fellowship together. “They say” that it is about disagreements over how folks who identify as LGBTQIA+ are to be integrated into the fabric of our Methodist heritage. While that may be the presenting issue, it goes deeper than that. In my opinion, it
On this eighth Sunday after Pentecost we are once again hearing Jesus share a parable about a farmer and crops. This time he’s talking about weeds and productive seeds occupying the same space and he tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like this. What? Join us as Pastor Wayne takes a look at this parable. The scriptures this week are Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139, Romans 8:12-25, and Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.
Jesus is telling stories again. In this story, Jesus is telling stories about a farmer sowing seeds. The farmer is God. The dirt? Well, that’s us. Some good dirt. Some bad dirt. Some seeds flourish. Some don’t. We’ve heard it all before. But what about the sower? That sower is pretty extravagant in the way that he spreads those seeds. Join us as Pastor Wayne looks at the sower and the amazing grace that is showered upon us.
What does it mean when Jesus says, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light?” Join us as we explore what it means to be yoked with Jesus.
What does it mean to offer a cup of cool water to the little ones? This is Jesus providing instruction to the disciples prior to their first mission trip. Our scriptures this week are Romans 6:12-23, Psalm 13, Matthew 10:40-42. We are all called to live out and live into a radical hospitality. What does that mean for us as individuals? As a congregation? How is McFarland living out radical hospitality now?
The scriptures this morning are from Jeremiah 29:4-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-15, and John 15:1-12 We welcome the Reverend Fred Dearing as our guest preacher this morning. Fred is a retired Elder in the Holston Annual Conference serving both large and small churches. He has served as a District Superintendent in Holston (including the former Chattanooga District) and in South Sudan. He has served as the chair of the Conference Mission Team, the Board of Ordained Ministry, and as Dean of
Using the text from Genesis 18:1-15 and Matthew 9:35-10:23 Pastor Wayne asks the question Is anything too wonderful for God?
On this Second Sunday after Pentecost, we look at what it means to create disciples. The sermon title is “Trusting the Unknown.” The scriptures for today are Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33, Romans 4:13-25, and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26.
Matthew 28:16-20 offers us one of the versions of Jesus’ last words to his disciples and followers before the resurrected Jesus ascends to be with God the Father in heaven. These words have come to be known as the Great Commission. But what does the Great Commission mean for us today?
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Today is Pentecost Sunday. It is the day that the Holy Spirit was unleashed like a violent wind and it changed the course of history. But what does Pentecost mean for us today? How can the church reach new people in a climate where the “nones” and the “dones” are increasing as Christianity is judged by the loudest voices who quite often tend to espouse a Christianity that is devoid of Christ and...
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Today celebrates a combination of events in the history of the church. Our text from Acts 1:6-14 acknowledges the Ascension of the Jesus on the fortieth (40th) day of Resurrection, the text from 1 Peter 4:12-14 and 1 Peter 5:6-11 and Psalm 68 deals with the topic of the sermon, John 17:11 includes some of Jesus’ final commentary to the disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.
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We continue with the sermon series, “A Living Hope,” on this Sixth Sunday of Easter. The focus in this series is the epistle of 1 Peter and its message to the nascent church of Jesus Christ. The sermon this morning focuses on Hope, a quality and value that is much needed today. As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to be people of hope and to share that hope with a world that is in desperate...
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Our Scriptures this Sunday are: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 116 Luke 24:13-35 1 Peter 1:17-23 On this third Sunday of Easter, the question that arises is this: Are we being saved from something or are we being saved for something? Today, Pastor Wayne considers that we are saved for something. And that something is to make a difference where we are planted. Yesterday, Saturday, April 22, 2023...
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It is the first Sunday after the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. In this season, we will be looking to the hope that the Resurrection provides for us.
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One of the issues that we in the liturgical church have run into is that folks don’t tend to attend the Maundy Thursday or Good Friday Services during Holy Week. There are a myriad number of reasons why this is so. It could be that in the present age, folks just don’t attend church on days other than Sunday to folks just don’t want to deal with the nastiness that entails Holy Week. They don’t want...
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On this Fifth Sunday in Lent, we deal with themes of death and resurrection, an appropriate topic since the celebration of Resurrection Sunday is only 2 weeks away! Our scriptures are: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; and John 11:1-45. We joyfully welcomed Beverly Capps back to church following a long illness and we welcomed Liz Jones as a new member at McFarland by transfer of letter...
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The scriptures for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 When we encounter God, we find our lives changed. The encounter redefines who we are in relation to whose we are.
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Water is essential to our daily living. We can fast from food for some time, but we cannot fast from water for more than a day or two. On this third Sunday in Lent our theme is water. From the water that Moses provides to the stick-necked people of Israel to the living water that Jesus offer to the Samarian woman at the well.
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This is the second sermon in our lectionary series for Lent, Boot Camp for the Soul. Looking at the text primarily from John 3:1-17, we see that transformation is at the heart of discipleship.
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Change is everywhere. It is part of growth. It is foundational to life. However, we resist change. This sermon opens a second attempt at a sermon series, “Boot Camp for the Soul.” The first attempt was interrupted by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Lent is a time to examine who we are in light of whose we are. It is a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Join us as we explore together.
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“We’ve been to the mountain top. We’ve seen the glory of our God. He is here.” These are the opening words to the chorus of “Mountain Top,” a song from the Christian Rock band, The City Harmonic. I was first introduced to their music a little over 10 years ago at Resurrection, the Holston Conference youth event in Gatlinburg. Our scriptures on this Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday before...
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Jesus tells us the rules. But as Chef Emeril Legasse would say, he “kicks it up a notch.” His point was that no matter how hard we try, we can never live up to the letter of the law. So we need to stop acting as if it is up to us. God is not some monster looking for every opportunity to smite us for the mildest transgression. God is like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
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Pastor Wayne explores the meaning behind “you are the light of the world” and “a city on a hill cannot be hidden,” in this second sermon on the Sermon on the Mount, The light of Christ is already living within us. We are called to share that light with others. We need to remember not only who we are but whose we are. We are the embodiment of Christ in the world today. Let’s take that knowledge and...
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We continue our sermon series, “Glimpses of the Kin-dom” with the first sermon in a three week look at the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. The Sermon on the Mount spells out the focus of Jesus’ message. The sermon this week focuses on Matthew 5:1-12, the section referred to as The Beatitudes. These are the “blessed are…” statements of Jesus.
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Paul was writing to a church in conflict. He was writing to admonish and encourage a church that he loved… a church that was hurting his heart over the divisions that were apparent among them. Division in the church is not a new thing. It has existed from the very beginning. But how do we deal with division? That, my friends, is the question. As a society, we have become very polarized as we have...
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Welcome to the New Year! Welcome to the Eighth Day of Christmas, a day that we are celebrating as Epiphany Sunday. In his message this morning, Pastor Wayne asks why it took visitors from “the East” to see the significance of this newborn King as the Messiah that Israel had been waiting for. How often are we oblivious to what is right in front of us? On this New Year’s Day 2023...
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“For unto us a child is born…” Join us for Christmas morning worship. This was a very informal “carols by request” service with a brief meditation by Pastor Wayne. Merry Christmas everyone! The post Christmas Day 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
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Hello McFarland! Pastor Wayne here! Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Normally in this space we would present the message for today. However, today was the Sunday that the choir performed their cantata, The Promised Hope. The choir did a good job with a touch of adversity since sickness limited their number. But they persevered in spite of the challenges. I thank them for their hard work and...
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As we continue traveling “On The Way to Bethlehem,” we drop in to visit with Joseph. The man engaged to Mary. Well, probably more like Mary, a slightly older teenager who has established a reputation as a carpenter, or craftsman. He is in an arranged engagement/marriage with Mary. He’s just found out that Mary is pregnant and he is not happy. This child is not his. How does he react?
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Happy New Year, you brood of vipers! This Sunday, we begin a new liturgical year in the church. Typically, we would be dealing with either the prophecies or, in this case as we move to the Gospel of Matthew, we would hear from John the Baptist as he addresses the “brood of vipers” who have come to hear him prophecy. However, that will not be the case for this year. This year, we will concentrate on the story. In this The post Mary: Touched By An Angel appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We tend to worry about all sorts of things. But Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7 that we shouldn’t be anxious (worry) about anything. He even goes on to say that if we let our worries be known to God through prayer that God will grant us a “peace that surpasses understanding.” How cool is that? We will gather at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 21 to decorate the sanctuary for Advent. I hope to see as many of you The post Thansgiving Sunday 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
In today’s text, Jesus encounters seekers who are impressed with the Temple in Jerusalem. He warns them that what they see will be destroyed. What does this mean for us today? The post Open-Mouthed Tourists appeared first on McFarland UMC.
One of the perils of preparing sermon series in advance is that while you may stay within the scripture that you have chosen, the focus of your scripture may change. That is the case with our scripture this morning, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5. My original intent was to focus on the folks with “itching ears” who would lean away from sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Yet, as I worked on the sermon, I found myself drawn to deal with 2 Timothy The post Itching Ears appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Sermon at McFarland UMC for October 9, 2022 The post Present Yourself to God appeared first on McFarland UMC.
This morning we begin a new lectionary based sermon series, “Not Ashamed.” The scripture focus for the next four weeks is 2 Timothy. In the text this morning, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Paul urges Timothy to “rekindle the gift of God that is in you” (v. 6). Join us as we explore what it means to rekindle the gift. The post Rekindle the Gift appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We continue our series, “Having Words With Jesus,” with this look at Luke 16:1-13. We refer to this as the “parable of the dishonest manager.” It is truly a confusing look at Jesus’ teaching… or is it? The post Debts Are Tossed appeared first on McFarland UMC.
The theme for this morning’s worship service is found in the parables found in Luke 15:1-10. The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Jesus was dealing with the noise from the naysayers who were critical of the persons with whom Jesus associated. They weren’t the “right folk.” He tended to hang out with “those people,” the undesirables and the sinners. So he tells stories about celebrating when the lost, the disconnected, the disassociated are reunited with group. The post Finding the Lost appeared first on McFarland UMC.
This morning, we begin a new lectionary based sermon series for the month of September: Having Words With Jesus. We’ll be taking a look at the hard sayings of Jesus as found in the Gospels. Our first look this morning is at Luke 14:25-33. Right from the start, this is a problematic verse as Jesus tells the crowd, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be The post Counting the Cost appeared first on McFarland UMC.
What a wonderful day for Homecoming! It was good to see so many of you in person this morning! Reverend Laura Trent brought the message on James 5:13-20 and then we shared a covered dish luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. It was a good day to be in the house of the Lord! If anyone happened to think of getting some pictures, please let us know in the church office. Thanks. The post Homecoming 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” this is one of the most recognizable texts in the Bible. God is telling the boy Jeremiah that God had envisioned a mission for this boy that would transcend his age and his circumstances. God was calling Jeremiah to be God’s “prophet to the nations.” This morning, Pastor Wayne takes a look at the meaning of “calling” and its relationship to prophetic ministry as we close out this series on The post I Knew You appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We continue the series dealing with the prophets from the Revised Common Lectionary readings. This morning, we continue from Isaiah 5:1-7. It is a harsh word comparing Israel to “wild (rotten) grapes” and declaring that it would be destroyed. The people had lost their way, they didn’t acknowledge that their current state was a gift from God, and (most of all), they forgot the need to care for widows, orphans and the poor. Our Scriptures this morning:Isaiah 5:1-7Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19Hebrews The post Yeilding Wild Grapes appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We will look at the prophet Isaiah this morning as we continue with this series based upon the Old Testament prophets. In this opening to the book of Isaiah, the voice of God is telling us through Isaiah that our rituals our religiosity are not all that there is to a life of faith. The problem is that the people were substituting religiosity for an active faith that would “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue The post Learn to do Good appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Welcome to worship on this 8th Sunday after Pentecost. We continue our time with the prophets as we look at Elisha and the idea that God, through God’s people, provides more than enough to take care of whatever needs doing. Our scriptures today are:2 Kings 4:42-44Psalm 145Colossians 2:6-15Luke 11:1-13 The post Elisha: More THan Enough appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We continue with an overview of Everyday Prophecy with a look at the prophet Jeremiah. Specifically, his words in Jeremiah 23:1-6. But to see them in context, I would invite you to read chapter 22 as well as the entirety of chapter 23. Jeremiah speaks of a new kind of shepherd for God’s people. This new shepherd is Jesus. The full listing of scriptures in worship this morning:Jeremiah 23:1-6Psalm 23Colossians 1:15-28Luke 10:38-42 The post Jeremiah: Looking for Good Shepherds appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Join us for this second in a series, “Everyday Prophecy,” as we take a look at some of the prophets of the Old Testament. This week we look at an unlikely prophet, Amos. He was, by his own description, a “herder” (shepherd) and a “dresser of sycamore trees” (a gardener). He had no specific training nor did he descend from a priestly family. He just had a calling from God to bring a message to the people of Israel. Our The post Amos: On the Job Training appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We begin a new sermon series today based upon the prophets. Today’s prophet is Ezekiel. Prophets were not always the folks that the people were wanting to see. They delivered hard words from God. They often told the people what they didn’t want to hear. And when the people heard the word of the Lord through the prophets, how did they react or respond? The post Ezekiel: React or Respond appeared first on McFarland UMC.
On this Independence Day weekend, we look at the meaning of freedom… true freedom in Jesus Christ. Our texts are:Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 17-21Psalm 72Galatians 5:13-26John 8:31-36 The post True Freedom in Christ appeared first on McFarland UMC.
What does it mean to be the church? Pastor Wayne uses the 2022 meeting of the Holston Annual Conference to present an example of what the church can be. The post What Does It Mean to be the Church? appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Our guest speaker today is Marta Driesslein. She is filling in while Pastor Wayne is out sick. Her text is Ephesians 1:3-14 and her message is Who Am I in Christ? The post Who Am I In Christ? appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Acts 2:1-21 is the scripture for today. It describes the birth of the church as the Holy Spirit was unleashed among the disciples. It was a day when tongues of flame appeared and real languages unknown to the speakers were spoken attesting to the risen Christ. The story of Pentecost is the story of the beginning of the Church. It’s a story that we will investigate over the next few weeks as we look at being the church in a The post Pentecost 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
On May 24, 1738, John Wesley reluctantly attended a meeting of Christians on Aldersgate Street in London. While the leader was reading from Luther’s Preface to the Book of Romans, Wesley experienced a feeling of utter joy and contentment about salvation. He referred to this moment as his heart was “strangely warmed.” Our texts this morning: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 2:10, 22-22:5; and John 14:23-29 speak in their own way about opening our hearts to the message and calling The post Opened the Heart appeared first on McFarland UMC.
It’s the 5th Sunday of Easter. Our scriptures are:Revelation 21:1-6Psalm 148John 13:31-35Acts 11:1-18 Peter sees a vision of animals that his faith considers “unclean” and he is forbidden to have anything contact with these animals. Yet, a voice commands him to “kill and eat.” But Peter, being the good religious follower that he is, says that “nothing unclean will touch my lips.” And the voice replies, “What God has called clean, you must not call profane.” Now, we can enjoy The post What God Called Clean appeared first on McFarland UMC.
It’s Mother’s Day. We celebrate not only the mother’s in our congregation, but the mothering figures that we have all known and experienced through the years. The African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child” is true. It takes all of us working together be the change that our world needs. Our scriptures on this 4th Sunday of Easter are:Revelation 7:9-17Psalm 23John 10:22-30Acts 9:36-43 Join us as Pastor Wayne talks about community and how our community connections are The post Get Up! appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Welcome to the third Sunday of Easter. We continue our series “We Are Witnesses” which looks at what it means to be a witness to the love of Christ in our calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our scriptures today are:Revelation 5:11-14Psalm 30John 21:1-19Acts 9:1-20 The focus scripture this week is Acts 9:1-20. It tells the story of Saul of Tarsus and his moment on the road to Damascus and helps us to The post Who Are You Lord? appeared first on McFarland UMC.
What does it mean to be a witness? That is the question asked in today’s sermon. This second Sunday of Easter typically brings up “doubting Thomas.” But was Thomas truly a doubter? He was the first to declare that Jesus was God and he is credited with taking the Good News to the Indian sub continent. The post We Are Witnesses appeared first on McFarland UMC.
It was early in the morning on that first Easter Sunday. The sun had just come up and the women who followed Jesus were coming to the tomb to finish preparing his body for burial, a task that they had no time to complete on the day of his crucifixion. It had only been a few days, but it seemed like an eternity. As they approached the tomb, they realized that something was wrong. The stone was rolled away. As The post Easter 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Good Friday. What is so good about it? It is the day that we recall Jesus “crucified, dead and buried,” as we remember from the Apostle’s Creed. Some say that the term Good Friday is a corruption of the Old English “God’s Friday.” This service, The Proclamation of the Passion: A Service of Contemplative Worship for Good Friday,” has roots going back to at least the Ninth Century, and even much earlier. The Passion and Resurrection have been celebrated as the holiest of The post The Proclamation of the Passion: A Service of Contemplative Worship for Good Friday 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
The Sunday before Easter is traditionally referred to as “Palm Sunday.” We celebrate the triumphant entry into Jerusalem with palm branches and shouts of “hosanna!” In recent years, it has become more common to also remember the Passion of Jesus. By doing so, we walk with Jesus through all of Holy Week and end at the tomb. This gives us a real picture of the heights and depths of what occurred in that week. Our worship service is a hybrid The post Palm-Passion Sunday 2022 appeared first on McFarland UMC.
We continue our Lenten series, “Character and Calling.” Our focus is on faith as we look at the scripture for this morning, Philippians 3:4b-14. In this passage, Paul begins by listing his resume. As a pious Jew of the day, he has it made. However, he calls it all rubbish when compared with what Christ has accomplished in his life. His message is that you can have it all, but if you don’t have Christ, you have nothing. Today concludes The post Character And Calling: Faith appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Welcome to the third Sunday in Lent. Our scriptures today are:Isaiah 55:1-9Psalm 631 Corinthians 10:1-13Luke 13:1-9 Our focus is on holy living. That’s why I chose this title that will make all of the English teachers in the congregation cringe. Because when we focus on the Holy, when we put our trust, our focus, and our faith in God, then we begin to reflect the image of God that lives within us. The post Holy-Ness appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Welcome to the second Sunday in Lent. We continue this series on Character and Calling with a focus this week on Discipline. Lent provides a good opportunity for us to emphasize and practice the spiritual disciplines that serve to draw us closer to God and closer to each other. Our text is Philippians 3:17-4:1. The post Character & Calling: Discipline appeared first on McFarland UMC.
Welcome to the First Sunday in Lent. We begin a new sermon series that will primarily draw on the themes found in the Epistle lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C. It seems appropriate that we would begin with the topic of Belief on this first Sunday of a new series that will lead us up to Holy Week and the Resurrection. What do we believe? Why do we believe it? And why is is so difficult for The post Character & Calling: Belief appeared first on McFarland UMC.
The world is in a dark place as we gather for worship this morning. Russia is invading Ukraine because Vladimir Putin is consumed with power and the desire to recreate the Soviet Union no matter the cost. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Our Gospel lesson is Luke 9:28-36. It is the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, a moment of transformation that was seen by some of the...
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What is the meaning of the resurrection? Paul gives us an idea in 1 Corinthians 15:35-50. Join us as we connect death and resurrection with new life and an infant baptism in worship today. The post Raised in Glory appeared first on McFarland UMC.
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Our scripture lesson, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, deals with the the question of Jesus’ resurrection. What did this mean to the people in the church at Corinth? What does it mean for us today? The post The First Fruits appeared first on McFarland UMC.
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We continue with this series based upon the epistle reading. Our scripture this week is 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. After lecturing the Corinthian church about the infighting that was going on, he tells that they need to get back to basics. God’s grace alone is responsible for their salvation. The post Hold Firmly appeared first on McFarland UMC.
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Our Scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love chapter. It is probably one of the most famous chapters in all of the New Testament. It is also one of the most misunderstood chapters of scripture. Paul was writing to a church that he dearly loved. It was a church in turmoil over what was important. Paul’s instruction was that the only thing that is important to a disciple is that...
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This week, we continue the discussion in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a. Gifts of the Spirit are not meant to divide, but they are for the entire body. Join us as Pastor Wayne continues this series Love Never Ends: Being the Body of Christ. The post You Are The Body appeared first on McFarland UMC.
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Paul was concerned about the church at Corinth. He started this congregation of Gentile believers only a few short years ago. However, in his absence, the church was losing sight of who they were and more importantly, whose they were. They were forming cliques and other things that were detrimental to the community of believers. Paul writes to gently correct them and urge them to focus on what was...
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Due to technical issues, this morning’s service was not recorded. The following message is from January 12, 2020. This was the last time that we celebrated Baptism of the Lord. *** And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, NRSV) Baptism… being adopted into the family of God, the family where Christ is our brother and we are...
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We are celebrating Epiphany Sunday on this ninth day of Christmas, otherwise known as the Second Sunday of Christmas. On this day we remember the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child and brought the strange gifts. What did these Gentile Wise Men see that the Jewish people who longed for Messiah missed? What do we miss? Where should our focus be as we enter this new year? The post Three Kings and...
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On this First Sunday after Christmas, the 2nd day of Christmas, we gather to continue our celebration of the Incarnation (God becoming one of us in the person of Jesus Christ). Our Scriptures are Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 148, Galatians 4:4-7, and Luke 2:22-40. Mary and Joseph follow the law and the ritual that has been part of Jewish life for centuries when they take the baby Jesus to the Temple...
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What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind when Mary told him this amazing story about the angel’s proclamation? “Does she really expect me to believe this?” Can you imagine how disappointed he must have been? As Mary’s betrothed, he had the option of having her stoned to death… he could do that if he wanted to deal with the shame. No, he was going to dismiss her quietly so that they could...
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Mark Lowry wrote a poem in 1984 to be used in a Christmas play at his church. Music was added in the early 90’s and a Christmas classic was born. The song asks Mary if she knew what her newborn baby would accomplish in life. Well, according to Luke’s Gospel, she did know. She expressed her knowledge when visiting her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist (see Luke 1:39-56).
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Our Scriptures for this Second Sunday of Advent are Isaiah 7:14-16, Psalm 80:1-7, and Luke 1:26-38. The candle representing peace is lit in the Advent wreath and takes its place with the candle of hope that was lit last week. Our theme this week is the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel. In a week when we have heard another reason to fear with the Michigan school shooting...
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