Pastor Mike, Sermons, www.yuma1st.org: Recent Episodes
Pastor Mike
The beginning of Methodism was not marked by a “Systematic” Theology. John Wesley did not write all-encompassing theological treatises. Rather, he was primarily concerned with addressing real-life issues in a practical way. He wanted regular people to experience happiness and joy in this life. He dedicated his life to this. So, what does it look like when the church prioritizes people over dogma? How can we work together to make this world a better place?
“To survive does not mean one is living,” theologian Dorothee Soelle explains in her book “Death by Bread Alone.” She makes the distinction between our existence in the world and the depth of life we find in God. We can be so busy with life and our busy schedules that we can neglect our relationship with God and our neighbor. Yet, our souls, not just our bodies, need to be nourished. We need the bread of life. After all, we are not called to just survive, but to live…and to live abundantly.
I like telling people I am a Pentecostal. I grew up in a very charismatic church: people danced, spoke in tongues, and were slain in the Spirit. While I have not attended that kind of service in some time, I still love being surprised by the Spirit’s movement. In Acts I read about the Spirit being poured “upon all flesh.” The Spirit moves in all people, regardless of age, gender, or economic status. I thank God for that. It is both an acknowledgment of our diversity and a call for unity. After, if the Spirit does not discriminate, why should I?
Have you ever celebrated Aldersgate Sunday? I have to admit, in my 50-plus-year involvement with the United Methodist Church, I can't remember that I ever have. It is an exciting opportunity to remember our specific heritage as United Methodists under the guidance of founder John Wesley, who had a particularly meaningful spiritual experience in Aldersgate Street in late May of 1738. Join us for our Aldersgate Sunday observance as we continue to have our hearts "strangely warmed!" (Come on Sunday to learn more about that phrase.)
When I try to get somewhere, I use the GPS on my phone. How did I even get places before this technology was available? Just like our GPS helps us go in the right direction, so is the Holy Spirit constantly guiding us, moving us. Let's call the Spirit our GPS (God Positioning System). Where is the Spirit taking you today?
As I think about the way God protects us, I think about my daughter. Every day, I try to protect her as much as I can. I would like to shield her from pain, suffering, heartbreak, and difficult situations. Unlike God, I am not omnipresent. I cannot be there physically by her side every hour of the day. So, I have to guide her and trust in her. I have to trust that, when the time comes, she will make the right choices. I believe God’s protection involves much trust. We are sent into he world, and God wants us to, when the time comes, make the right choices. So, we have to be sanctified (in other words, we have to be mature), in order to live according to God’s will for our lives.
Prophets seem to be appreciated the most when their work is appreciated in retrospect. I imagine they could have been polarizing figures at the time of their important ministry. Even today, speaking truth to power can make your life very difficult. Yet, these voices are necessary. Churches need to be receptive to them. We need to embrace them and nurture them. I believe God is still raising up prophets for all of us, but are we willing to listen?
I really appreciate this passage because it reminds me that change is possible. Even God has a change of mind! It seems the best thing we can do is keep an open mind and let the Spirit guide us.
God speaks to us in different ways, but God does it all the time. But we have to do our part: Are we listening? Will we respond? Samuel responded, and it made all the difference in his life!
I love listening to people talk about their faith journeys. They are so personal and so powerful. I believe, that, as a community, we need to hear these stories. They can inform our own faith and build us up. Faith can be contagious, so let’s not be silent. Let’s speak of the things God is doing in our lives.
A New and Glorious Morn! Chancel choir cantata from December 17, 2023. Written by Lloyd Larson; directed by Brandon Coz.
Many preparations need to be made before Christmas: There are presents to buy, cards to send, food to prepare. Yet, how are we preparing our hearts for the big day? How can we make way for the Good News of Jesus in our lives?
Christmas is getting closer. Stores in town are making sure to remind me of this fact: I need to get some shopping done! But wait. As Christians, we need some time to get ready. It's not just a time to consume. Advent is so much more: It is a time of introspection and connection. Let us be patient and prepare our hearts for the Lord.
This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, and I have to say, it’s hard for me to imagine the kind of power kings had at the time of Jesus. I have never lived in a Kingdom. I don’t quite understand power like that. Yet, I understand there are power dynamics involved in any human interaction. So, what is the kind of power that Christ demonstrates? I believe that it is persuasive, not coercive, power. Christ invites, prepares, and empowers us to serve him.
To be a witness to Christ is to demonstrate by our words, actions, and attitude the Good News of Jesus Christ. In order to be good witnesses, we have to be good storytellers. What are some of the things that we as a church need to consider as we aim to share the Greatest Story Ever Told?
Sometimes people are reluctant to discuss finances in the church. Yet, giving is one of many ways in which we demonstrate our love for God and neighbor. Where do we begin this conversation? As always, we begin with grace.
The church needs you. Yes, you! Each one of us has different gifts, and the church needs all of us in order to be healthy and grow. Are we willing to do our part?
We begin our sermon series by exploring the concept of prayer. Specifically, we look at the Lord’s Prayer. We will consider prayer as an opportunity to connect with God and with other people.
One of the problems that people can have with churches is the disconnect between the things we say and the things we do. We constantly preach about love and justice but are we really living the message? Ministry requires integrity. Perhaps, as Francis of Assisi is thought to have said, we should "preach the Gospel at all times and use words only if its necessary."
God calls people to serve from different contexts. Service and ministry do not always look the same, but we are all called by one God... and are sustained by the same grace.
Can we think of forgiveness in terms that are not legalistic or transactional? Jesus invites us to be empathetic and see others as God sees them.
Ohana is a Hawaiian word that means family. The word is well defined in the movie "Lilo & Stitch:" "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind—or forgotten." What can the church learn from this concept?
Ohana is a Hawaiian word that means family. The word is well defined in the movie "Lilo & Stitch:" "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind—or forgotten." What can the church learn from this concept?
Ever notice those clickbait headlines about guessing people's ages by soliciting the answers to just a few questions? Jesus and the disciples play a little game of "Guess Who?" in this week's text from Matthew. What do a few details tell us about Jesus' identity as Messiah?
While many choose to focus on legalism, Jesus invites us to focus on relationships. As we strive to nurture healthy relationships, however, we must begin with introspection. Are our hearts prepared to engage others in love and grace?
In tempestuous times, God challenges us to be courageous, which is not easy. Yet, when we doubt, Jesus reaches out to help us. Can we keep moving forward in times of adversity? Can we hear his voice in the midst of the storm?
What do we mean when we say that Jesus is Lord? The term is often associated with status and power. However, can the concept be defined in sacramental terms?
For many people, the idea of unconditional love does not make sense. In our modern lives, we we have become too used to transactions, investments, and a quid pro quo mentality. The idea that God's love is freely given to all people has become a radical one. Can we embrace God's love in our lives and affirm it in other people?
There are times in our lives when we get distracted and cannot see God’s presence. Yet, God is always there for us. If we pay attention, we can see God acting in us and through us, even during life’s most difficult moments.
God constantly speaks to us through His word. Sometimes, however, we get distracted. Different things are constantly requesting our attention and we may miss out on the things God has in store for us. For this reason, it is important for us to be receptive to God's message. Let us keep our minds and hearts open for the word of the Kingdom.
While modern society expects us to do more and produce more, Jesus invites us to trust in him and rest.
That's right, Pastor Efraín's first day in the pulpit with us will be THIS SUNDAY, July 2! Please be sure to join us for worship at 10:00 am and help our new pastor, wife Michelle, and daughter Michaela feel back at home in Yuma and especially at First United Methodist Church!
As we prepare for our new pastor as of July 1, we have been talking a lot in worship about partings, moving on, grateful farewells, and new beginnings. However, what about those circumstances when we must separate or move on against our will; when saying "goodbye" is not our choice?
This week we look at the story of Hagar, servant of Abraham and Sarah, and her son Ishmael. It was not Hagar's idea to leave Abraham's home; the scripture indicates Sarah insisted upon it. We read that Abraham was conflicted about the situation, and Hagar was (understandably) fearful for her son's life. What lessons can we take from the story of this painful departure? Join us this week as we consider how God's continuing love and care can offer us hope even when our paths diverge.
The parable Jesus tells in Matthew 25: 31-46 is one of the last things Jesus says to his disciples before his betrayal, arrest and crucifixion. On a first quick reading, one may think - Oh, yes, I remember this one - the sheep and the goats when the Son of Man is on his throne judging the nations. On closer examination, the parable has a lot more to say to us than just to remember to do good things. What is necessary first is that relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son that so fills our hearts with love that we naturally extend love to others as a matter of course. And although the parable is framed as an end times parable when judgements are made, we are also invited to meet God in the here and now, in the real and concrete needs of our neighbors. God has a history of showing up in places we wouldn't think to look - in a stable in Bethlehem rather than the halls of power, on a cross rather than at the head of a mighty fighting force. In the face of the homeless, the migrant, the hungry, the prisoner.
We are also blessed this week to have as a guest speaker Veronica Davis from CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to tell us about the important work that CASA volunteers do, and how we can become involved. She will be available after the service to answer more questions.
Every year, the bishop and cabinet in our annual conference consider where each pastor would best fit within all the churches of the conference. Although the long-term needs of the churches and pastors is the primary factor, there is always a possibility that the pastor could move. This system of itinerancy helps strengthen the laity by more widely sharing the gifts and graces of the clergy and ensuring that each community of faith is focused on Christ as the primary influence rather than an individual’s personality.
This year, I have been asked to move, but the request was primarily motivated by the cabinet’s support of my recent marriage. I am truly grateful for the chance to live with my wife, but I will miss all of you here in Yuma. These past two years at First Church have gone quickly, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. This Sunday I will briefly reflect on serving at First Church, and we will look at how Christ role modeled ministry for us, always willing to go wherever he was needed.
This Sunday is Pentecost, the day of the year in which we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the first disciples as they gathered to pray and discern what to do after Jesus had ascended to heaven. Of course, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit every day, but this was a special occasion because it also signifies the birth of the church. This is a turning point in the history of the Christian community, when the comforter which Jesus had promised to send was received by the disciples. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on what it means to be the church and how we can support each other as we learn to more fully express the spiritual gifts God has given each of us.
When we find ourselves in new situations, it sometimes takes time to assess what’s happening and decide what to do next. If the change is big, we can almost feel paralyzed. This is understandable for a while, but eventually, we need to accept the new changes and engage in productive and perhaps new ways. This was the case for the disciples who witnessed Jesus’s ascension. They had several encounters with Jesus after his resurrection, but in their final encounter where they saw him ascend to heaven, they seemed to be awestruck by his disappearance. They simply stood still, gazing toward heaven where Jesus had gone. Eventually, two men in white robes suddenly appeared and brought them back to earth. Join us this week as we reflect on what Jesus expected them to do after he left, and how we continue carrying on their work.
This weekend, we will be celebrating Mother’s Day. This is a day set aside to express gratitude to our mothers for all they have done for us and to lift up the attributes of motherhood that are often taken for granted throughout the rest of the year. Although it may be practically impossible to fully live into all the ideals of motherhood, the women who serve in the role of “Mom” clearly deserve recognition for the positive impact they have had on our lives. Even the act of accepting our gratitude can sometimes be a lesson in patience and encouragement as our moms, for example, might receive a once-a-year homemade feast that may not quite come out as intended.
Join us this week as we reflect on the parallels between God’s love for us and the ideals of motherhood. We will look at Paul’s speech to the residents of Athens, explaining how his understanding of God differed from theirs, and we will review the final words Jesus left with his disciples before he was taken away for trial. On this Mother’s Day weekend, we will consider the maternal nature of our relationship with God.
This is the time of year when many of our friends are in some kind of transition. Some of us are heading north for the summer, some are going on vacations for a while, and some of us are having to relocate. These can be difficult times, but they can be exciting as well. Those who go to a new location have adventures to look forward to, and friends who keep in touch get to be part of those changes and possibly have their own adventures when they visit.
In this week’s passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus offers a farewell speech to his friends, his disciples, before his arrest. Knowing that he will be executed, resurrected, and then return to abide with God until the end times, Jesus forewarned his followers that he will soon have to leave them and go to a place where they will not be able to see him. It is generally harder to be left than to leave, so they were troubled by his words. But Jesus explained that it would ultimately be good for everyone if he follows the path God had set before him. Join us next Sunday as we reflect on the gifts Christ made available to us as a result of the transitions that he was willing to experience.
I think it’s safe to say that knockoffs are never as good as the original. When you get a copy of something, whether it’s clothing or car parts, it usually doesn’t have the same quality, feel or performance as the original. Copies are usually cheaper, but sometimes price is not what’s most important.
This week, we will reflect on Jesus’s call to listen for his authentic voice. His voice, the voice of God, offers true wisdom, peace, and understanding, and there is nothing comparable to the Word of God. He warned his listeners to beware of the knockoffs in the world that try to get them to buy into alternative means of satisfaction – through things like wealth or prestige. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the importance of listening for God’s authentic voice.
When we encounter difficult life situations, it’s natural and necessary to grieve our losses. We need time to process those events that result in changing circumstances or lost relationships. Despite an expectation that everything will be fine in the end, the moment of pain cannot be ignored, and having someone to sit with us and listen can be invaluable.
This is the kind of care Jesus offered a pair of disciples who were returning to Emmaus after witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus. They had lost their teacher, and their hope for salvation from the Romans was dashed. But Jesus appeared to them as they walked home, and he listened as they explained why they were so sad. In response, Jesus told them that they had more to be thankful for than they realized, then he explained why he had to be crucified and resurrected. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on this interaction with Jesus on the road to Emmaus and hope a new hope for salvation was born.
As much as we desire to know how everything works in life, there are limitations to what we understand. How does a plant create food from sunlight, or how do the roughly 100 billion neurons in the brain create the sense of consciousness? Some of us are more adept at figuring these things out, but there are many mysteries nobody completely understands. Despite our limited knowledge photosynthesis and neuroscience, we can rely on plants for food and trust our minds to guide us through life.
The mystery of the presence of Christ is similar in many ways. In this week’s passage from the Gospel of John, we read about Jesus appearing to his disciples in a locked room, yet they have no idea how he got there. They could hear, see, and touch him, but they had no idea how he came to them. Likewise, we can sense the presence of Christ in our own lives, but we have no way of knowing the details of how the Holy Spirit moves and works in the world. Join us this Sunday as we reflect the mystery of the resurrection and celebrate the baptism of three of our children.
Facing the daily challenges of life can be tiring. Whether it’s the tedious aspects of a job, the monotonous practices required for a hobby or sport, or even the difficult disciplines practiced for Lent, we tend to run out of steam eventually. Yet, when inspired by the parts of our work and play that feed our passions, we suddenly gain new strength and stamina.
In this fifth Sunday of Lent, we will reflect on how God renews our lives. From the writings of the prophet Ezekiel we read about God giving new life to an entire valley of dead bones, and in the Gospel of John we see how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In both scenarios the death of flesh was given new life through the Spirit. Join us this Sunday as we consider how we can find new passion and energy in life through the grace and salvation offered through Christ.
It’s amazing how well our brain can filter all the stimuli it receives from our senses, allowing us to focus on just a few things at a time. For example, someone returning to work from a lunch break at a sidewalk café may be listening to a friend walking with them, watch for cars as they cross the street, feel a breeze as they come to the corner, smell food from the café they just visited, and taste the tea they had taken with them in a to-go cup while concentrating on the conversation with their friend – all at the same time! Of course, deciding where to focus our attention with all this stimulation can be a challenge. Sometimes we accidently filter the wrong things.
Another important sense we may need to remind ourselves of is that sense which perceives the movement of the Spirit around us. Failing to acknowledge or perceive the Spirit can leave us blind to important information that might help us in our life’s journey. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the baptism and confirmation of several of our youth and reflect on how Jesus’s healing of a blind man can serve as a reminder of how we need Christ’s help with avoiding our spiritual blind spots.
I think it’s safe to say that gratification is a common goal in life for all of us. Each one of us seek some form of gratification, but we do it in different ways: through work, entertainment, hobbies, or even simply resting. Sometimes it’s superficial and temporary; other times it affects us deeply for a lifetime. The search for gratification motivates our behavior and guides many of our decisions.
In this third Sunday of Lent, we will reflect on a discussion between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well. Jesus asked the woman for water to literally quench his thirst, and, in return, he offered to metaphorically quench her thirst. This unannounced switch between literal and metaphorical topics was confusing for her at first, almost comically, but she quickly caught on. Join us this Sunday as we delve deeply into this conversation and consider how we might also be filled through the grace of Christ.
Have you ever been so troubled by a decision that you lose sleep turning the options over and over in your mind? Likewise, have you ever been presented with a decision to be made and were able to come to your decision right away? In our Scripture readings this week, we take a look at Abram's response to God when he told him to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house to go to a place that God would show him. And we also look at the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus about what is required to see and to enter the Kingdom of God. The underlying message in both stories is about the power of faith. The power of faith when it acts like a verb and propels us to get up and go, like Abram, out into the unknown. And the power of doubt to keep us stuck to the comfortable, the familiar, the things we think we know, like Nicodemus. Abram's physical journey was difficult and at times dangerous. But the real journey that God invited him to was a journey of faith, a deeply spiritual journey. During Abram's time people related to deity through country, kindred and family. The gods one worshiped tended to be of a specific place, clan, or ancestry. By taking Abram away from these anchors of personal identity , he was challenged to fill the void with the One God. God asked Abram to place his survival, his identity, his future and his security in the hands of God. By faith, Abram got up and went. Jesus likewise calls each of us to a journey of faith that goes beyond the surface of our lives, and welcomes in the Spirit to blow where it will in our lives. The story of Nicodemus can be a cautionary tale. The decision to join Jesus on that spiritual journey is one we each have to make.
This week, we transition to the liturgical season of Lent. This has traditionally been a period of reflection – about the ways we live out our lives, our relationships with God and each other, and what Christ has made available to us through his crucifixion and resurrection. The season of Lent encourages us to listen to the call of the Spirit and discern how we can grow closer in those relationships.
This week, we will reflect on temptation. This is an issue all of humanity has had to deal with, including Christ. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. Join us this Wednesday for our Ash Wednesday service which marks the beginning of Lent and for our Sunday service where we will reflect on our responses to the inevitable temptations that come our way.
Transfiguration Sunday, like Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday, is about the identity of the one we follow. Jesus the Christ is revealed in glory on the mount of transfiguration. Like the disciples who were privileged to be with him in that moment, we often miss the significance or the opportunity to praise in our struggle to understand. This day is not about knowledge; it is about faith. It is a day for creeds or affirmations of faith. Let us rise to our feet and declare our allegiance to our Lord on this day.
It's true that camp experiences are filled with joy and laughter, and much of that is based on a foundation of trust. In fact, trust is at the core of building community, establishing connections, and growing relationships. When we grow the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) we find it easier to center our communities on trust. This Sunday we'll discover how the Holy Spirit shows up at Mingus through intentionally living into fruits and how trust allows faith to develop and campers and staff to transform into the humans God is calling them to be.
We live in a world where apps and technology play an increasingly large role in our lives. Many of us keep our smart phones and tablets by our side, rushing to check them every time a new notification beeps. Although apps have plenty of useful applications and can even help us stay connected to others, they can also become a major distraction if we spend too much time fixated on them. We must choose wisely what apps we use and keep a watchful eye over our behavior and attitude towards tech-related activities. The same applies to spiritual matters; as we strive to lead ‘Christ-like’ lives, it is important to identify which apps - or practices - are most effective at helping us reach that goal. We all need reminders now and again that although it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of modern apps and devices, clinging onto these superficial distractions will not benefit us in the long run. We can use the same discernment with our spiritual disciplines and faith practices as well!
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why people do what they do. Without an understanding of inward motivations, outward actions sometimes just don’t make sense. In the book The Big Short by Michael Lewis, the thought process of investors who predicted the collapse of the housing market in the 2000’s is explained. During the buildup to the financial crisis, big banks thought these investors were foolish for betting against the market, but when the housing bubble burst, those investors reaped huge profits.
In some ways the Christian way of life can also seem foolish to those who aren’t familiar with the teachings of Christ. The emphasis on loving others and offering compassion to people in need when there is no direct reward or benefit may seem foolish to those who are only accustomed to transactional kinds of relationships. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the ways we are called to serve Christ that may be difficult for some to understand.
There are a wide variety of opinions on just about every subject you can think of: politics, economics, art, religion, … Each person approaches these subjects from a different point of view based on their own experiences and perspectives. Sometimes, the result is positive; ideas are refined, and new solutions arise. However, differences in these subjects can also lead to conflict and gridlock.
This week, we will consider an appeal for unity from the Apostle Paul to the church houses in Corinth. Rumors of conflict had reached him while he was traveling, and he encouraged them to be of one mind. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on what it means for the church to be of the same mind and purpose, and how the message of the cross can be foolish to some and representative of the power of God to others.
Often when asked what we are looking for, we are clearly searching for something in particular--likely an object we have misplaced--and we give a quick and concrete answer. "I'm looking for my glasses," or "I can't find my keys!"
In this week's scripture passage, Jesus asks this question of two men who have begun to follow him, "what are you looking for?" and the men reply with a question of their own. Sometimes we know what we are looking for, and sometimes it is not so clear, and we need more information to clarify what we want to find, and how we will go about seeking it. Jesus invites them to come and see, and they do.
How might we respond to the invitation to come and see? Come join us on Sunday, and let's see.
We often sell ourselves short, emphasizing our weaknesses rather than our strengths. When confronted by significant challenges, whether they’re our own or someone else’s, we sometimes feel inadequate to meet those challenges and defer to other “more capable” people to deal with them for us. This can be on a small scale, such as confronting an unfair HOA rule, or a much larger scale, such as global warming. Regardless of the scope, significant effort is sometimes needed by others to convince us that we can make a difference and should step up to the challenge.
This was the case for John the Baptist in this week’s passage. Jesus came to the Jordan river from Galilee so he could be baptized by John, but John was reluctant to baptize him. John felt inadequate, saying he should be baptized by Jesus. Jesus had to convince John that it was proper for him to baptize Jesus, and, in fact, it was necessary to “fulfill righteousness.” Join us this week as we reflect on John’s dilemma and consider how we may be holding ourselves back from accomplishing great things for Christ.
This Sunday, we celebrate Epiphany, a celebration of the revelation of the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ. Although it’s a seasonal celebration for the entire church, it’s also a time to reflect on our personal revelation of the nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to us as a Jewish child in the first century, but he has been revealed as the Son of God to so many people in various cultures around the world for centuries. Each revelation is a story to be told and a gift to be celebrated.
This week we will talk about the revelation to the Magi. There’s not a lot of information in the Bible about the Magi, but we do know they were not Jewish, and they came from a different culture. They were so confident in the revelation they received that they apparently traveled a great distance in search of this new king. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the journey of Epiphany and consider where the revelation of Christ may take us.
Isn’t it wonderful that Christmas falls on a Sunday this year? After rising early on Christmas morning to exchange gifts and maybe have a nice breakfast, we get to come together with friends and our church family to sing and celebrate the ultimate gift offered by God to humanity – the gift of the Christ child. We get to be vividly reminded of the reason for this season on the day of celebration that is all too often marked more by its economic rather than its spiritual impact on our lives.
This is a day that was eagerly sought by prophets, celebrated by angels, and remembered by Christians over thousands of years. It is a special day when we recognize the humanity of Jesus, born in a manger, as well as his divinity, the Son of God through whom all life was created. Come, join us on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day as we take this opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior within the regular rhythm of our weekly worship, and witness to the gifts of love and compassion that God has given us through this newborn King.
In this fourth week of advent our theme is “love.” It’s so appropriate to conclude the advent season with a focus on love since love could easily be considered the theme of the entire Bible. As the passage from 1 John 4:7-8 so eloquently puts it, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Love is foundational to experiencing Christ and sharing the message of Christ to others.
Love was present when Christ was conceived, and it was love that kept his parents together when he was born. When Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant, and he was not the father, his first inclination was to quietly push Mary aside and let her raise the child without him. After all, they were not married yet, and the child was not his responsibility. But love intervened through the message of an angel, and Joseph changed his mind, raising several children with Mary, including Jesus. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the love that comes with receiving Christ this Advent season.
The theme for our second week of Advent is peace. Interestingly, this was supposedly the goal of the Roman empire in the first century, but their method of achieving peace was through intimidation. The idea was to force people to behave the way the Roman authorities wanted them to by threatening them with violence if they refused to comply. This is still a tactic used to various degrees throughout the world today.
Jesus also sought to bring peace to the world, but he approached the idea differently – through love. By seeking the well-being of others, our attitude toward them changes from a spirit of competition to one of compassion. Jesus’s approach still fosters conflict, but violence was never intended to be a part of the solution. The conflict stems from the confrontations that arise between his followers who promote justice versus the powerful leaders who are mostly concerned with their own personal interests. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the goal of peace and how we might cultivate it in our lives.
Advent has arrived! This is a season of anticipation when excitement builds as we look forward to the coming Christ child. Yes, Jesus was born over two thousand years ago, but we relive the celebration of his birth with eager anticipation each year. We recognize the event that happened historically, yet also recognize that Christ still comes to us continually in Word and Spirit today.
This first Sunday of Advent, our focus is on hope. Throughout the ages, hope has served to strengthen us in times of difficulty and inspire us to remain faithful to the gospel message. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and reflect on messages of hope given to us from the Prophet Isaiah, the Apostle Paul, and the author of the Gospel of Matthew. These ancient writings help lead us out of despair and encourage us to think of new possibilities when Christ comes into our lives again, and again.
We have much to celebrate this weekend. This coming Sunday is the last Sunday of the Christian liturgical calendar, Christ the King Sunday. And it’s also the day we will baptize two of our beloved children, Ander and Jase (one day following their formal adoption by our Director of Children’s Ministries, Ms. Samantha Mayrant). These celebrations give us the opportunity to reflect on what it means to call ourselves “Christian.”
Christians have a specific understanding of Jesus and what it means to follow his teachings. In the opening of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the churches in Colossae we find an excellent Christian description of Jesus, “the firstborn of all creation, … the head of the body, the church, … the firstborn of the dead.” As a consequence of our understanding of Jesus, we are guided to live our lives in specific ways. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, the baptism of Jase and Ander, and reflect on our understanding of Jesus Christ as Lord and King.
Sometimes the daily news feels overwhelming. There are stories of violence, natural disasters, and political chaos that might make us wonder if there is any hope for the future. Are these stories representative of what is truly happening around us, or are they sensationalized messages meant to drum up excitement to sell advertising bites in news feeds? It sometimes makes us want to specifically search for good news that will provide encouragement.
In our passages this week, we will reflect on the warnings Jesus gave his disciples about what to expect in the future as well as a prophecy from Isaiah. Jesus’s description of the immediate future was filled with pessimism that predicted strife and suffering, but he ended on a message of hope that those who endure their challenges with faith will be blessed. Similarly, the writing from the prophet Isaiah comes from a particularly difficult period in Israel’s history, but it provides a description of an end time that is filled with peace where the wolf and the lamb will feed together. Join us this week as we consider what it means to endure our challenges with faith and what to expect in the end.
This weekend we celebrate All Saints Day. This is a time when we remember the saints who have made a lasting impact on our lives and have gone before us to be with Christ. Although we may not completely understand what happens after death, we have confidence in the promise Jesus made that we will be together with him and all the saints when our time comes to leave this earthly life. The nature of that realm has always been a mystery, but our faith in the resurrection of Jesus serves as a foundation for the hope in his kingdom.
Our passage this week is from the Gospel of Luke where a group of Sadducees were trying to convince Jesus that they had a better understanding of what happens after death than the Pharisees. Jesus told them that the “problem” they posed was irrelevant because the afterlife is much different from what we experience in this life. Come join us this Sunday as we reflect on the response Jesus gave to the Sadducees and how it applies to us as well.
This weekend we celebrate All Saints Day. This is a time when we remember the saints who have made a lasting impact on our lives and have gone before us to be with Christ. Although we may not completely understand what happens after death, we have confidence in the promise Jesus made that we will be together with him and all the saints when our time comes to leave this earthly life. The nature of that realm has always been a mystery, but our faith in the resurrection of Jesus serves as a foundation for the hope in his kingdom.
Our passage this week is from the Gospel of Luke where a group of Sadducees were trying to convince Jesus that they had a better understanding of what happens after death than the Pharisees. Jesus told them that the “problem” they posed was irrelevant because the afterlife is much different from what we experience in this life. Come join us this Sunday as we reflect on the response Jesus gave to the Sadducees and how it applies to us as well.
While preparing for last week’s charge conference, I was struck by the wonderful work that had been accomplished in the past year and the exciting opportunities coming up in the year ahead. For those who are not as familiar with the inner workings of the United Methodist Church, the charge conference is a local church meeting held each year where the church reviews its current status and considers changes for the following year. The effort put forth by people in the church over the last year reflects a deep faith in Christ and in this church family.
This is the same kind of impression the Apostle Paul appeared to have of the Thessalonian church. In his second letter to the Thessalonian Christians, Paul talks about their growing faith in Christ and their obvious love for each other. He saw their effort as an example of steadfastness in purpose that glorified Christ. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in our community and the importance of keeping our hope through faith.
Heroes play a valuable role in our lives. They serve as models for our most important ideals, but they are also relatable. In some ways they have superior traits we envy, yet they, like us, usually have some issue they are dealing with, which allows us to relate to them. There is always some weakness or fault that allows us to say, “I can’t do everything they can do, but there’s a part of me that’s just like them.” In some ways, this gives us permission to consider ways we are like our heroes and makes them approachable.
But there is one trait that ruins it for most people – arrogance. Despite possibly having superior strength, speed, or intelligence, if a person has the fault of being too self-righteous or proud, many people won’t want to engage with them. This week we will reflect on a parable Jesus told a group of people whom he considered self-righteous. In the end, he warned them that “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Join us this Sunday as we consider the importance of humility in our lives, as well as the pitfalls of being too self-deprecating.
Life isn’t fair sometimes. As patronizing as that phrase may sound, it’s an accurate assessment of frustrating situations that pervade our thoughts as we work through the injustices we encounter. These injustices may be related to socio-economic issues such as racial or gender biases, or they may be related to events in our lives. Tragedies that we encounter, such as the unexpected death of a seemingly healthy mother giving birth or the sudden loss of a loved one due to cancer, are unjust from our perspective, and there is no one to point to for blame or retribution. Such “injustices” can be the most difficult to cope with.
In this week’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our faith despite the injustices we encounter. He gives us a parable of a woman who was being ignored by a judge, yet she persistently came to the judge until he finally gave in and addressed her issues. Jesus concluded “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?” Join us this Sunday as we reflect on faith and prayer as a means of addressing the injustices we encounter in our lives.
As we come to worship this coming Sunday, we (most of Christianity) recognize this day as World Communion Sunday. Isn’t that exciting? What’s it all about? Does that mean that everyone takes communion at the same time and in the same way? Maybe that would be good but even if we did that it wouldn’t be what I think Jesus was talking about when He first shared communion with His disciples. 1 Corinthians 11:17-26 tells us what Jesus wanted and we’re going to spend the morning focusing on what each of us senses communion is for them? I think we’ll be surprised what we discover as we look back both in the church’s history, but more importantly as what we have sensed it to be. The Church has put many restrictions on the activity called “communion” and at some points has almost lost an understanding of this very precious experience. I hope you’ll come to worship with an open mind that you might truly find your understanding of communion – not mine or the church’s. Let us be at prayer as we prepare for World Communion Sunday, that we might grow in our understanding of this action that we take almost matter-of-factly. Look forward to seeing you at the Communion Table this Sunday.
This week we will continue our discussion on building wealth in the kingdom of God with a reflection on the story of Lazarus given to us in the Gospel of Luke and advice offered by the apostle Paul to one of his protégés in his first letter to Timothy.
Last week, we talked about using the resources at our disposal in this world as well as the gift of forgiveness that we can offer our neighbor so that we might facilitate better relationships with God and those around us. These actions help build true treasures in heaven that won’t disappear. Join us next Sunday as we consider the importance of being conscientious in our stewardship of the blessings we have received from God and reflect on the specific traits that Paul advised Timothy to cultivate. By ordering our lives in this way, we set ourselves up to experience more deep, lasting joy that is much more worthwhile than the fleeting moments of happiness that often drive our actions.
The concept of money is very interesting. At one time, dollars were directly tied to other materials considered valuable, such as gold. It was assumed that a country would not print more dollar bills than they could back up with a reserve of gold, but that is not the case today. In today’s economy countries print money based on economic conditions and the perception of each country’s economic strength in the world. The value of a dollar is not based on gold, but on several other factors that are intricately tied to each other. This may seem dishonest at first, but the world economy has been successfully chugging along with this paradigm for quite a while.
This week we will reflect on a parable Jesus taught which is counterintuitive because it appears to celebrate dishonesty, at least initially. A rich man’s financial manager was caught squandering his master’s money, and he was about to be fired. But before he was officially dismissed, while he still had control of his master’s books, the manager sought to gain favor with his master’s debtors by forgiving some of their debts. Oddly, when the rich man discovered the fake accounting edits, he praised the dishonest manager for acting shrewdly. Join us this week as we discuss this parable more deeply and consider our own stewardship of the blessings God has given us.
A message on the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) by Rev. Sandra Jimenez, pastor of Spanish- language new church start (United Methodist), Yuma, AZ.
When tragedy strikes, a common question asked is “Why did God do this?” Today’s news reports are filled with stories of violence and tragedy that make some wonder whether God is really in control, or, if so, why God would allow terrible things to happen to good people. Scripture tells us God can cause disaster and provide relief, which leads some to conclude that tragedy only strikes when God intends to inflict punishment.
This week, we will reflect on the writings of the prophet Jeremiah which discussed the tragedies experienced by Judah as it was being invaded by the Babylonians. The Israelites of that time were trying to make sense of the terrible things that were happening, and they wondered why God would allow the temple as well as God’s people to be destroyed. Join us this Sunday as we consider how both the writings of ancient Israel and the teachings of Jesus can help us make at least some sense of the tragedies we see happening today.
Learning how to live a good life is sometimes difficult to grasp. We learn much of it in school while growing up, sometimes more in the lunchroom and on the playground rather than in the classroom. In these more uncontrolled circumstances, which lent themselves to unscripted scenarios, we had to figure out principles of behavior that would lead us into the kind of relationships we hoped to achieve. But these lessons were often hard, especially when the outcome was the opposite of what we were looking for. I found it much easier to learn these principles from reading short stories or aphorisms that came in the form of the fables of Aesop, the parables of Jesus, and the letters from the early apostles.
This week we will consider a group of lessons from the writer of “The Letter to the Hebrews.” These lessons come in the final chapter of this writing, and they offer insights in several different scenarios. But there is a common theme to all of them that leads the teaching at the beginning of the passage. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on these lessons at the conclusion of Hebrews and how they can guide us to deeper relationships with God and each other.
Following rules is important, but we all know that common sense is needed as well. If we all suddenly decided to obey traffic lights only part of the time, the streets would be much more dangerous. Or if we decided to only pay some of our utility bills, the power companies wouldn’t be able to pay their employees, and we would probably be without power for much longer the next time there was an outage. But sometimes, in a moment of crisis, blind compliance can be much worse than breaking the rules.
In this week’s passage, Jesus breaks a rule by healing a woman on the Sabbath. He’s criticized, albeit indirectly, by the religious authorities for the infraction, but he retorts by pointing out how they also bend the rules when they need to. Although this subject seems simple, it’s helpful to consider it more thoroughly since rule-bending can be a slippery slope. How easy is it to go from healing a person on the Sabbath to completely ignoring the Sabbath? Join us this Sunday as we reflect on being disciplined while also being mindful of grace and compassion.
A common prayer request we have is for peace. We seek peace in our lives and pray for peace in the lives of others, especially those who are enduring the tragedies of war like the Ukrainians. But there is more to the concept of peace than just experiencing serenity. The Ukrainians are suffering the tragedies of war because Russia is trying to forcibly annex them, and they refuse to have their culture and way of life erased. Yes, there may be fewer deaths if they simply acquiesced to the Russian demands, but this is not an acceptable price to pay for more serenity, nor is it a true state of peace in their land.
In this week’s passage, we will reflect on Jesus’s announcement to the crowds that he came not to bring peace to the world but division. This may seem counterintuitive to some who perceive Christians as a docile collection of passive individuals who seek pleasantness at all costs, but it makes sense when we think about the emphasis Christ placed on being transformed by the Spirit rather than conforming to the rest of society. Join us this Sunday as we consider what it means to be at peace and how we can confront injustice in the world without alienating everyone who doesn’t believe exactly as we do.
Friendly competition is a lot of fun. Whether it’s board games, video games, or sports, I’ve always enjoyed getting together with friends and family to play games. Even when we get a bit competitive, we can have a lot of fun playing games. One common strategy that I’ve seen used in nearly every kind of competitive game is to distract your opponent so that they focus on something other than the true goal of the game. As the distraction takes root, the confused player wastes time achieving irrelevant objectives while their opponent methodically works their way toward winning the overall game.
This is the kind of mistake that trips up many of us in life, and Jesus warned his followers not to fall prey to it. In this week’s lectionary passage from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns his followers not to be distracted by meaningless goals that waste their time and keep them from achieving true success in life. Join us this week as we reflect on the “unfailing treasure in heaven” that Christ suggests is worth setting our hearts on, and how we can stay focused as we journey through life.
Near the beginning of the Book of 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his Christian theology to the church in Corinth that he helped found. Since leaving there, others succeeded him who had different theological ideas and congregational leaders wrote him requesting him to make corrections for their faltering congregation. So, Paul prefaces any direct arrival by writing this letter. Where we are in the early chapters, he expresses his need to provide his credentials. But what he says is not what one might find in a resume. We’ll be focused on 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, but I would invite you to read at least all of Chapter 2 and maybe some of 3 in order to get the context.
So, after doing background reading, how does any of this pertain to any of you – right now? Great question! Most of us neither use the word Corinth in our daily life nor think that we’re like the apostle Paul, running around to all kinds of places to tell people about Jesus. Few of us seek the title of evangelist. And yet you are one – an evangelist for things many of which can be found in 10 second commercials on tv. The difference is that many times you don’t really want others to change; you’re just proud of what you have. Tell me – are you proud of Jesus? Hmmm. Having said this, will anyone come to worship next Sunday to hear my suggestions? Whether you do or don’t – we’ll love you if only because Jesus calls us to. Come and find out!
In one of our recent “First Devotion” emails, a comment made by the economist John Maynard Keynes in 1930 was referenced: “What will we do with all our spare time?” Based on the rate of progress Keynes had observed at the time, he predicted that his future grandchildren would only need to work 15 hours a week. Everything was being automated so well that people would have little need to work. Of course, this prediction was clearly wrong as we have come to realize that greater automation often results in greater complexity along with higher expectations for efficiency.
This week, we will reflect on the conflict between two sisters, Martha and Mary, that was born out of the different priorities they had in life which had prompted one to be more active and the other more reflective. While Martha was busy taking care of the guests at their home, Mary decided to stop and listen to the message offered by Jesus, who was one of those guests. Although Martha asked Jesus to rebuke her sister, Jesus refused saying “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Join us Sunday as we reflect on what that one thing that we need might be.
A common perception shared by many people is that human behavior is always guided by self-interest. This implies that everything we do (or decide not to do) is based on what we expect to gain from some action (or to save if we refrain from it). This perspective can quickly lead to a cynical attitude that robs us of our ability to recognize sincere altruism when it surfaces in our daily lives and diminishes the hope we might have for the future of our communities.
In this week’s passage, we read of the “Good Samaritan” who cared for the robbery victim on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. There were others who passed by this victim before the Samaritan came along, but they did not decide to offer him support; presumably, because it wasn’t in their self-interest. The Samaritan, however, decided to care for the victim despite any apparent advantage he might gain from the situation. Join us this Sunday as we reflect our motivations for helping others and consider why others may have helped us.
It’s often assumed that the solution to difficult problems must also be difficult. When the big problems we are encountering in life can be fixed with a simple adjustment to our lifestyle or a short phone call, it often feels like we had been making a big deal out of nothing. But this is not necessarily the case; sometimes the best solution to big problems can be simple.
This is the case for the Aramean commander named Naaman who came to the prophet Elisha asking to be cured of his leprosy. Elisha wouldn’t even take the time to step out of his house to meet Naaman after Naaman journeyed from a distant country to see him. Elisha simply sent a messenger to Naaman telling him to go to the Jordan river and wash seven times. Feeling belittled by Elisha’s treatment, Naaman became angry and was going to return home directly, ignoring Elisha’s advice, but his servants convinced him to try it first. After all, it was easy and wouldn’t take much time. So, Naaman agreed and washed seven times in the Jordan river which cured his leprosy.
Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the story of Naaman as well as the simple, yet effective advice Jesus gave his disciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel. We will look at how simple changes we make in our lives can have a powerful impact.
Sometimes people seem surprised that although I am a member of two church staff teams, I don't always know everything about either congregation or building. No, I didn't know Mrs. X was going to have surgery. Oh, the back porch lightbulb has been burned out for a month? The most fun is when it involves somehow knowing a future event - why didn't I plan on the hallway flooding and have a bunch of extra mops available, or call the plumber last week? (These are generalizations, not specific incidents, by the way.) And when these things come up, I have to remind people (and most often myself) that the Bishop did not hand me a crystal ball when I was ordained a deacon! The only way I can know about something is if I experience it or someone tells me about it. And I certainly can't predict the future! This week's passage from Luke contains some statements from Jesus we often find troubling or intimidating. Jesus seems to be telling his followers to give up many important things and near-future plans in order to be true disciples. However, a common theme connects the sayings - a reminder that life will not - cannot - always be everything we predicted or expected. What's the surest way to get God to laugh, after all? Tell God your plans! Jesus reminds us that if we take up a life preparing for and spreading God's kin-dom, we should be prepared to give up our fixed expectations and be open to the greater work - and greater reward - God has in store for us.
This Sunday, we have a couple of significant celebrations to look forward to. One of them is Juneteenth, the day we commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th of 1865 General Gordon Granger of the Union Army declared all enslaved people were free in the state of Texas, the last state of the confederacy to abolish institutional slavery. This was the culmination of a long effort by President Abraham Lincoln to end slavery in America, his primary campaign issue in the 1860 US presidential election. Throughout his presidency, Lincoln remained dedicated to the principles of freedom for enslaved people, despite the experiences of exhaustion and isolation which came with leading the union states through the American Civil War.
In this week’s passage from 1 Kings, we read of another leader who fully devoted himself to principles that resulted in experiences of exhaustion and isolation, the prophet Elijah. Elijah was inspired by God to rebel against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and was threatened with execution when he was successful. Elijah ran from Jezebel, eventually finding himself deep in the wilderness. It was in the midst of this wilderness experience that he had a unique encounter with God that gave him the strength to return and continue in service. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the challenges of being devoted to serving Christ when it causes us discomfort, and how we can find an abiding peace through acknowledging God’s presence in our lives.
At least two examples of building the Lord's House: the first, as written, were instructions from God to Moses during the wandering. The next Temple was built by Solomon.
Each were built to fill the purpose of a particular time and circumstances. Moses' House of the Lord was a tent; Solomon’s was a stone structure.
God gave Moses the blueprint; Solomon’s seemingly followed tradition.
Both were elaborate. One had to be disassembled frequently and moved; the other was designed to be permanent.
Trends today seem to be minimalistic in design, but is that necessary?
What type of structure would you be attracted to?
My forbearers were of the opinion to spend little on the building but instead use money for local altruistic projects. (Remember Jesus said the poor will always be with you.) This is spite of President LBJ's War on Poverty.
Are we justified in spending the Lord's money in beautifying our building?
How do we get the monies? How we spend the monies? Are we justified in how we are spending it?
What will your part be?
Birthdays can be a lot of fun. Granted, some may not want to be reminded of the many years that have already passed, but they give us an opportunity to celebrate the gift of having that person in our lives. This week, we celebrate the birthday of the church. This is a time when we give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit that was experienced by the disciples in Jerusalem marking the milestone of the birth of the Christian church. And we are more and more grateful as the years go by.
In this week’s passage, we will reflect on what happened on that first day of Pentecost and how it changed the disciples. On that special day they transitioned from being a group of frightened men and women huddling together out of fear in an inner room to a body of Christ that boldly proclaims Christ message throughout the world. Join us Sunday as we celebrate the birthday of the church, consider where we have been, and think about where we go from here.
One year, my kids gave me a session in an escape room for my birthday. If you like puzzles, escape rooms are a lot of fun. You and your guests are led into a small room filled with puzzles and riddles, and then you are locked in the room with your “team.” In order to escape the room, you have to solve the puzzles that direct you to a hidden key that lets you pass through a side door. In the room I went to, we solved the puzzles in the room only to discover that the door we unlocked opened into another puzzle room which we had to solve. It turns out there were three consecutive puzzle rooms before we reached the end of the event.
Our passage this week is filled with twists and turns that remind me of navigating the escape rooms. While Paul and his entourage were preaching the gospel in one of the towns they were traveling through, they were followed by a woman who constantly shouted praise for their ability to teach people how to be saved. But scripture tells us that Paul eventually became so annoyed with the woman that he exorcised the spirit that gave her the ability to perceive their gifts and tell the future. It turns out the woman was a slave who was being exploited by her masters who charge money for people to speak with her, so they became angry when she lost this gift. The owners had Paul and Silas arrested, but this only led to the conversion of the jailer who guarded them. Join us next weekend as we reflect on the twists and turns of Paul’s experiences and how the twists and turns of our own lives can be lead to unexpected freedoms.
A fascinating art form that gained popularity in the 1990’s is the stereogram. These are three-dimensional images masked by various patterns. At first glance, the pictures look like arbitrary arrangements of shapes and colors. But if you carefully look at the picture in a special way, focusing the gaze of your eyes beyond the picture, the three-dimensional shape suddenly comes into focus. The three-dimensional image is always there, but you can only see it if you look at the picture in a unique way.
This week, we will consider Jesus’s response to the apostle Judas’s question (note this is not the same Judas who betrayed him), “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus explained to his disciples that he will be in the world, just as God and the Holy Spirit are in the world, but the world sometimes does not recognize him. Although his presence may not be obvious at times, he is always here. Join us Sunday as we reflect on perceiving the presence of Christ in the world and what we can do to find that image of God around us.
It’s interesting how habits and customs become integrated into our lives without fully understanding why we do them. For example, there was a family who had a favorite meatloaf recipe passed down for many years. Everyone loved it, so they were reluctant to modify the recipe in any way. One of the more peculiar steps was to cut the meatloaf in half before placing it in the oven. One day, at a big family gathering, some of the cooks were preparing the meatloaf for dinner when the great-grandmother, the matriarch of the family, stepped into the kitchen to see how the cooks were doing. She noticed they were cutting the meatloaf before placing into the oven, so she asked them why they were doing that. She gracefully informed them that cutting the meatloaf was unnecessary; she only did that many years earlier when she created the recipe because they had a very small oven at that time.
In our passage today, we see how Peter and the other disciples were carefully following tradition, but they learned that some of the rules they had been dutifully following came from other people rather than God. This mistake can lead to missing the true intention of certain faith practices and can result in damaging relationships rather than healing them. Join us next Sunday as we reflect on the spiritual message Peter and the other disciples received when they were led to share the gospel with people they considered unworthy.
This weekend is Mother’s Day. There are many reasons to celebrate our mothers, and a big one that comes to mind for me is their amazing devotion to their children. Granted, even mothers lose their patience sometimes, but they generally seem to have a unique ability to express an incredible amount of patience and compassion for their children well after others may have reached their limit. Mothers can answer the same question over and over as their child struggles to understand a new idea, and they seem to find joy in watching the process of discovery unfold for their child.
In our passage this week, there is a sense that Jesus’s patience is being tested as he responds to questions from worshipers in the temple. They asked him “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tells us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I have told you and you do not believe.” Jesus showed signs, fulfilled prophecy, and explained who he was many times, but some could not quite “get it.” Join us next Sunday as we reflect on Christ’s response to those who struggled to understand his message and how we might pursue a process of discovery for ourselves.
People are often characterized by the consequences of their efforts, or you could say “by the fruits of their labor.” This generally makes sense – benevolent acts stem from people expressing kindness, and destructive acts stem from people expressing enmity. Unfortunately, moments of passion can drive a person to do things that have a lasting impact which fosters a negative impression on others long afterward. The good news is that we can repent and be forgiven by the grace of God. But our neighbors, who aren’t able to perceive our changes the way Christ does, may have difficulty accepting the new version of ourselves.
This week, we will reflect on the conversion of Saul. Saul was a persecutor of the early church who actively sought to punish people who followed the teachings of Jesus. He had a reputation for cruelty that made Christians fearful of him, but Saul experienced Christ in a dramatic way that changed his perspective. Instead of suppressing Christ’s message, he became one of Christianity’s most ardent supporters. Join us this Sunday as we look at Saul’s conversion story and consider how we respond to changes of heart, both in others as well as ourselves.
The Apostle Thomas, also known as “Doubting Thomas,” has been criticized over the centuries for his reluctance to acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus without physical evidence. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were hiding in a room, but Thomas was not with them at that time. Later, the other disciples reported the event to Thomas, but he wouldn’t believe them – it was too farfetched. But the next week, while Thomas was present in the room with the other disciples, Jesus appeared again, and Jesus gave Thomas the opportunity to test the validity of his resurrection as much as he needed.
Although many have criticized Thomas for demanding proof, most of us can sympathize with his response to the claim that Jesus had been resurrected. This was a highly unusual claim which would be hard to accept without some kind of evidence. Join us this Sunday as we consider Thomas’s response and reflect on our own response to the claim that Christ is risen.
We are finally coming to the last week of Lent, Holy Week! During this week we will walk with Jesus as he has his last supper with the disciples on Maundy Thursday and endures a humiliating crucifixion on Good Friday. That final day could not possibly be considered “good” in its own time; only when we reflect upon it from the following Easter Sunday can we realize that it was actually “good.” It is only on Easter Sunday that we realize that Jesus’s acceptance of the path to crucifixion on Friday would ultimately lead to his resurrection and glorification on Sunday. The journey to death at Golgotha was only one stop on the road to eternal life – for us as well.
Our scripture for Easter Sunday describes how the women who had followed Jesus as disciples returned to the tomb in which he was laid. They had brought spices and ointments traditionally used for burial, but they found the tomb was empty and his body was gone! Instead, there were two men who appeared and asked them “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Of course, if they had known he was alive, they wouldn’t have traveled to the tomb that morning. But that’s the point – they didn’t know he is alive. Join us this week as we journey with Jesus on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday and reflect on discovering what it means to truly be alive.
There are many times in our lives when we may have not been sure how we were going to make it through some challenge we were experiencing. Whether it was paying the bills when the bank account was low, finding transportation when our car broke down, completing a degree or training program, or finding peace and acceptance when a loved one passed away. But looking back on those times, we find that things somehow worked out for us so that we could go on to fulfill some special role that God had prepared for us. Somehow, God provided for us when we didn’t think it was possible with the resources we had on hand.
This week, we will reflect on how God provided for Jesus when he needed to make a grand entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus had no property – no home, no livestock, and no money, yet he was expected to make a specific kind of entrance into Jerusalem as prophesied by Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah foretold of a humble king who would one day enter the city on the back of a colt with great celebration. Jesus, trusting that God would provide, sent disciples into town to retrieve a colt for him, and all that he needed was made available as he had faithfully expected. Join us for Palm Sunday this weekend as we reflect on the blessings we have been given so that we might fulfill the wonderful plans God has in store for us.
In this Sunday's reading, we hear a familiar story from the Gospel of John - Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet, and Judas' critical reaction to this act of extravagance. We sometimes read familiar passages of scripture and the behaviors in them through a lens of right or wrong, black and white, hero versus villain. But is that all we can take away from this story?
Mary celebrated the presence of Jesus in her life through bestowing him a great honor - one that no doubt came at great personal cost. She follows the example of many devout believers in doing so. Judas in turn lifted up the principle of sharing one's wealth with the poor; again, there is much precedent for charity throughout the history of our faith. What are we to do with the seeming tension presented in this passage?
Jesus’ parables are layered stories that teach us many lessons. They are usually provoked by a question or a challenge, and in this case that challenge is key to understanding the story. Parables are meant to make us a little uncomfortable and to shift our perceptions. In one instance Jesus is teaching somewhere, and soon he was surrounded by tax collectors and “sinners”. There in the crowd, maybe off to the side, certainly bunched up together away from the “sinners,” were some Scribes and Pharisees. What were they doing? Well, they were grumbling and saying to one another, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” But Jesus always knew what was in people’s hearts, and so he responded by telling them three stories. We are excited to welcome our own Debbie Pallack, Certified Lay Servant, to the pulpit this week to share more about these three stories and their impact on our life and faith!
Many people come to the United States seeking the opportunities of the “American Dream,” the ideal that anyone can achieve prosperity, success, and a higher social status through hard work, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. While there have been challenges to the reality of this ideal, especially for groups that have been traditionally marginalized for various reasons, many people have found opportunities here that they could not find in their country of origin. However, one negative consequence of this mindset is the emphasis on the perceived value of a person’s contribution. The compensation given to those with unique skills or talents can be excessively disproportionate relative to those born with attributes that are not marketable for their day or may even be considered a disadvantage. In effect, people are assumed to have a particular value based on the economic net worth of what they can produce.
This week, we will look at Jesus’s teaching on creating value. In this passage from Luke, Jesus warns his followers that they must bear fruit, or they suffer terrible consequences. The punishment described by Jesus for failing to bear fruit is presented in a metaphorical way that sounds much worse than getting demoted or being fired, but the real question is the meaning of “bearing fruit.” Join us this Sunday as we consider the value Christ places on each of us and how we are expected bear fruit from our relationship with him.
There seems to be a great deal of fear in the world today. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the thinly veiled threat of nuclear war the Russian president announced to the rest of the world as a means of intimidating anyone who might help defend the Ukrainian people, we have been bombarded with messages of gloom and destruction. Coupled with other ominous messages of economic crisis, global ecological threats, and the recent pandemic, we have endured a long, sustained barrage of events that have spawned a climate of anxiety. Coping with these threats can be exhausting. While we may be tempted to resign ourselves to expect only more bad news as a means of guarding against disappointment, a more helpful approach may be to open our eyes to the broader vision of the circumstances we find ourselves in, particularly with respect to the abiding presence of God.
This seems to be the approach of the ancient Israelites which we see in many of the Psalms. When faced with calamity, which happened many times, the Israelites sought God’s protection and expressed faith that God would eventually see them through whatever tragedies they were enduring. The beginning of Psalm 27 provides a perfect example, announcing statements of faith followed by rhetorical questions, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Join us Sunday when we will reflect on Psalm 27 and consider the sense of hope this writing engenders as well as how we can apply the truths of this ancient writing to our modern circumstances.
* Please note due due technical difficulties, only a partial recording of the sermon was made this week. We apologize for the inconvenience.*This week, we started our journey through the season of Lent. Lent is a period of forty days leading up to Easter, not counting Sundays, when we remember our mortality, reflect on our relationship with God, and consider changes we can make in our lives that will help us grow closer to God. This can be a challenging time because it requires an honest self-assessment that might not be very flattering. Are there times when we are willing to compromise our principles so that we can achieve a personal goal? Do we dedicate ourselves to our career, status, or financial comfort at the expense of our devotion to God? Do we negotiate with God, offering to do those things we know God wants us to do deep in our heart only if God takes care of our personal requests?
These are the kinds of challenges Jesus dealt with after his baptism in the Jordan river. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led into the desert where he fasted for forty days and was then tested by the devil. He was offered bread after the long fast, authority over the kingdoms of the world, and an opportunity to prove he was God’s son by testing God’s resolve to keep him safe. Of course, Jesus passed each challenge presented to him by the devil during this journey in the wilderness, but the devil never gave up. Similarly, we are constantly tested, but we do not have the wisdom of God as Jesus did, so we sometimes fail our test. Each year during Lent we take a forty-day journey to consider where we may have gone wrong in our challenges and think about how we could do a little better in the year ahead. Join us this Sunday as we look at the ways Jesus was successful in his journey through the desert and what we might learn from him.
This Sunday, the final Sunday in the season of Ordinary Time prior to the start of Lent, is traditionally observed as Transfiguration Sunday. The basis for this celebration in the church year is found in our scripture passage for the week, Luke 9:28-36, where Jesus' glorious nature is physically and visibly revealed to Peter, James, and John. Just as we begin this season after Christmas with Jesus being recognized and celebrated by the Magi, by Simeon and Anna in the temple, and by John the Baptist at the Jordan, so we conclude with Jesus' closest disciples receiving of deeper understanding of who Jesus is.
The word "transfiguration" is a fancy way of saying "change in appearance." It points to something superficial, the way something is perceived; it doesn't necessarily mean the inner essence or reality is changed. But was it only a change in Jesus' appearance that day - or were the disciples changed themselves for having experienced it? This week, we will look at possible reasons for the transfiguration - why it happened when it did, or at all - and its effects. What did the disciples take away from the experience? More importantly, how does it affect our faith, our discipleship, and our own nature as followers of Christ today?
One of the most challenging, yet unique tenets of Christian teaching is to love your enemy. As we recently discussed in service about two weeks ago, this is not a suggestion to try to force yourself to have positive feelings for someone who is mistreating you – that would be impossible to do with any degree of authenticity. This is about expressing a specific kind of love the first century Greek community called αγαπε (agape) that involved looking out for the interests of the other person and behaving warmly towards them. But even this can be particularly difficult when a more gratifying initial response may be vengeance and retribution, responses we are more likely to see in popular literature and movies.
This week we will explore the idea of loving our enemy more deeply and consider how this was demonstrated in a famous Old Testament story. We will reflect on how this approach to conflict can be seen as a sign of strength rather than weakness, and how our relationships can evolve from bitter opponents to genuine friends. Join us this Sunday as we dive into these challenging topics and see how we can benefit from caring for our enemies while maintaining a healthy sense of self-respect that acknowledges the importance of loving and caring for ourselves as well.
Multitasking is a common mode of operation today. With easy access to information and a lot of work being done through computers, we can quickly and easily switch tasks. This often leaves us working on several things at the same time, addressing issues on one project while waiting for updates on other projects. But, if you think about it, multitasking is kind of a misnomer. We can actually only focus on one thing at a time. We might quickly switch between projects or tasks, but we can only deeply concentrate on one thing at a time. I’ve found that I need to place all my attention on certain tasks if they are important and not just the simple mundane activities that I do subconsciously.
In this week’s passage we see the first disciples, Peter, James, and John, shift all of their focus when they encountered Jesus. The disciples were fishermen who had not met Jesus before but happened to be in the area when Jesus was passing through. Jesus asked Peter if he could use his boat as a speaking platform while he gave a lesson to his followers, and Peter agreed. After the lesson, Jesus told Peter to put out the boat a little further from the shore and cast his net. Peter, who had just returned from working all night at fishing with no success, eventually relented and caught a tremendous number of fish. Realizing the importance of the message Jesus had to offer, Peter and his fishing partners, James and John, shifted their attention away from catching fish and started fishing for people. Join us Sunday as we discuss refining our focus so that we can shift our attention to the things that are most important.
The word “love” has many different meanings to us today, and it can have very different implications. Of course, there is the idea of “romantic love” that we associate with the strong attraction a person has with another. We also talk about loving other things like certain foods, books, or even ideas, such as freedom or peace. We sometimes talk about loving our children or friends. In general, we use it to describe a strong affinity for someone or something that motivates us to give precedence to that person or object of our affection in ways that may even seem irrational to others.
The authors of various writings in the bible sometimes describe love in the same way we typically used the word, but there are other ways of thinking about love that are also presented. This week we will reflect on the Apostle Paul’s understanding of love that he shared with the church houses in Corinth. This famous passage is often read at weddings not only as a celebration of the significance of love, but also as a gem of wisdom that advises how to maintain relationships built upon love. Scripture teaches us to love God, our neighbor, and even our enemy. Clearly, these can’t be dictums requiring us to have a strong affinity for someone or something; we can’t suddenly find something appealing because someone tells us to love it. Join us on Sunday as we explore “love.”
Isn’t it amazing how much we change over the years? For those who live with us, the small daily changes may be imperceptible, but when someone moves away and then returns for a visit after a long time, the changes may seem dramatic. Aside from the physical changes which are expected, especially when we are younger, there are changes in our personal maturity and how we cope with life’s challenges. We might learn new ways of dealing with certain issues that may have troubled us in the past, or we may have a different perspective on life that changes our overall attitude. Occasionally, we encounter a significant event that initiates a dramatic change almost immediately which everyone around us recognizes.
This is what happened to Jesus in the passage we will reflect on this week. He had just returned from a life-changing experience in the wilderness where he had fasted for forty days and had been tempted by Satan. His trek into the wilderness started after he had been baptized in the Jordan river, and the Holy Spirit descended on him with the message that he was God’s son, beloved and pleasing to God. These events seemed to have changed him as we see by the remarks from his neighbors who complained about his audacious comments related to fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy in the synagogue, saying, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” God saw him as His begotten son, but others only saw him only as Joseph’s son. It can make us wonder where the Holy Spirit is making significant changes around us while we fail to perceive this wonderful work because of “stale vision.”
We all clearly have different gifts of talent and ability. Some of us are more suited to working outside with our hands, and some of us are better working with conceptual tasks. Some of us are more musical, athletic, or strategic in our daily activities depending on our unique, personal natures. But there are also differences in our spiritual gifts that we may not think of as often. Some of us are more gifted in wisdom, while others may be better in the realms of knowledge, for example.
This Sunday we will reflect on our spiritual gifts. Sometimes a discussion on spiritual gifts touches on task preferences. There are spiritual gift inventories that help people choose the kinds of work they would like to participate in based on the kinds of tasks they like to perform. But the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians talks about spiritual gifts differently. The traits he refers to in his letter are attributes like wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, and healing. These are things I don’t think we can necessarily learn to be good at by following a certain training curriculum; they come to us as gifts from the Holy Spirit. What would you say are your spiritual gifts, and do you feel like you are making good use of them?
In last week’s message, we talked about the joy of discovery. It’s so exciting to discover something new that we feel compelled to share our new finding with other people. However, some discoveries are hidden from competitors or adversaries so that we can have an advantage over them. Technical discoveries are often classified so that international rivals will not use them against us, and businesses keep their intellectual property out of the public domain so they can profit from them before their competitors learn the new revelation.
In our passage this week from the Apostle Paul, we read about his revelation that although the Jews have been considered the chosen people, it was time to make the Kingdom of God known to the Gentiles as well. Through Christ, the mysteries of God are made available to everyone. The secret is out, and the truths of God’s Kingdom are not to be considered the property of any single group. Paul feels compelled to spread the message he has received from God to everyone and to teach the churches to continue spreading God’s word. As the body of Christ, we are also called to reach out to the rest of the world and share the gospel message that has been made available to us.
For many of us the passing of Christmas Day brings a sense of relief. The stress of shopping in crowded stores, tracking the shipment of gifts that were hopefully sent early enough to reach their destinations before Christmas Day, and planning for dinners and parties can now be released. Whether we were as “successful” in all our preparation endeavors or not, the day has passed, and there is no need to worry about it anymore. We are ready for a nice rest from our “holiday.”
This is a good time to reflect on the new year ahead and assess the changes we think would be helpful in our lives – probably better than next week’s New Year celebration which has its own stresses for travel, parties, and other celebrations. Our passage this week comes from Colossians which gives very good advice to consider while thinking about the new year. We are encouraged to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, and to forgive those seemingly inappropriate interactions we may have encountered in the past few frantic weeks. Join us on Sunday as we continue the Christmas season celebration by remembering the peace of Christ that has come into this world to dwell with us.
This is the fourth and final week of Advent. In just a few days, Christmas will be here, and we will celebrate the arrival of the Christ child! You might recall last year at this time we were much more hampered by the pandemic, and we were not able to visit friends and relatives. We were honing our Zoom skills and looking for ways to cope with restrictions that prevented us from keeping our traditions in the same manner we had practiced them for many years before. Things were upside down for us.
In our passage for this week, we will reflect on Mary’s song of praise, “The Magnificat,” where she describes how God often turns things upside down. The powerful are brought down, and the lowly are exalted; the hungry are filled, and the rich become empty-handed; and the proud are scattered, and yet she finds favor from God as a lowly servant. Our situations are constantly changing, yet we can always count on the promises made by God. The principles of love and compassion will always serve as steady guides in our changing circumstances, and we can rest assured that we will receive grace and mercy as we grow closer to God. Join us in worship on Sunday as we celebrate the great things God is doing in the world.
It’s always exciting, in my opinion, to hear about new innovations. There are new ideas coming out all the time that generate excitement for the problems they solve or the new efficiencies they promise. But to make use of those innovations, we often need to change the way we do things. We may need to think differently about how we go about our daily activities in ways that, in hindsight, may seem like common sense.
In this week’s passages, we celebrate the prophecy of Isaiah that foretells of the joy we will experience when we find the Holy One of Israel in our midst, and we will reflect on the teachings of John the Baptist that explain how we are expected to change our ways. The promise of salvation creates excitement for the new way of being that can dramatically change our lives. Yet, there are expectations of gratitude, kindness, and fairness in our daily walk that come with this salvation. Join us on this third Sunday of Advent as we celebrate the joy of the coming Christ child.
Self-sufficiency has been an admired quality for Americans from our earliest days. People who moved to the North American continent from other countries had to learn how to survive in a different land while being relatively isolated, and a person’s ability to withstand that isolation served as a source of pride. The benefits of freedom came with the challenges of survival, sometimes with little support. I think one of the ways this mindset has continued in our culture is through the high value we place on individualism.
However, we also recognize the value of community. We understand that even the most resilient people depend on others in some way, including Christ. This week we will reflect on the support given to Jesus by John the Baptist as Jesus started his ministry. John, a very different kind of person from Jesus, was prophesied by Isaiah to “Prepare the way of the Lord,” and “make his paths straight.” God, the creator of the universe, can do anything, yet God chose to set up a relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus as a means of accomplishing the mission of Christ. Looking at both sides of this relationship, we might conclude that there is no shame in asking for help, and we are all called to support each other in building the kingdom of God on earth.
When faced with challenges in life, we typically take a defensive posture. This look like “hunkering down” as we brace for whatever storm we are encountering. We might isolate ourselves, keep quiet, and look away from the source of discomfort so we don’t feel as much anxiety when it approaches. This is an understandable response to any painful or undesirable situation.
But this week’s passage from Luke suggests a different reaction. In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples to stand up and raise their heads when they are facing the cataclysms of the end times. There will be distress among the nations, roaring of the seas, and some will faint from fear, but Christ tells his followers to stand up and raise their heads because these are signs that their redemption is drawing near. In his warning of future suffering, Jesus tells his disciples that they have the promise of redemption to look forward to regardless of the difficulties they face. This week, as we celebrate the first week of Advent, we will reflect on how hope may look like courage, and the courage we need to have hope.
This Sunday is the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar year. It is referred to as the “Reign of Christ” Sunday, but it has also been called “Christ the King” Sunday. Our passage this week inspires us to think carefully about the notion of Christ as “king.” When Jesus was brought by the Jewish leaders to Pilate for punishment, Pilate asked him, “Are you king of the Jews?” Jesus doesn’t explicitly answer him, but he says that his kingdom is not of this world.
As we reflect on the past year and prepare for the Advent season of a new year, it may be helpful to ask ourselves how we see our relationship with Christ. Do we follow Christ in our daily lives? In the last couple of weeks, we have talked about the gifts we have received from God and our role as stewards. This week we will reflect on the gifts we give back to God, what it means to follow Christ, and how we view our relationship with Christ.
Gratitude has been recognized as an important way of looking at the world for many reasons. Besides being creating a more hospitable environment, it improves our mental health, makes us happier, and can also affect our physical health. However, we often don’t recognize the things or circumstances that are beneficial to us until they are gone. This can happen with our health, our loved ones, our careers, or any other facet of our lives. As time moves on and we start to lose these things, we realize how nice our circumstances were.
In the passage we will reflect on this Sunday, we see the disciples marveling at the temple in Jerusalem. This was a large, marvelous structure that was appreciated by the Jews in the first century, but perhaps even more so today since most of it was destroyed by the Romans around 70 CE. In response to the disciples’ comments on the size of the buildings and the stones used in their construction, Jesus explained that the buildings would eventually be destroyed. This warning prompted them to ask for more details, like when this would happen, but Jesus doesn’t give them specifics on the timing. He explained that there are many losses and tragedies that will take place before he returns, but they must remain diligent and faithful until all is accomplished. As we consider the finite nature of the gifts we have been given from God, what are you most grateful for?
Financial stability is a driving motivation for most people. We typically want to make enough money to be able to provide the basic necessities for ourselves and our families while having enough left over to support a fun hobby or some form of entertainment. Of course, there are different opinions on what is a basic necessity and what is a reasonable expenditure on entertainment. In American society, we usually give each other great latitude in accepting these personal decisions. After all, if a person earned a large amount of money through their hard work or unique gifts, they deserve to use that money any way they desire.
In some ways, scripture supports this point of view, but there also seems to be a preference for the poor. This week we will reflect on Jesus’s comments to his disciples as he made observations of worshipers in the temple at Jerusalem. He criticizes the scribes who seek reverence from the community while also being callous in their treatment of the poor and those who are suffering. And when he sees a poor widow offering two small copper coins, he commends her generosity. This Sunday we will reflect on the gifts we have received from God and consider what it means to be a responsible steward of those gifts.
Sometimes we entrap ourselves with rules and regulations. Our legislative leaders create laws to guide our behavior in society, but there are always unforeseen consequences that require new laws or changes to the ones that were previously enacted. This is why we have ongoing legislative sessions which constantly churn out new laws in local, state, and federal legislative bodies. If the laws were perfect, they would never need to change, but that hasn’t been our experience. The laws change because we find that the principles which the laws are based upon, such as fairness and liberty, are not always being achieved.
This week we will be reflecting on the principles Jesus points us toward when he is challenged by a scribe. The scribe asked Jesus to identify the most important commandment from God, and Jesus responded with two similar answers, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus explains that these commandments most clearly point to the principles behind all the other laws and sayings from the prophets. Join us Sunday as we explore these foundational principles from Christ.
Over the past year, we have had to isolate and curb our activities because of the COVID pandemic. We had to shut the church doors for several months, then slowly take steps to reopen as the rate of infection started to decline. We used caution tape to block every other pew so families could be safely separated, and the entrance and exit of attendees were very controlled. Thanks to these protective measures and the availability of the COVID vaccine, we have been able to relax many of the pandemic protocols. Each time we add a new element of worship to the service or restore a ministry that had been shut down because of the pandemic, I see several people express joy and excitement.
This week we will reflect on the joy and excitement of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, who received new vision from Jesus. As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus was sitting on the side of the road, asking for assistance. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out for mercy, and Jesus stopped to talk to Bartimaeus. When Jesus asked him what he wanted, Bartimaeus replied he wanted to have his vision restored. Jesus granted his request, and Bartimaeus chose to use his restored vision to follow Jesus. Likewise, let’s consider how we will use our restored vision of ministry to follow Jesus in these new and exciting times.
As a society we are facing many challenges today, and some of us are also going through difficult personal trials as well. Of course, there are the global climate issues and pandemic crisis we often hear about, and there’s also political conflict, economic stress, and racial tension. Meanwhile many of us are also dealing medical issues, family dynamics, or career questions. We may sometimes find ourselves wondering if God is really in control, or if we acknowledge that God is in control, we may be asking “What is God thinking?”
This week, we will be reflecting on the story of Job. Job faced an avalanche of personal tragedies where he lost his property, his family, and his physical health, all in a short period of time. Job’s friends came to offer him consolation, but they were not very helpful. Job sat in misery on the ground, covered in boils, wishing he had never been born. He pleaded his case to God, asking why God had allowed such terrible things to happen to him. He was devoted, faithful, and honest, never rejecting God, even in his misery, yet God allowed Job to suffer immeasurably. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on God’s response to Job and how God may be responding to us.
One of the big challenges of growing up for many people is deciding what they want to do for the rest of their lives. At least, that is what it seems to feel like when you reach that magical age of around eighteen when high school is wrapping up, and we are expected to make those big decisions that launch us onto fateful trajectories into adulthood. Do we start families, go to college, leave home, join the military, enter a trade school, take time to travel the countryside, build our own farm, launch a new business…?
The options feel endless, and the pressure to make the right decision can feel overwhelming.
As we move beyond this point in our lives, we realize we are not limited to just one window of opportunity to make such big decisions. This is especially true when our lives don’t fit the expected patterns we might have imagined earlier in our childhood. In this week’s scripture passage from the letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul encourages us to always be open to new opportunities. He challenges us to not be conformed to the expectations of the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can discern God’s will for our lives. Following this advice can lead to personal revelations that send our lives in new directions which we may have never imagined. As we reflect on the message from Paul this week, we will consider how the Holy Spirit nudges us toward that special, unique calling that God has for each one of us.
Ironically, humans are some of the most fragile beings on earth, yet our influence on the earth is astounding. Compared to other creatures on earth, we are very slow at running or swimming, we can’t jump very high, and we have limited endurance in various climates. Yet we have managed to map the furthest corners of the earth, both above and below the surface of the ocean; we have built machines that can move us faster than any other creature, across the land or through the air; and we have been able to leave
the earth and explore the moon and will likely visit Mars soon. Despite our innate weaknesses, humanity has tremendous potential to significantly change the entire earth.
This week we will reflect on a passage in the Letter to the Hebrews that discusses God’s empowerment of humanity, and the role Christ has played. The author of this letter recalls Psalm 8 where the question is posed, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?” Although we have our limitations and detractions, God loves us so much that God sent Christ to experience life and death so that we could experience salvation and be called brothers and sisters of Christ. Join us in worship this Sunday as we celebrate the many gifts God has given us.
This week we continue in the Gospel of Mark where we had left off last Sunday. Jesus and the disciples had arrived at Capernaum after a long journey, and Jesus had gathered them together to teach them what it means to be first in the kingdom of God. Following this lesson, Jesus continues to address concerns raised by the disciples and emphasizes the importance of faithfully following his teaching. He warned them that
they would experience hardship and face difficult decisions. But the benefits of entering the kingdom of God far surpass any sacrifice we must make in this life.
God does not cause suffering or create problems for us, but they happen. When confronted with life’s challenges, Jesus teaches us to always prioritize the choice that we believe God wants us to take even if it causes us to suffer in this life. We are not expected to literally maim or blind ourselves, but we are expected to be willing to sacrifice our personal comforts that stem from activities or systems that work against God. Consistently failing to follow Christ’s teachings dilutes our faith and muddles our identity as Christians. Instead, Christ urges us to show our true colors as his followers and let his light shine through us.
Most of us have a competitive spirit to some degree. We compete in games, sports, and work, among friends, neighbors, family members, and strangers. Our economy is based on competition, and we encourage our children to prepare for their roles in society by being competitive in nearly everything they do. Even in our spare time, playing games or participating in hobbies, we are often competitive. This mentality is pervasive and generally accepted as a good trait.
This week we reflect on the passage in the Gospel of Mark that describes the competitive nature of the first disciples of Christ. While traveling between towns, they had gotten into an argument about who was greatest among them. When confronted by Jesus at their destination, they were afraid to admit what they were talking about, probably intuitively knowing they were acting in a way that was inconsistent with Jesus’s teaching. Jesus tells them whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Interestingly, Jesus appeals to their competitive spirit by encouraging them to seek out the first position but explains it will require them being last. It begs the question, what does it mean to be first or last?
There are differences of opinion today regarding what is truth. Events happen around the world, and reports describing those events vary significantly. Sometimes it is had to believe the different reports are describing the same event. In other instances, large amounts of scientific data are collected, and widely differing conclusions are drawn from the same data. This has left many wondering if science can be trusted to discern the truth and provide reliable guidance. Ultimately, the issue rests on the difference between knowledge and wisdom where one can be thought of as information and the other is the interpretation and application of that information in a reliable, truthful manner.
This week we look at wisdom from the perspective of ancient Hebrew writings. In the first chapter of Proverbs, we see wisdom described as a woman desperately trying to get our attention, yet unsympathetic when people refuse to listen and suffer the
consequences. We also will look at Psalm 19 where we are reminded how God speaks the truth to us through scripture as well as through our everyday experiences. Like power, knowledge can be used for good or bad purposes, and it is wisdom that can lead us toward greater peace through responsible use of our growing knowledge.
This week we reflect on the stories of the Syrophoenician woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter and the deaf man from the Decapolis region who was brought to Jesus for healing. The Syrophoenician woman was expressly not Jewish, so her petition for help was initially rebuffed. In a manner uncharacteristic of other situations where someone had sought help, Jesus responds sharply to her, telling her it is unfair to give the children’s food to the dogs. Her reply, which did not directly contradict Jesus’s derogatory comment, suggested her request was legitimate even if she was thought to be inferior.
There seems to be a natural tendency for people to isolate themselves into groups, and Jesus demonstrates that mentality in this story. The practice of segregation has taken place throughout history and across cultures, and the first century Jewish culture was no different. Ironically, we do not come into this world with that attitude as we can see by the little children who do not inherently practice this behavior; it must be taught. In this week’s passage we see the example Jesus gives of recognizing this issue and making a personal choice to break through cultural barriers by granting a miraculous healing to the woman’s daughter. Just as he went on to heal the deaf man with a speech impediment, may we also be healed of our deafness to the needs of “others” around us and learn how to clearly speak the language of love.
Society is saddled with many sources of conflict today. There are differences of opinion on the need for masks, immigration policy, race relations, and human sexuality, just to name a few. Unfortunately, conversations on these topics often devolve into angry confrontations that raise blood pressure more than awareness. As the animosity rises between camps, mutual respect suffers, and we may say or do things that purposefully hurt others. The consequence is a fracturing of our community that makes us vulnerable to manipulation and weakens the church.
In this week’s passage, we reflect on the teachings from James that include a warning against anger. James does not forbid us from having angry feelings – that would be unrealistic. But he encourages us to be “slow to anger,” or you could say he warns us against being quick-tempered. James explicitly tells us that anger dose not produce
God’s righteousness, so we should carefully consider the motivations for our actions. Join us this Sunday as we talk about these lessons from James and how we can apply them to our everyday lives.
All of us have our own personal experiences of encountering Christ in our lives. Sometimes they come us as epiphanies where we have “mountain top” experiences that change how we see ourselves and the world. These encounters can motivate us to seek out more divine experiences where we can come closer to God and taste the fruits of the Spirit. Continually recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the presence of Christ around us can be described as abiding in Christ.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his followers that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will abide in him, and he will abide in them. This was such a controversial statement that many of his followers left him, but he did not retract his statement. He only pressed his point further by rhetorically asking them if they were offended. Abiding in Christ has been a goal for Christians from the beginning, and this week we will explore this teaching and how we might come closer to God.
A common question posed as an ice breaker or conversation starter is, “What would you ask for if you were told you could have anything you wanted?” This can be asked through various scenarios such as finding a genie in a lamp or winning the lottery, but the common theme is identifying what is most important to us. The answers we give can shed light on our principles, attitudes, and values allowing others to get a glimpse of our nature.
In this week’s passage, we look at King Solomon’s response to this question when God asks him what he desires. Motivated by a commitment to serve faithfully and effectively as king, Solomon asks for discernment and understanding. God commends Solomon for his response and gives him what he asks for and much more. Reflecting on Solomon’s story can help us think more deeply about our own motivations and what we ultimately want out of life.
This week we look into the story of the prophet Elijah when he was at the lowest point of his life. He was being pursued by Queen Jezebel and was exhausted, alone, and ready to give up. After journeying deep into the wilderness, he laid down, asking God to let him die, and went to sleep. But God had a different plan for Elijah. God sent an angel to give him nourishment and direction for a new mission in his life which he had never considered before.
Like Elijah, we sometimes come to a point in life where we don’t know how we can possibly go forward. We may feel stuck in our relationships or career, or we may become physically limited because of illness or tragedy that impacts our ability to function in the ways we are accustomed to living. But just when we think there is no hope, God opens a new door and sends nourishment for our soul with a direction to follow that we had never considered before. Regardless of our circumstances, God can always enable us to accomplish more than we think is possible through faith and trust.
Special music for communion Sunday from The Common Book of Prayer, presented by Brandon Coz.
There are many divisions within our communities today: republican versus democratic, liberal versus conservative, wealthy versus poor, … We have found many ways to create groups that identify “us” versus “them” that have led to greater animosity within our culture. Diversity is helpful for society because it can lead to innovative solutions to our social problems, but greater diversity built on anger and distrust stifles those opportunities for healthy growth.
This week we continue looking at the letter to the Ephesians as we consider the Apostle Paul’s plea for unity. While acknowledging there are different gifts and perspectives, he implores them to grow toward a unity of Spirit. Rather than becoming an increasingly divergent community, he sees the church as a mixture of diverse groups that inevitably become increasingly convergent in their purpose of loving God and each other as they mature in their faith. We are encouraged to recognize the forces that polarize our faith community and speak of these issues in truth and love as we grow into Christ.
Setting goals is helpful in many ways. They give us direction based on a vision of where we want to be in the future. Without goals we tend to aimlessly meander through our day, or we may find that we are not able to reach our full potential.
In this week’s passage, the Apostle Paul describes a vision for the church community in Ephesus. He hopes to see them strengthened in their inner being, rooted and grounded in love, and “to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge.” He sets lofty goals for them to be fully grounded in faith, and to have a spiritual understanding that goes beyond human understanding. Paul’s vision for the Ephesians sheds light on the possibilities for our spirituality and gives us a direction for our spiritual growth.
In modern culture, being “always on” is a common expectation. We have cell phones and laptops supported by vast digital networks that enable others to reach us just about anywhere we go. This constant connection can create significant stress that takes a toll on our mental and physical health.
God meant for us to periodically take a rest from our work and even listed it as one of the ten commandments. Jesus also urged his followers to periodically take a rest after completing a big task. In this week’s scripture, we see Jesus leave with the disciples to a deserted place so they can temporarily “disconnect” from the crowds, but they are recognized wherever they go. Jesus had compassion on the crowds, continuing to teach and heal as he traveled, but he still took time to rest and pray. It is important for us to follow Christ’s example and make periodic rest and prayer a high priority in our lives.
When we make a promise, we usually have every intention of keeping our word. It reflects on our personal integrity which is one of those intangible traits that is hard to recover once it has been marred. Although personal integrity may seem to be fully under our control, we often find ourselves in situations where we feel cornered between what we said we would do and what we know we should do. And it can be more complicated than simply setting aside a personal desire.
This week's message concludes with a reaffirmation of baptism, so you may wish to have a small dish of water handy.
Yuma 1st's first sermon with new pastor, Mike Wilkerson! This weekend we celebrate Independence Day, a day when we honor the brave people who risked their lives to procure the national freedom that we are blessed with today. This freedom, which has been highly regarded by many nations throughout the world, has been tested over time and has withstood many trials. We reflect with gratitude on the opportunities afforded to us because of the sacrifices made by those who struggled to achieve and maintain that freedom.
Guest speaker Katie Fuchs, ordained deacon, brings the message, "Healthy Touch, Healing Touch," with scripture from Mark 5:21-43.
Touch can be a powerful force for good in our lives. The woman who touched Jesus’ robe knew that if she squeezed through the crowd and touched him, she would be blessed in a beautiful and life-changing way. How can we best serve our Lord in the ways we honor one another's physical space and the natural human need for contact?
It seems like for many of us, life has its moments, maybe even years, when things are not joyful and worshipful. However, a spirit of gratitude is not only what God desires for us, it is actually good for our health. (originally shared November 19, 2019)
How does one bring to an end, actually close out something so meaningful, something so blessed and overflowing? It’s getting harder by the day, but we have ALL reached the time to set our sail!
It's pretty obvious we know that it’s time to “turn the page”! So, here are a few “page-turning” type thoughts for you; you might say some sound, truthful advice.
Making memories will make our lives worth living, and certainly will always make our lives worth remembering!
A fresh, new sound comes to the Prayers of the People this week! Thanks, Brandon, for sharing your God-given gifts!
God wants our best! Let's give back to God, to others and to ourselves the very best we can be, with the help of God!
As we faithfully turn toward what we find "in the stable," our anger and divisions in America will heal.
Both the prayers and original music are outstandingly relevant for this inauguration week (in America)!
2020 was a "doozie," to say the least. What will be your final answer for a year you'd rather forget?
33 minutes of Advent-Christmas Hymns including the narration of the Biblical Christmas Story
Our challenges, our setbacks & struggles this year, our hopes for good things this Christmas... what brave choices will you have to make?
This song is about talking with God- very fitting for this week's message! Thanks, Brandon!
Now, more than ever, it's time for each us to be a deep reservoir of God's, grace, peace, guidance, wisdom and strength!
Enjoy something special this week as Wendy shares her prayers and Pastor Mike plays guitar and sings
While many folks today sense a chronic, underlying tension, they're finding new ways to choose life & to find joy!
New thoughts, bright vistas, special times of teaching, lessons about new life in Christ- welcome to a new sermon series
Drive in windows and curbside delivery is good, but making time to cook is a lot more fun!
When it comes to the church, look for new, creative and exciting things that you might not recognize!
Wendy shares her prayers along with a musical response especially prepared for this week!
Written especially for this week, these prayers are accompanied by guitar and a sung response
Peace, fairness, love, compassion, caring genuinely for one another as those who follow Jesus is where we are going!
Contemporary Christian music with acoustic guitar- this is a song about God's loving presence in the midst of fearful times
So, is it time to turn the page and open up the country? New thoughts, bright vistas, new life in Christ Jesus- Easter is about turning the page!
An Angel tells the story of Jesus' painful, tragic death, and God's unwillingness to intervene!
The power, the place, and the purpose of Jesus' tears... Are those tears possibly for me?
Today's segment places Lent and Holy Week into their historical context, and explains what to expect in this week's unique Podcast Series.
This Chancel Choir presentation, skillfully directed by Mr. Brandon Coz, features 3 talented soloists!
Enjoy the #1 sermon from 2018- it's about hope, promise, and looking ahead to what's waiting for us!
We learned today what it means to take up your cross and follow Jesus: "Stay in Your Lane!"
Although impossible to imagine or measure, God’s Abundant Glory is reserved just for you!