Washington Street UMC Sermon Podcast: Recent Episodes
Washington Street UMC
The weekly sermons from Washington Street UMC in Alexandria, VA. To learn more about Washington Street UMC, check out the church online at www.wsumc.com.
An uplifting morning of song, poetry, prayer, and reflection. We raised our voices while "Singing Truth to Power". Through hymns treasured and new, we sang in celebration of justice, hope, and faith. In the words of John Wesley, come ready to sing "Lustily and with good courage!"
There are times in our lives when we feel like we are on those boats in the midst of the stormy waters. The choppy waves leave us wondering, were is the Lord? The text reminds us to be confident in the Lord's presence.
Churches are not meant to be country clubs, which often maintain exclusive membership policies. The apostle reminds us that, as members in the household of God, we are a new creation. With our new body, we have new eyes. With new eyes, we learn to see others not from a human point of view, but from the perspective of the one Christ, who redeems and gifts us all new life.
The church has a lot of old, stuffy rules that often get in the way of important ministry matters. Jesus was not immune to others telling him how he could and couldn't live faithfully before God. As members of the body of Christ, we should ask ourselves, how committed are we to the work to which we have been called?
God could do all the work by himself, but there is a divine plan to use you and me -- so all can have access to God's love.
The disciples had returned to Jerusalem following the ascension, where they worshipped God and prayed. The arrival of the Spirit drives them out, reminding us all that the Spirit does not gift us to remain in social halls of homogeneous comfort, but moves us into the streets to engage and welcome an expansive body that represents all of God's beloved humanity.
The disciples longed to sit in Jesus' presence. They mourned his crucifixion, and locked themselves in the upper room. When Jesus returned, they wanted nothing more than abide in his presence. But Jesus doesn't call us to stay in his presence, Jesus departs, promising the gift of a leading spirit, so that we might go forth to all the world.
There are only three General Rules for Methodists. The rules lead us in our mission as the Church. Even beyond our stated mission at WSUMC, the United Methodist Church also has a leading mission: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.
The third General Rule is "Attend the Ordinances of God." The ordinances of God were those things that Wesley identified as being required of God's people, including works of piety and works of mercy. What does this look like our modern society?
The second of the General Rules is "Do Good." Sometimes the "good" that we are do seems obvious, but at other times, it can be tricky. What does doing "good" look like in our community - in our lives?
The first of the General Rules is "Do no Harm." Sounds easy, right? Perhaps not. This isn't a passive avoidance of intentionally doing harm to another person. This means declaring solidarity with people from all walks of life, and being intentional about the way we live in community with those whose way of life differs from our own.
On Palm Sunday, we remember that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not a risk-free, palm party. It was a protest parade—a protest against those in power, a parade to prepare the way for a different kind of king. And this was all happening with plots to kill Lazarus (and Jesus) building in the background. We’re reminded that the crowds were brave to show up that day, and that Jesus drew on courage to face his journey to the cross. The root of courage is “cour,” meaning “heart.” Courage is deep within us; drawing on courage is both internal and external. We often find it when we most need it, when everything else has been stripped away.
We desire for God to write on our hearts so that God’s law can re-shape and re-form us from the inside out. Reformation is a journey of letting the old fall away for something new to emerge, of returning to God’s words over and over, of being drawn into the heart of God. This is the process of justification and sanctification; transformation must be internal and communal.
After inviting Nicodemus to be born anew, Jesus tells him in John 3 that God so loved the world that God sent his son to restore it. Therefore, when we read John 3:16, we remember that Jesus is speaking in metaphor and poetry. Ultimately, love is where God begins and ends. This love, like grace, is a gift we do nothing to deserve. Again and again, love is our refrain. Before we act, think, or believe, can love be first for us too?
According to John, Jesus begins his ministry by showing more than telling. In the temple, Jesus disrupts and overturns the systems of corruption and profiteering taking place, but ultimately points us to the promise of restoration. Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) that God’s wisdom is more expansive than we can imagine. We are shown the way, even if God’s way feels foolish, counter-cultural, disruptive, or uncomfortable.
According to Mark, on the first day of the week, the women rise with the sun and buy spices to anoint Jesus’ body. They are shocked to find the tomb empty, and leave in fear and terror. Mark’s resurrection story is less triumphant than the other Gospel testimonies (as scholars believe the remainder of Mark’s gospel was a later addition). In Mark’s version, we are reminded that Easter comes to us, again and again, even if we don’t know what to make of God’s resurrection ways. Again and again, the sun rises. And some days, that is enough.
Like the disciples, we are often stuck in the pattern of messing up over and over again. We cling to power, we climb the ladder, we memorialize and commercialize Christ’s teachings rather than embodying them. However, we can’t be trapped by shame, guilt, ignorance, or inaction. Humility is required for transformation. Again and again, we are called to listen— to God and to others.
God meets Jesus at the water before he is tempted in the wilderness—this is important. First and foremost, God claims us. God meets us in the liminal space, at the water’s edge, at the threshold of something new, and names us Beloved. God’s covenant with all of creation reminds us that God meets us where we are—in the midst of our reluctance, doubt, eagerness, or weariness—and proclaims we are good.
As Lent begins, we’re invited in—to community, to this season, to our own spiritual journey, to true transformation. We’re on this journey together, but we’re invited to turn inward. Therefore, spiritual practices are not for show. Matthew 6 and Isaiah 58 remind us that performative acts (of piety and justice) are not the way.
Bernie Sanders may be hailed as the champion of American socialism, but his views on sharing a common cup are nothing compared to the radical communalism of the early Christian community. Moving away from a government mandated socialism, we will find that the Bible is not silent on social welfare.
Is it warm in here, or is it just me? Climate change is a debated issue - does it even exist? It would be impossible to make a Scriptural defense of climate change, for the science to even consider such a topic just didn't exist. Into the conversation, we will consider what the Bible does say about being stewards of God's creation.
Immigration has long been a contentious issue in our nation. Nationally, we've debated from which countries we should allow people to immigrate, how many people we should allow to immigrate, and how difficult the process of naturalization should be. Putting aside our blue and red flags, how might the Bible guide our policies?
We have a bad practice of condemning to hell everyone with whom we disagree. This kind of vitriolic reaction to others usually betrays the call of Christ to love our enemies. How can we engage faithfully with those who have such polar opposite opinions on big issues?
The call is for everyone, just different according to your willingness to hear and obey. Secondly, the call is not about perfection but a call to follow God and walk with God. It may be because someone prayed for you, not that you prayed.
In Jesus’s baptism, we hear from the heavens that Jesus is the Son of God, and we witness that he did not come to serve alone, but to share in ministry in the midst of community. We see Jesus’s purpose affirmed, as he is filled with the Spirit to be the witness of God in the world. And we acknowledge that Jesus is God’s beloved, and that as God’s created humanity, we too are beloved by God; this is witnessed and affirmed in the way Jesus serves in ministry and in his willingness to serve God’s ultimate call to the cross for our eternal salvation.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that when Mary gives birth to Jesus, she lays him in a manger, for there was no place for them in the guest room. The city had no room, but God makes a place here anyway. Let us make room - for strangers and neighbors alike. For this is good news of great joy for all people.
When it comes time to name the child, Zechariah affirms the name given by the angel and by Elizabeth. In that moment of affirming the promise, Zechariah’s speech is restored. Everyone is filled with awe. And Mary sings a song about God's liberation, offering hope amidst the promise of justice and joy.
In community, our joy expands. When we can’t rejoice, we can carry each other’s joy. Through the prophet Isaiah, we hear God speak tender words of comfort; this is the comfort we can give to and receive from each other during this season.
As Advent begins, we start by acknowledging the weariness, grief, rage, and hopelessness we carry—and we also affirm that we are made for joy. Sometimes weariness can harden us and prevent us from living fully and feeling the joy. This is how we show up to Advent.
In our culture, chasing the Benjamins is just what you do. Money is everywhere, and so is the invitation to get more of it. From "get rich quick" schemes, to billion dollar lottery payouts, to casinos offering the lure of cash jackpots, to triangle schemes that promise huge sums of passive income, there is no shortage of promises for reaching your personal payday. Perhaps this is why the Bible talks about giving SO MUCH. With the world begging you to have more, God stands firmly in the opposite camp inviting you to give more.
Good stewardship is often expressed in terms of charity and tithing. Stewardship is often measured in how much you give away. Without question, giving is a regular invitation of the Bible. Yet, it is also important that stewardship focus on good care and wise use of God's resources (understanding that we aren't to serve money, we still must be responsible with it).
From Genesis to Revelation, we are instructed to be stewards of God's resources. The Bible claims, time and again, that everything is God's, and we are simply stewards of it. To reclaim a faithful posture toward stewardship, we have to reclaim who is the rightful owner of all things: God.
The Big Ask is not, "What does Jesus want now?" The Big Ask is, "What are you willing to do when Jesus calls?"
Jesus pushes us beyond the culturally acceptable practice of "loving our neighbors, and hating our enemies," and invites us into a more faithful posture of "loving our enemies, and praying for those who persecute us." This is not an easy change in human posture. But for the greater glory of God, it is the posture Jesus insists upon.
We may linger in our wilderness for a night, but blessedness will come in the morning. The Psalmist declares, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”! Oh, our night may be twenty or thirty years long, but if we hold out and trust in God, morning will come.
In baptism, we use water as a symbol of God's forgiveness, connecting us with all the ways water has been used to mark new beginnings in our faith history. Today, we remember our own baptism, and consider the lasting power of the water used when we were welcomed into the community of faith.
Whatever wrath God feels about injustice and our complicity in it, whatever anger God directs at the human capacity for evil, flows out of love. God gets angry at sin because sin hurts the people and the creation God loves."
What kind of shame do we hold because of things we've been taught we have done "wrong," or because of parts of our life we've been told are "wrong"? Though many in the church hold to his lineage, Jonathan Edwards' approach to condemning humanity as beyond God's love is not only wrong, it's unBiblical. There is a more faithful, scripturally attuned invitation for us as the Body of Christ.
Rachel Held Evans states, "Certainty isn't faith." The life of the disciple Simon Peter gives us a great example of how a life of following Jesus doesn't have to be marked with clear knowledge, perfect discipline, or unquestionable faith. Instead of having to be a Biblical know-it-all, Christ simply calls us to follow.
"Why are you a Christian?" This is the opening question in Rachel Held Evans book, Wholehearted Faith. How would you answer this? It is because of the people around you who invited you to church or encouraged you in the faith? Or is it because of the witnes of God's love seen in Christ? Why are YOU a Christian?
On Labor Day weekend, we may be reminded of the origins of Labor Day, which offered a brief pause into the normal work-week structure during the Second Industrial Revolution (1882). But did Labor Day go far enough in shifting how we labor? The apostle Paul, writing in Romans, claims we need an even greater shift in how we labor.
The promise of Revelation is that we are returned to the intimacy with God that existed in the Garden.
Pentecost offered an invitation to be "the body of Christ", and an invitation to share in community in a way never done before.
God's patience and repeated warnings provide many opportunities for repentance, but the children of Israel disregard the God of their redemption.
Following the arrival of the people Israel in the Promised Land, judges were appointed to ensure the people lived according to the covenant. But Israel wanted kings at their head, instead of judges, so that they might "be like the other nations." Samuel, nor God, were pleased with the request. Let us not forget, Israel wasn't called to live like other nations.
Moses is given the Ten Commandments atop Mount Sinai. The Ten are offered to provide covenantal guidance to the people Israel. As we look at the larger arc of the universe, we should consider what role the Ten Commandments play in the greater framework of God's creation. Are they really written in stone? Can they ever change? Should we still be following them today?
Following the flood, God forms a new level of intimacy through the covenant with Abraham. This new covenant establishes a lineage out of Abraham that will be given a homeland, a sense of belonging, and a purpose of vocation. God is forging a new path with humanity, which is promised to be an everlasting covenant.
The story of the flood wraps up the opening stories of creation. We were created in intimacy with God, humanity then found themselves distanced from God, and through the flood, creation is rescued by God. This three-fold pattern will become the norm for creation in the arc of the universe.
Humanity, which was given dominion over all the earth, was enticed to try and take dominion over God. This action led to their being evicted from the Garden of Eden. This first sin snowballed until God was so upset with humanity that God decided to start anew. There is agony, concern, mercy and grace in this story.
The creation narrative indicates that humanity is different than the rest of creation. God spoke to us; God breathed life into us; God gave us words of instruction, unlike any other part of creation. We are, as God's created humanity, formed in the likeness (the image) of God. But what does this mean, and how does that shape our purpose?
As a Christian community, we are to be the witness of God's love in the world as the physical representation of Christ. Our witness then should look like the witness of Christ. Matthew 9 offers a great example of Christ's witness, as he dines with the unwanted, goes where he is needed, and is flexible enough to pause along the road to acknowledge the needs of those around him.
The gifting of the Spirit first creates a space of welcome, but the Spirit doesn't allow the newly formed church to be too comfortable. Following the kind of gathering imagined in the Great Commission, the body of believers then live a life that witnesses to God's divine change. We don't just "make disciples of Jesus Christ," we "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
Following Jesus' physical departure at the Ascension, Pentecost comes and offers an enduring promise: we are gifted to be a people of Christ in community. Though the disciples were unsure of what life would be like in the absence of Christ, God makes clear at Pentecost that we are not alone. We are gifted and created to be a people together.
There will always be something else inviting us to turn from the ways of God. But faithful disciples must stay alert and focused, always reminding ourselves of the God of all grace, who will restore, support, strengthen, and establish us. We remain in faithfulness in our corporate experience, united by the grace of God will all who share in the Christian witness.
Focus on "Do not fear what they fear" ... how can we be ok with the changes that are happening?
Christ was not defined as a stagnant truth, but a living stone. So too should our faith be a living stone, as we continue to be built and grow in understanding and faithfulness. As the world changes, so too must we, in faithful ways as God leads.
Take a little of Christ with you in all you do - don't act one way at church on Sunday and another way the rest of the week.
Being born anew in Christ leads us to claim a foundational truth that is centered on mutual love. In a world that is continually changing, we must maintain this truth, and insist upon this mutual love.
The promise of Easter is that we have this new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How does that new birth sustain us when the world around us doesn't reflect that same joy?
For Jesus, one of his main ways to demonstrate love was to redefine "justice." Throughout his witness, Jesus makes it clear that God's love is not neutral; God takes sides. God loves everyone, but pays particular attention to those who society overlooks. There is no greater witness to this justice-is-love proclamation than at Easter.
Mandatum ovum is Latin for the words, “New Command.” It is the phrase that offers us the namesake for our Holy Thursday gathering, which we call “Maundy Thursday.” In this command, Jesus offers his followers a new way of understanding what it means to be a follower of Christ: to love one another.
Conflict avoidance is not the way of Jesus. In his ministry, Jesus often put himself in the midst of conflict for the purpose of proclaiming the way of God. We saw the same thing in the early church, when Paul and Peter disagreed on the expansiveness of God's love. Sometimes conflict is the most faithful step for Christ's disciples.
The world is not lacking religious zealots. Take a nice spring drive through the beauty of our Commonwealth, and you'll find it hard to miss religious symbolism, whether that is crosses, the name "Jesus," or other flags paying homage to a diety - human or godly. Sometimes what we need most is to disconnect from the gods of the world, that we might be recentered in the God of resurrection - the God of new life.
It seems like every corner we take we find another gaslit fight waiting to break out. The world is anxious, like a lit powder keg, waiting for ignition. In such a tense moment, what we need is to cultivate a calming presence that difuses tension and holds fast to truth and love.
We're all just a little bit conceited, aren't we? We live in a world that has given us permission to be a know-it-all, who can spit out fake news as if it were truth, and people will believe us. But the way of Christ is one of humility and selflessness. A faithful posture requires a limiting of one's ego.
Very few of us live without wounds that lie beneath the surface. We have likely been traumatized, or we know someone who has. The world would try to convince us that carrying wounds and trauma makes us less loved, less faithful, and less able. Yet Jesus invites us to see and touch his wounds to know we are not alone.
Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness, a spiritual force that invited Jesus to turn away from the truth of God's power and authority. Paul says that, for all people of faith, we struggle in a similar fight against spiritual forces and cosmic powers. So what really is behind the systemic issues that continue to deteriorate God's beautiful creation?
Lent is a journey to discover wholeness. But to admit we have wholeness to discover, we must begin in the acknowledgement of the brokenness of our world. The world is plagued by sin - separation from God - separation from love. Sin is a failure to love. As we begin this year's lenten journey, we'll consider how the brokenness of the world is the result of our failure to love.
We often think of hope as short-term planning: What do you hope will happen in your upcoming job interview; your athletic competition; or you current dating relationship? But hope isn't the same as goal-setting. Hope offers us something greater; it is an invitation to a promise that is bigger than our own lives.
As we maintain a focus on hope, we find that hope is not a stagnant entity. Hope is not just something we think about or believe in, hope is a motivator that leads us into action. Like a daily walk, hope is something that we practice and live out.
The Old Testament offers a beautiful witness to the power of hope in story. By offering hope in story, we are able to pass on hope, to share hope, and to include the greater community in the promise of hope.
Hope, properly defined, is a full-body experience. It lives not just in our minds or souls, but hope lives in the body. It's visible, experienced, and felt in every fiber of our being.
After we have defined what hope is not, we can go back to the drawing paper to define what hope is. Hebrews defines hope as "a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul." What is this, and how do we claim such hope?
When we confuse what hope is, we might wonder how Job ever held on to hope in the midst of his troubles and trials. To understand how Job maintained hope, it would do us well to first understand what hope is not.
The Magi were seekers. They sought wisdom, they sought the divine, they sought fortunes to tell the future. Their seeking leads them to Jesus, the newborn king of another culture and religion. And yet, their seeking is also what protects them from Herod’s deception and harm. After the Magi go home by another way, Joseph is visited again by an angel in his dream. This time, the angel brings a warning, and like before, Joseph heeds the message. Fleeing from Herod’s massacre, Joseph and Mary seek refuge in Egypt; they remain there, living as immigrants, until Herod dies. Like the Magi, may we seek the divine and be willing to journey closer to God. Like the Holy family, may we seek safety for all families who are under threat. This new year and every year to come, let us keep seeking—wisdom, justice, and a better world.
Reflection by two lay members during a joint worship service of WSUMC and Roberts Memorial on a time they’ve felt God’s presence in their lives.
We tell this story every year. We tell this story because it illustrates so clearly God’s desire to be in relationship with us. We tell this story because we, too, are invited to come to the manger and witness the miracle of birth. We tell this story because it brings us hope and good news—hope especially for those deemed powerless, unworthy, or unwelcome. on this night, we tell this story to pass along this good news and to continue to thread the generations together with hope.
This week we return to Mary’s experience. After receiving the news from the angel, she retreats to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. When Mary arrives (perhaps unannounced), Elizabeth doesn’t just welcome her—she is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks a blessing upon Mary as her own child leaps and kicks within her womb. She sees how God is at work and names it out loud. In this moment of profound solidarity, Mary and Elizabeth see the divine in one another. From generation to generation, we can see how God is at work in our relationships.
As far as Joseph knows, his new wife has been unfaithful to him and broken their marriage contract.And yet,instead of punishment,he chooses not to publicly disgrace or humiliate her. This interruption in his life becomes a holy invitation when the angel comes to him in a dream and says, “Do not be afraid.” When he awakes, Joseph once again has the courage to choose a better way.He chooses to stay with Mary, to become an adoptive parent. He chooses peace over violence, grace over condemnation.
When the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, she is perplexed and confused—and no doubt, afraid. And yet, the angel’s news is: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid. We hear this refrain all throughout the Christmas story and remember it is the most common phrase in all the bible. From generation to generation, God shows up in the midst of our fear and uncertainty and confusion. From generation to generation, faithful people have said “yes” despite apprehension. From generation to generation, our ancestors in faith have accepted the invitation.
Our series begins with Matthew’s genealogy. In that long list of names, we remember the trauma and triumph of those who came before; each name holds a story and their story gives way to Christ’s story. When you zoom in, you may not be able to see how each character propels the story forward, but when you zoom out, you can see how each story is woven together into a larger tapestry.
Jesus says that wars and insurrections are the precursor to torment and arrests of faithful disciples. Luke proclaims these are signs that the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God is near. For many who claim the Christian faith, the events of the world today seem to eerily similar to these concerns, but should we be so certain? How should we face such uncertainties?
Jesus says that wars and insurrections are the precursor to torment and arrests of faithful disciples. Luke proclaims these are signs that the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God is near. For many who claim the Christian faith, the events of the world today seem to eerily similar to these concerns, but should we be so certain? How should we face such uncertainties?
While All Saints' Day is a time to remember our loved ones past, it is first and foremost a time to celebrate those whose lives were committed to holy living. In the Beatitudes, Luke lays out the characteristics of such holy living. When we think of the saints from our lives that we remember, are they defined by such characteristics, or at they just loved ones we miss from the past?
In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul is praying for a young church that their love for one another and that their faith might continue to grow by the power of God. The Church of South Washington Street as a new “church” is in need of the same prayer.
In the race that Paul describes, there are many stages. At times, we will run the race alongside others. But at times, we will be left to run the race on our own. In all times, we are called to acknowledge God's presence in our midst and to proclaim the good news of God's love.
In this week’s gospel lesson, Jesus offers some harsh words to people who have been sure that they are in the in crowd. They grew up in the right community, went to the right schools and professed the proper beliefs. However, they seemed to miss the point of relationship with God. This week, we are invited deeper to think through how we connect with God and what it means to truly be children of God.
Our understanding of the Outer Darkness usually mimics our understanding of hell. But are they the same thing? Is Christ really saying that the unforgiving slave will be thrown into a place of eternal torment? Perhaps it's time we dig a little bit deeper into the "outer darkness."
Our understanding of the Outer Darkness usually mimics our understanding of hell. But are they the same thing? Is Christ really saying that the unforgiving slave will be thrown into a place of eternal torment? Perhaps it's time we dig a little bit deeper into the "outer darkness."
The word 'slave' is all but written out of the scriptural text by modern English translations. We rightfully have such an adverse reaction to the word, and we refute any encouragement to embrace slavery. Yet, Christ gives this clear imperative, to be first, you must become "slave of all.
Following Jesus is more tricky than many of us thought. It's hard enough to follow Jesus' teachings but what if Jesus' teachings change throughout the Gospels? When we look back through Jesus' teachings we see Jesus say and do things that challenge our notion of who Jesus is and possibly even contradict how we think of Jesus. As we look at today's scripture, we'll have to listen deeply to understand what was Jesus' purpose when he tells the disciples to not visit the Gentiles or Samaritans.
Jesus says that anyone who wants to be his disciples must "hate his father and mother, sister and brother, wife and children." How does this call to hate match up with Jesus' command to "love God and love your neighbor"? Are we really supposed to act with animosity toward our kin? Where's the good news in that?
Jesus tells the rich young ruler that to inherit eternal life, he needs to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. He then says it's harder for a wealthy man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. These don't offer much hope to a community that is filled with great wealth. So what is a wealthy community to do with Jesus' critique of the wealthy?
I recently learned that the lynching of Benjamin Thomas in 1899 was, at least in part, supported by the then mayor, George L. Simpson. Mayor Simpson was at the time attending Washington Street MEC, South, and was, just a couple years later, received into membership at the church. Not only did his presence in the congregation, but his later acceptance by the congregation, should invite us to question, how is God remolding us into a greater force for good - something our predecessors of the faith sometimes neglected?
If you're still here - if you can endure the questioning and the skepticism of our role as the church - then it means you're committed to something greater than an building, a denomination, or a corrupted entity. To be a part of that which God created at Pentecost - a true witness of Christ as God's people called "Ekklesia, or "the Church" - we must ask, How Do we Make a Difference? What does our individual witness look like as those who profess Christ as Lord? How do we share in this work together in an honest witness of God's love in the world?
The corruption of Christian Nationalism stems from a misreading of the Biblical text, assuming that we - the United States of America - are God's "chosen people." God does appioint Jeremiah "over nations and kingdoms," ... "to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." But, stated plainly, the USA is not Jeremiah. In fact, we are not any kind of Judeo/Christian authority with God-given power over all the world. We are not a nation that has been given (or that demonstrates) prophetic status.
We often think of ourselves - the Church - as God's "gift" to the world. We read the scriptures as if they support our unending lust for power, authority, and control over all non-Christians, as if somehow we're "better." And yet, the scriptures state often, it is the Church (aka, those who call themselves believers) that God wishes to destroy. It is the Church that makes up the wild grapes that God gives to be trampled and devoured.
It seems it doesn't matter if you're working full-time, part-time, or even on a sabbatical break - if you're known to be a pastor, people are going to ask you questions about the church. If they aren't asking you questions, they're giving you their opinions. Over the past three months, invited or not, I had a number of conversations about the church ... and as a result, I'm convinced, we don't actually know what really matters to God.
To love is a natural human emotion. To love as God loves is to see everyone in God's image and likeness. But what is transformational love? We can ponder that answer together as we journey with Hosea.
I learned early in life that prayer is a conversation with God. How would your prayer life change if you saw prayer as not just a conversation with God, but an active conversation?
Often we think of hospitality as the ‘what we do’ for someone else. But Jesus calls us to see hospitality at a higher level, not just how we act, but what we gain access to.
We typically define our neighbors by geographic location, who lives next door, who lives across the street or down the street. Does that mean that there are people who are not my neighbor?
As adults we learn quickly what we need to do the things we want to do. We need money to live on, a job to get the money and skills to get the job. But what do we need to get to heaven?
Everyone can benefit from the support of a good mentor. However, as disciples, called to do the work of Christ in the world, we don’t just need a good mentor, we need a God Mentor. Let’s explore together what it means to have God for a mentor, especially in these difficult and challenging days.
We know God's love is unconditional. But the conditional world in which we live can make holding onto and living into that truth challenging. Let us once again be reminded of God's love and consider how to keep that unconditional love in the forefront of our lives.
The Power of Pentecost is the promise of the Holy Spirit, unleashed in our lives, every day. Our power to believe in the Holy Spirit makes Pentecost not about an event, but an experience.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:12, 13)
With long-held religious beliefs in tow, Judas imagines he’s earned a VIP pass with God. Yet Jesus declares God’s love includes those not in line with Judas’ personal creed. With belief in Christ - not in my creed - we may live by the affirmation that “God loves the world”. And even if we find it hard to have faith in God, God believes in us, and in those not like us.
This week we return to a Lenten text so we can be reminded what our post Resurrection work should be. A work rooted in love and manifest by action…a sacrificial love. What does that type of love mean for us?
The good shepherd discourse makes clear the connection between Jesus and the church, the body of believers who profess Christ. What are we being called to do as those believers? It may not be what you think!
We as Christians live our lives responding to Jesus’ “Follow Me”. But looking at this very familiar passage, dare I ask, “follow you where, Jesus”? Together let us discover our roles as followers.
The apostles stood before the temple council unafraid to proclaim the truth of God in Jesus Christ. Their witness to God's love in the world stands as an invitation for us who call themselves disciples today. As we reflect on the history of our congregation, we claim God's invitation to change through our convocation in our mission.
Even after 3 years of ministry, of teaching and witnessing to the promise of God that would lead Jesus to the cross and beyond, the disciples still didn't understand the empty grave. They were frightened when they found the tomb empty. Mary was shocked when Jesus called her name. Yet, for all that we might ask about the church ... for all the "Why, Church?" criticisms we might have to ask, we also have a promise and proclamation to make: THIS is why. Even when we fail, God remains steadfast. Even when we are broken, God offers healing. Even when we don't "get it," God still shows up can calls us by name.
We are so quick to proclaim a Palm Sunday attitude, celebrating and shouting Hosanna as we proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ. We love to celebrate Jesus' life-giving love as it pertains to our well-being. But, in the face of the perils of society - the isms that offer persecution (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc), there's a question that we must ask. Why, Church, are we so often silent?
The Church has not always done the best at proclaiming life for its neighbors. From the crusades, to the witch trials, to colonialism ... the Church has often been the cause of death. One might wonder, how would we respond if we heard the stories of those persecuted and killed by the church? Luke seems to think we wouldn't care. If we didn't heed the words of Moses and the prophets before killing them, why would we care after hearing their stories again? Why, Church, do we not listen?
The toxicness of institutionalism and nationalism have so perverted the church, that we've become comfortable creating country clubs in place of churches. We like to control who is in and who is out. We like to determine who gets seats of honor and who is welcome at the table. Jesus has thoughts, and so the question is worth asking, Why, Church, Have We Become a Country Club?
Jesus was often critical of the Pharisees, but perhaps never is he as critical as he is about their focus on Jerusalem. The nationalistic focus around Jerusalem becomes a major critique of Jesus. The apostle Paul picked up on this critique when calling us to claim our citizenship in heaven. Why, Church, are so in bed with American nationalism?
The Biblical text is full of guiding words to help govern the life of the church disciple, and the work of the Church. Every bit of this guidance is to help the church proclaim a witness of God's love in and God's will for the world. Yet, instead of focusing on God's will and God's love, we often structure the church for the furtherance of the institution. Why, Church, are we so institutionally focused?
While in the wilderness, the devil tempted Jesus to worship him by offering him authority over all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused, quoting Scripture's declaration, "The Lord is God; the Lord alone." Yet, since the days of Constantine, the Church has welcomed the power of the empire. Why, Church? Why are we so hungry for power?
As the season of Lent begins, we consider the question: "Why, Church?" The dual punctuations, the question mark with the comma, invites a very different answer than the question "Why Church?" The comma adds an extra pause and an invitation to reflection. Like Lent, the comma invites us to spend a bit of time looking at the motive, not just the action.
In our final week of this focus on the hymns of Rev. Charles Tindley, our guest preacher, Rev. Pia Diggs, looks at the hymn, "Beams of Heaven as I Go." The beams of heaven are witnessed in God offering structure and stability in our lives, akin to the physical beams that support the church building. And the beams of heaven, God's radiance shining down, offer us light to our path and the vision of hope for the future.
In the hymn "Nothing Between," by Rev. Charles A. Tindley, the lyrics invite us to consider a life of faith where nothing - read that again, NOTHING - stands between us and the love of God in Jesus Christ. What would life look like if nothing (i.e. money, privilege, immigration status, race, gender identity, etc.) stood between us and God's love? What would life look like if nothing (i.e. prejudice, racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, etc.) stood between us and God's love? The invitation of the hymn is to let NOTHING stand between us and a life and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. James Daniely (Roberts Memorial UMC) As a child in S.C., I remember Hurricane Gracie . The sky was very dark, the wind howled, trees could be heard breaking, and the rain was torrential. Those things combined to make me very frightened. I was alone at the house, or so I think, but a neighbor knew this and came across the street to check on me. Her words to me were " Be not afraid, it's in God's hands". Now why she thought that would be calming to an eight-year-old, I don't know but after uttering those words she went home. So, when Tindley says, "Though the night is dark it won't be very long. Thanks be to God, the morning light appears, And the storm is passing over, Hallelujah", I feel like I have lived through it.
Tindley's hymns offer similar petitions to the Psalms. The scriptures not only invite our voicing of frustration and lament to God, in the Psalms, we are given the words to use! Whether praying in anger toward a friend, a heart of hate toward the other, or the need for food and housing, we can be assured, we can lay our concerns before the Lord and "Leave it There."
Pastors James Daniely (Roberts Memorial UMC) and Thomas James (WSUMC) join together in the pulpit to look at the invitation of the song "We Shall Overcome." What are we being asked to overcome? By looking at the history of our churches, and the invitation of God's Word in 1 John 5, we see the call to overcome our unbelief. For true faith not only invites a greater witness of God's love in relationship with our neighbor, it demands it. Anything less than offering true love to God and neighbor makes a liar out of God, and challenges our claim to faithfulness.
In his hymn "Stand by Me," the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Tinley offers a reminder of the promise and invitation to God that through the hardest times of life, God will be there to be by our side. As referenced with Paul and Silas, even when the hardship comes from the brute force of nationalism using unjust incarceration because of the work of salvation in the community, God will be by our side. In the face of persecution, stand by me.
Jesus’ first miracle in Cana of Galilee is one of his most well known. But the changing of water into wine is not just some cool parlor trick. Like many of God’s life giving moments, the wedding guests don’t even acknowledge the glory of God in their midst. Perhaps we some more good wine so that we might appreciate the beauty of God’s glory revealed in Christ.
Sometimes it feels like we still find it hard to make space for this child’s birth. We are so caught up in the political undertakings of our day that we just don’t have room for the proclamation of one who declares worth among the most vulnerable and unwanted of society. But as Mary proclaims, and the shepherds testify, the good news of Jesus Christ is not for any particular fraction of the community, but for all of it. It is only the good news of Christ if it is good news for all people.
On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will hear the story of Bathsheba. It can a triggering story, especially for those who have shared Bathsheba's pain. But Bathsheba's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus is a reminder of the promise of Christ, who comes to shed light on the brokenness of humanity's grasp at power. And it's a reminder that sin does not have the final say for who we are in God's love.
On this Third Sunday of Advent, we are learning from and about Ruth, who is the third woman named in Jesus' family tree (Matthew 1:1-17). Ruth the Moabite is a powerful reminder that God's love is expansive, inviting and including in the story of Christ any and all who seek the well-being and shalom of the community. One need not even change their cultural or ethnic identity to be part of God's family.
This Advent season, we are learning about the five women named in Jesus' family tree in Matthew 1:1-17. The second woman is Rahab, mother of Boaz. A Canaanite living in the city of Jericho, Rahab is often remembered for her illicit business. However, her trust and belief in the power of God, along with her dedication to her community, are a witness to her presence in Jesus' genealogy. Her story is a proclamation that God can use any one of us, even using the worst of us, in the holy work of redemption.
There are just five women named in the family tree of Jesus, found in Matthew 1:1-17. The first woman named is Tamar, whose story is told in Genesis 38. Though she is a Canaanite, a Gentile, and twice a widow, Tamar's pursuit of justice and righteousness welcomes us into the Advent season, as we consider the need for the birth of Christ and God's redeeming work in the world.
As we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we should take pause to ask, what are we celebrating? Are we celebrating the king we want Jesus to be, or the king Jesus declares himself to be? Are we looking for a Christ with imperial aspirations, or the Christ who refuses the powers of the world? It is right to celebrate, but we should celebrate Christ for the truth he declares in himself.
Our guest preacher this morning is the Rev. Dr. Veronice Miles, who serves Wesley Theological Seminary as the Mary Elizabeth McGehee Joyce Associate Professor of Preaching. She brings a faithful message on the song of the people in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, offering a challenging and invitational word on how we might best understand the song in our own call to faith.
All Saints Day is not just about remember the names of our loved ones lost, it is also about remembering what they've given us. The witness of those who have come before us lives on in our faithful witness, which in turn leads the next generation.
Rev. Dr. James G. Daniely is the guest preacher this Sunday, as WSUMC joins in worship with Roberts Memorial UMC. Pulling from the book of Ruth, Rev. Daniely asks us to consider what faithfulness looks like today with Ruth's statement to Naomi at the forefront of our relationships. "Your people shall be my people" offers a proclamation of God's expansive love and calls us to greater relationship with one another.
*Due to audio problems, the first few minutes of the sermon are difficult to hear. We apologize for the inconvenience.
It is not your identity that determines your faith. It is not your qualifiers that determine whether or not you are capable of receiving the promise of new life. God's love in its full divinity is greater than the shallowness and brokenness of our humanity.
In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son had squandered all he had and was welcomed back by the father. It's a great promise of God's love for all who have sinned and lost. But the story isn't just about a younger son, it's about a father who had two sons. The older son's interaction invites us to see the greater love of God in the work of reconciliation.
Have you ever been in the same place as Job? Have you ever felt like the world was against you? Have you ever been tired, weary of the world, and felt exhausted in a cloud of darkness? It's not always easy, but the story of Job invites us to find the "yes, and ..." of darkness.
What are we do to with the law? Entrap Jesus into heresy? That's what the Pharisees tried to do, and they used divorce as the area of law to attempt such a task. Perhaps we should consider more deeply the intent of Mark 10:2-12, and rethink our own use of church law today.
Yes, we will not always understand the almighty work of God’s love in the world – we may not even always agree with it … and … God still invites you and me to pursue this call of discipleship, to learn and to grow, to expand and to embrace, to be redeemed and reconciled, that God’s created humanity might share in the eternal joy of God’s love for all of creation.
Guest Preacher: Shani Mcilwain. Sometimes death is a reminder that we can't stay comfortable. We must die daily to flesh, and wake up new each and every morning, receiving the daily grace and mercy of God. You don't have to rely on yesterday's grace - you can afford to step out and do something new, something radical, something different because you belong to a Savior who has made that possible.
The first step to living into the "yes, and..." invitation is to say yes. We can't add on the "and" until we've acknowledge what is. And yet, saying "yes" is insufficient for God, and it shouldn't be sufficient for us as God's people.
Over the past year, we've all formed some new habits. Whether that's working from home, or joining in worship from your pajamas, habits define a lot of behaviors. Sometimes, we don't even know that our habits exist, and it's not always easy for someone else to point out habits that we don't like to claim.
Kimberly Young moderates a conversation between Rev. James Daniely of Roberts Memorial UMC and Rev. Thomas James of Washington Street UMC as both churches wrap up a study on Ephesians. How does the teaching of the apostle on being "imitators" of God instruct us to live in this present moment?
Worship isn’t simply a time to praise God, it’s a time of preparation that we may go forth to live every moment of every day firmly planted in the promise of whom God has created us to be. Worship is a time of preparation, a time in which we are geared up to stand on the promises of Christ our Savior.
Worship is about having our mind converted to the ways of God. It’s about learning to discern what is of God and what is not. Worship is a time of conversion from the ways of the world to the mind of God.
The apostle makes it abundantly clear that truth-telling, honest-living, up-lifting speech is necessary in the work of maintaining the unity of the community. To get to this level of honesty with one another and with God, we must engage in the holy work of confession. While not always easy, confession allows for the healing that is necessary for authentic and healthy community.
The church was created in unity with its many gifts to function as the body of Christ in the world. Our purpose is to mimic for the world the love of God in Christ, and that means, working with every effort to maintain the unity in which the body was first created.
Prayer is not a one-way conversation, even when you're by yourself. Prayer is about being in communion with the Lord. In this way, prayer is not just a part of worship, prayer is worship and worship is prayer.
Our society continues to try to find ways to put us at odds against each other, as if binaries are the way of God. The apostle reminds us in Ephesians, that such division is not of God - on the contrary, in Christ, we have a peace that breaks down the divisions and reconciles us as one body in a new creation. This is the peace of Christ.
The change in how we do worship over the past year brings up some necessary questions. How and why do we worship? Can we really worship at home on TV? Can we worship on a big screen at church? This week we begin a look at what constitutes worship, beginning with praise.
Yes, it's July 4, but that doesn't keep the prophet from speaking truth. The honest truth is, America isn't #1. Even as great as we might think ourselves to be, even the prophet couldn’t stand on his own feet without the breath of God in his lungs.
I believe we have to ask questions, not just of others, but of ourselves. To ask ourselves if the people, ideological positions, or personalities we align ourselves with reflect the love, grace, and acceptance of Christ.
If it is the sin of seeking the knowledge of God that brings death in the Garden, it will be the knowledge of God that gives life through Christ. It is this knowledge of the divine that Paul believes we receive in the gifting of the Spirit.
Life in the Spirit isn't just about our corporate identity, it also defines our personal identity. Being in the Spirit means being transformed, being shown, being called, being identified, being gifted, and being included as those who radiate the image of God in the world.
Following the gifting of the Spirit on Pentecost, we enter into an extended season in the Church, which we call “Ordinary Time.” It is a time to reflect on the life of Christ as a model for the life of the Church. This is the life of one living in the Spirit.
As we celebrate Pentecost, it's helpful to consider the difference between the power of God in Christ and the power of God in the Holy Spirit. Understanding how the Spirit empowers the us is essential to claim our identity as the Church. The power of God in Christ is what makes new life possible. The power of God in the Holy Spirit is what equips us to proclaim the power of God in Christ.
The Church has this historical problem of thinking that our knowledge of Christ gives us power over the rest of humanity. But the ascension makes clear: Jesus doesn’t embed himself in us. Jesus doesn’t even stick around so that we might chain him up in our limited ways of understanding. No, Jesus ascends.
Perhaps this biblical story of the Jerusalem Council - this argument over the basic claims of the gospel - is more relevant to our time than we might think at first. The debate over accepting the Gentiles into the early Christian church gives us some helpful tools for engaging in dialogue over change in the church today.
Hear this Church, we need to stop trying to limit who can receive the Good News – who can be welcomed into the body of Christ. It is our calling to preach and teach the good news, and then to rejoice in celebration and welcome all who proclaim that Christ is Lord.
The power of Christ and the work of the Church is a threat to societal powers – whether political or institutional. The power of Christ is a threat to any individual who seeks wealth and power for themselves, especially at the expense of others. The Church today needs to reclaim the early church's prayer for boldness in proclaiming this power-threatening truth.
We – the Christian Church – have strayed so far from whom God created us to be. In the coming few weeks we’re going to consider how we might reclaim for the Church our call and our witness. Today's text in Acts 3 invites us to consider that when we begin to witness to the power of Christ as Peter did, the invitation for others to embrace this power will carry the weight of the glory it proclaims.
Easter is worth the celebration, but do we really know why we're celebrating? Do we fully understand the invitational power of God in the resurrection? Not only do we remember the Easter story, but we also consider how the story invites us to be Easter people: an expansive, forgiving, community of power that proclaims God's love to everyone.
Police cars and chariots have a lot in common. Their mere presence is a statement of power. Jesus was riding in to town using a borrowed bicycle. Across town, Pilate entered the city with sirens blazing. One coming in humility, the other in a prideful show of force. Are we really surprised that those who shouted “Hosanna!” ("Save us!") quieted so quickly?
The movement Dr. King teaches is one of non-violence. Like Jesus' invitation to be a grain of wheat, it's a call to understand that our death does not lead to an absence of change, but that our willingness to die leads to a multiplying of God's love on earth. We are called to forsake our live for the love of God in the world, for when we die, we multiply.
John 3:16 is one of the most well-known, often quoted scriptures in the whole of the Christian Bible. Yet, it is often used to chastise those of no faith for lacking faith. In its context, spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus, it seems to have a different intent.
Jesus' rage in the temple isn't just a statement against the corrupt economic practices that preyed on traveling pilgrims, it's also a statement about the witness of the presence of God. Jesus defines his body as the dwelling place of God, and in the physical absence of Jesus, the church becomes the Body of Christ. How well do we portray the presence of God in the world?
Mark 8:31 includes Jesus saying that he "must undergo" great suffering, and would die at the hands of the temple leaders. Still today, it is regularly debated in the church whether or not Jesus "had" to die. Perhaps this question is best answered in by asking the question in reverse: “Was it possible for Jesus to be 100% committed to God’s will for humanity without facing the burden of the Roman cross?”
Bishop Sharma Lewis, resident bishop of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, opens the season of lent with a message about facing temptation. What can we learn about facing temptations in our lives today from the temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness?
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Their presence harkened back to the final text of the Old Testament, in which Malachi invites the faithful to remember the covenant made with Moses, and the to look forward to the return of Elijah. The Transfiguration solidifies what the disciples were longing for, the promise of the prophets made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, come to liberate them from the fear of death and the hatred of oppression.
Isaiah promises that the Messiah to come will come as a suffering servant. This would have been an unexpected and unwelcome announcement by those who desired a warrior-like king to redeem them from their enemies. Yet, as Jesus walked the Emmaus Road with the disciples, he likely not only identified himself as the suffering servant, he probably invited the disciples to consider how they might heed God’s call for the faithful to see themselves as freed from the powers of empires that we all might be servants of the Almighty.
Zechariah promises a humble king to come, making his entrance on the back of a the colt of a donkey. This is an unlikely king who comes to rule with the full strength of God's peace. Make no doubt, it's overpowering, but in God's way, not the way of human empires.
Jesus uses the Hebrew Scriptures to point to himself as the Messiah. Looking at 2 Samuel 7, it seems that not only does Jesus hail from the line of David, not only is Jesus the one who is called the Son of God, not only is Jesus the one who calls God “Abba,” “Father,” but it is Jesus that proclaims the divine “but,” which refuses to give sin and death the final say.
In his use of the Hebrew Scriptures to point to his role as God’s Messiah, Jesus probably would have used Micah’s prophecy. Micah, like the other prophets, promises one who is to come who will not rule through militaristic adventures and war mongering. He promises one to come who will be Savior, who will reign with peace and offer a new way to salvation.
What did Christ say to the disciples while walking the Emmaus Road? I wonder if the disciples walking down the path were bemoaning Christ’s absence and failure to fulfill their hoped-for vision of a Messiah, much like many of us as the faithful do today, lamenting that God hasn’t granted us what we expected or wanted in the Messiah. And yet, this is God-in-flesh.
Washington Street UMC and Roberts Memorial UMC join together on the Third Day of Christmas to proclaim the Hope, Joy, Peace, Love, and Light of Christ.
The birth of Christ is disruptive to the devastating pain of human frailty. The gift of God in Christ flips all of the societal expectations upside down, and whether shepherds who come in lowliness, or Magi who come bringing valuable gifts, the incarnation invites us as one humanity to join in the noise making. For in Christ, God has won out. The promise of new life is declared, not just possible, but a realized truth.
Pastor Kathy Escobar says that when hope is running low, sometimes the best thing we can do is borrow hope from one another. In the Magnificat, Mary provides more than enough hope for us all to borrow, offered in the assured promise of who Christ is and will be.
The paradox of Advent is that even in the darkness, there is a light. Even in our brokenness, there is healing. Even in our weariness, there is rest. The Advent promise is that the gift of God comes to offer light in the midst of our weary world.
There’s power in memory. Mark uses the power of memory in the opening of his Gospel to frame the coming of Christ through the remembrance of God’s saving acts in the history of Israel. Though not all memories are uplifting, the beauty of Advent is the promise that God sends Christ to offer healing and peace into the brokenness and strife.
After a year that presented a plethora of challenges, it may be our desire to skip Advent and dive straight into Christmas. But not so fast! The good news of Emmanuel, God with us, is that we don’t have to skip the weariness and brokenness, or act as if everything is ok. The good news is that God meets us in the darkness. This is Advent.
Rev. David McWilliams of Del Ray UMC shares the message on this Christ the King Sunday as Del Ray and Washington Street UMC join in worship together.
Rev. Dr. James Daniely of Roberts Memorial UMC and Pastor Thomas from Washington Street UMC share together a message proclaiming God's unifying love in the midst of a season of great division among the nation.
In the parable of the bridesmaids, we always want to identify with the bridesmaids who made it in to the wedding banquet. But is that really the best option? Was that group really the best witness of faithfulness? It’s time we rethink this parable, and admit, that while we may identify with the prudent bridesmaids, having sufficient oil for ourselves, in reality, we’re just as foolish as the morons who forgot their oil.
This All Saints Day, we are reminded of the work God is already doing in the world, and the end to which God is already working. As we remember the saints, we don’t celebrate their selfishness, or their tribalism – we remember their call to see our lives as part of something much greater, as part of God’s created. May we remember the saints, and be reminded of God’s eternal glory, that we may serve as the next generation of saints, sharing in the work of God’s grander vision for all of creation.
The Bible is full of examples of what it means to ‘walk humbly with your God,’ and they help us understand what Micah is instructing to God’s faithful community. But walking humbly isn’t an isolated instruction. Micah’s instructions are offered as one word of guidance, and to be faithful, we must follow all three of them in tandem.
Micah calls the people of Israel to humbly walk with God. But what does a humble walk look like? Why don’t we start with humility … what is humility? Not an easy question to answer, but the Biblical witness gives us some guiding words.
Mercy is the willingness of the one who has power to withhold such power, or to shift such power, for the purpose of God’s greater justice: so that all of humanity, all of God’s created, might share equally in community with one another. But what does it mean to LOVE mercy?
To a nation that was broken with transgression, Micah offers three simple instructions. The second of which is to ‘love mercy.” As we hear the prophet speaking to us today, to a nation torn apart by transgression, what does it mean for us to ‘love mercy’ today? First, we have to know what is ‘mercy.’
Justice is the desire of God, maintained throughout the Biblical text. Both the Old and New Testament stories proclaim this as the will of God. But the text also makes clear, this is Godly work we are to participate in – as the prophets declare, we are to be ‘doing’ justice
We hear the word ‘justice’ thrown around a lot these days. “Social justice,” “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” “justice for Breonna Taylor,” and so on. Micah, among other prophets, also used the word as a primary instruction to the people of God, saying, “Do justice.” Before we can understand what it means to ‘do’ this thing called justice, we have to understand what the Bible means by ‘justice’ itself. With over 400 uses in the Biblical text, the Word of God makes clear what is ‘justice.’
In this midst of a continuing pandemic, and amidst the varying hardships overwhelming our nation, you make ask of God, what do you want of us? How can we see your divine healing in this land? Micah offers guidance in just such a situation – so listen to the Lord. The answer is living with God, and living for others. Do justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with your God.
In a political season, when words tend to fly freely from our mouths, it’s important to remember the text of James 3. It’s not the tongue that curses and blesses, it’s the words we convey and express with the tongue. How can we use our words to bless, and not to curse? Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Michelle Chaney
Christ says, if you want to follow me, deny yourself and take up your cross. This is not a simple invitation. It is, as Peter found, a radical deviation from the powers and desires of empires. It invites a humility and willing vulnerability for the sake of the gospel.
Let us not say “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. We must commit to the unequal and preferential option for Black lives, for, God knows, our Black brothers and sisters, in their bodies and in their souls, have long suffered and suffer now an unequal share of the pain in the unholy name of anti-black racism upon which the supremacy of whites have been built. Guest Preacher: Dr. Paul K.-K. Cho
Encouragement, which comes in many forms, is necessary for healthy and faithful relationships. We have the ability to encourage another by offering affirmation. And yet, sometimes we should not be affirmed. At times, our encouragement needs not to show up as affirmation, but to show up in the form of exhortation, where we are encouraging others to live more faithfully.
Through acknowledgment of what is, by naming sin that exists, by naming our participation and benefit from sin, freedom becomes possible. Because of God’s love in Jesus Christ, we can claim our sin, we can be made new, and we can have a new life that exemplifies God’s love.
Why do we value multi-tasking so much? Why is American individualism defined by busyness? Perhaps we should slow down and acknowledge God’s call, not for our own exceptionalism, but for a unified global well-being.
Listening is redemptive; it has the power to change lives and communities. If we’re going to see positive change in the world – if we’re going to see positive change in our own community – we have to start listening.
In recent weeks, if it wasn’t already known, it has become quite clear, we are an ungrateful people. We need a reset to rethink our relationships, our expectations, and our place in the community. We need, like the healed Samaritan Leper, to be a bit more grateful for the life – the new life – we are offered in Jesus Christ.
Our work as the Church of South Washington is to lay claim to the promise of God in Jesus Christ, that we are not fully capable of being the Body of Christ, so long as any member of our God’s created is incapable of being who God has made them to be. May the Holy Spirit provoke us to action, that we may be agents of God’s love in this world.
Whatever your worry – whatever binds you from being everything God has created you to be – through the power of God in Jesus Christ, you are loosed. The love of God in Jesus Christ frees you from all that keeps you from living into God’s will for your life. And there is but one proper response: the community rejoices. Your freedom is my freedom; Jesus’ freedom is our freedom. Guest Preacher: Kimberly Young, WSUMC's Director of Church and Community Engagement
God has blessed this world with more than we would ever need. And yet, so many still go without. As Christ was our example, our call is not to offer temporary relief that retains one’s oppression, but to offering freeing love that gives new life.
As we consider what it means to be a Community Catalyst, what does that look like in the world today where the church is not the withholder of power, but still proclaims God’s power? How does the church not be the gatekeeper of grace, but still proclaims our freedom from sin and death, made possible by grace? How does the church not require acclimation, but still proclaims Christ as the truth and the way? How does the church actively work as Christ did, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, to give life to the dying, while not claiming glory or attention for ourselves, but giving thanks to God in heaven above?
The reason the American Dream is such a farce, is that America started with a vision that not all people were created equal – regardless what the Constitution says. But as the church, as God’s people, we are called to proclaim God’s love for all people, and that means speaking up for and sharing God’s love with those who are treated as outcasts.
The Spirit isn’t sent to make us comfortable. The Spirit isn’t sent to pat us on the back for the work that we’ve already done. The Spirit is sent that we might break down any barrier, any power, any divide that separates any person from true life and mutual love. This work starts with you. This work starts with me. It starts with our own heavy lifting to understand why the world is the way it is today. It starts with our naming our own complacency with the unequal society that we live in.
God’s desire for the world is not that a few succeed, while the many suffer. God’s desire is for us all to thrive as one body, as one people, as one creation who live and love in a peaceable union. This was not the world before COVID-19, and it is not the world today. So yes, we have work to do, essential work to do, and it does not take our gathering in this building to do that work.
The role of the Church is to bear witness to Jesus and His love and power, at work to save the world. The immeasurable power of Christ, filling up the church, and overflowing through the Church, to fill all in all. That is the hope, that is the glorious inheritance. That is the immeasurable power. Guest Preacher: Rev. Jeff Mickle, District Superintendent of the Alexandria District
It may be Easter in exile, but we are not left on our own to fend for ourselves. We are empowered by the risen Christ to claim that new life, eternal love, and God’s glory are designed for all people. This means not only feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and offering our thoughts and prayers to those who are harmed by the sin of racism; it also means doing the hard work of leading systemic change that keeps people hungry, keeps people homeless, and inequitably causes harm to communities of color.
It is Easter in Exile, and God has a promise, that in Christ, in the resurrection, a new covenant is born. May this season of exile in our lives lead us to claim God’s promise not just for ourselves, but for everyone born, that everyone may know God’s almighty love.
Build your homes. Live in them. Plant gardens. Go for an isolated walk. Enjoy the sunshine. Seek the well-being of the community in which you live. Learn to live as Easter people in a time of exile.
When Paul says that we are saved by "the faith of/in Jesus Christ," what does he mean? Paul believed this faith was a faith that tore down walls, not a faith that built walls up. Paul believed this faith removed the demarcations that had divided the community, instead of being a faith that further splintered communities. This was not any faith, this was the faith of Jesus Christ - it is the Lord's faithfulness that offers righteousness and claims us as God's children.
The English language often fails to speak to the breadth and depth of the original Biblical languages. A deeper look at the Greek and Hebrew makes very clear: the Biblical Word is not Lord; the Bishop is not the Lord; the Church is not the Lord; Jesus Christ is Lord.
It's time we stop using the Biblical Word to exclude people who have been called - gifted, inspirited, and empowered - to serve God. Though the English translation has been used to silence women in the church, a quick study of the Biblical text shows that God has always called women to lead the faithful. We cannot hide behind faulty translations; we must proclaim the good news of great joy in Jesus Christ, that all people are called, empowered with wisdom, and instructed to be found mature in the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul had a specific focus in his teaching, and it wasn’t covenantal, faithful, sacred, and permanent relationships between two people of any gender … it was acts that abused, broke covenant, and forced unfaithful, non-sacred, adulterous sexual acts on others. To claim the Biblical truth, we must look to the historic text, and claim a more faithful, long-standing, and traditional understanding of Paul's teaching.
The Biblical text never promises wealth and prosperity to the faithful. What it does promise, is peace, well-being, and unity among the gathered faithful. The English translation fails us when it replaces God's vision of shalom, with our worldly visions of extravagant wealth.
The Biblical witness can not be summed up by any one passage of the scriptural text. When passages are cherry picked, it most often leads to a watered down gospel or failed truth that does not stand the test of the Gospel on the whole. How we treat the word "slave" is a key example.
We should not cheapen the Biblical word due to our insufficient English translations, but claim the fullness of God’s desire for humanity as laid out in the ancient texts. God longs for us to delight in the goodness of creation, but not in a way that threatens the peace of the community.
Almost every major division within the greater Christian body stems from a disagreement in the way we read and understand the Biblical text. The translating of the ancient Greek and Hebrew texts is a challenging task, and often has lasting implications on how Christians think, act, and believe.