Science teaches that the universe began 15 million years ago with a “Big Bang.” Genesis teaches that God created the “heavens and the earth” by
There are times that our witness will not be received. Jesus shares the parable of the sower in order to help us think about the
The metaphors of salt and light help us define what our witness should look like. Salt and light are both helpful things, and our witness
Jesus sends his disciples out into the world – to “all nations” – in order to share what they have learned from him. The Greek
Worship is the pulse of the Body of Christ. In the John 4 conversation, it is made clear that style and location are secondary considerations
Congregational care happens best in community, the people of the church caring for one another. The ministry of Congregational Care is a group project, and
Financial discipleship has always been a vital part of what it means to follow Jesus. Paul writes to encourage the church in Corinth to give
Rev. Winter Hamilton discusses “Faith Formation Identity” page of Manchester UMC, and is joined by the Director of Children & Families, Rev. Brenda Stobbe, and
Wesley wrote many hymns that poetically describe the identity of Jesus, including seasonal hymns for Advent, Christmas, and Easter. The question, “Who is Jesus?” is
Our lessons for today help us to consider some of the many facets of defining and understanding our FAITH. I would say that having faith
Conversion is a key idea in Wesleyan theology, and was a central part of the faith stories of both John and Charles. And conversion isn’t
The day of Pentecost is considered the “birthday of the church” and so it is good to just stop everything and celebrate. Celebration for celebration’s
Your money won’t save you. The church needs to do our work, but more so the church needs your heart. God saves the sick, and
Judging someone else comes from your own insecurities. In our ministry (and in our lives), we cannot be guided by our insecurities. If you hate
Being a “doer of the word” doesn’t mean just go do something – everyone is called to a different ministry (not all are teachers). We
The community of Easter People does not show partiality because of individual particularities. People have particularities, but they do not make people better or worse
Christians are called to be and build community. Building an active, egalitarian community with one another is how we are made whole. That kind of
Easter activates our faith and forms us as a living community. The energy of resurrection is more than a one-Sunday-per-year occasion. The energy of the
The entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem is not merely triumphalism, it is a “ritual of solidarity.” Jesus presents himself in solidarity with the people welcoming
Jesus was angry at the Pharisees for their hardness of heart, and it motivated him to heal the man’s hand. Embracing anger can be hard
“Confession is just spiritual language for truth-telling” (from the Arthur Riley devo). When we confess, sharing the truth about ourselves with God and with one
Lament is a gift from God. It allows us to name and appropriately celebrate the goodness of what was lost. Lent is a season for
There is meaning in mortality, there is a balance between life and death. Lent is a season that creates the time and space to reflect
Matthew tells us that Jesus was “famished” after his time in the wilderness. Pain is a hunger that looks not for nourishment, but for numbing.
Death can change lives for good. In the musical, Angel’s community was eventually changed for good by his death. It took time and work to
One sometimes hears the phrase “unity for unity’s sake.” It is often used as a critique, to indicate that a group with irreconcilable differences need
Palm Sunday is the celebration of a divine reign that is both here and not yet here. It is the fulfillment of a promise that
Mary Poppins is a prophet like Ezekiel, speaking into the Banks family and specifically to Mr. Banks. She breaks his heart of stone, giving him
In Wicked, there is a difference between being changed for the “better” and changed for “good.” “Better” is the standards of the world, the expectations
We live in a culture that does not like to wait. However, Scripture teaches that we ought to be patient, and upholds patience as a
At the beginning of a calendar year, we pause to renew and refresh ourselves. As we do, we look ahead into the year to come
Science teaches that the universe began 15 million years ago with a “Big Bang.” Genesis teaches that God created the “heavens and the earth” by speaking it all into...
The metaphors of salt and light help us define what our witness should look like. Salt and light are both helpful things, and our witness should also be helpful,...
Jesus sends his disciples out into the world – to “all nations” – in order to share what they have learned from him. The Greek phrase lacks the word...
Worship is the pulse of the Body of Christ. In the John 4 conversation, it is made clear that style and location are secondary considerations for worship. Rather, we...
Congregational care happens best in community, the people of the church caring for one another. The ministry of Congregational Care is a group project, and it depends on people...
Financial discipleship has always been a vital part of what it means to follow Jesus. Paul writes to encourage the church in Corinth to give financially to meet the...
Rev. Winter Hamilton discusses “Faith Formation Identity” page of Manchester UMC, and is joined by the Director of Children & Families, Rev. Brenda Stobbe, and the Director of Youth,...
