Sermons Archive | Manchester United Methodist Church

Gifts

March 8, 2021
To participate in the community with our gifts means to make sure the resources we have been given by God are being used for purposes that build up the community…

Presence

March 2, 2021
Intentionality of presence means adjusting your personal priorities in order to show up in and for and with the community. Showing up as the intentional community is the minimum of…

Prayers

February 22, 2021
We think of prayer as a personal moment, like in Psalm 25. But when we participate in the community “by our prayers,” it is deeply relational; we become more aware…

February 16, 2021
Mountaintop moments orient our relationship with God. Mystical encounters with the fullness of God's truth orient us toward the next step in our calling, a calling that is lived out…

Believe In Thy Butter

February 8, 2021
At best, the Bible presents a mixed message when it comes to war, affirming it in some stories and condemning it in others. People of faith embrace a complicated and…

Caught In The Snide

February 1, 2021
Many times it is fear of “the other” that creates conflict, the unfamiliarity of another person or group of people. Overcoming that fear and entering into authentic relationship can ease…

Stars Upon Thars

January 25, 2021
The impartiality of God’s grace is radical, shared with all equally, no matter what one’s outward appearance is (Sneetches) or how long you have “worked in the vineyard.”

Unbudged in Their Tracks

January 19, 2021
God calls people to humility, to not think so highly of ourselves. The Zax (like the scribes and Pharisees) are unwilling to humble themselves and change their ways.

Re-Alignment

January 11, 2021
When Jesus comes to be baptized, he is aligning himself fully with God's will, God's desire for his life and ministry. When we renew our baptism promises, we are re-aligning…

Take Time…Now

We only have so much time in this life, COVID or no COVID, and for many, time has clearly become the most precious asset of all.

Are We Helping or Hurting?

December 27, 2020
How do we disagree without being disagreeable? How do we disagree without it being about proving you wrong and me right? How do we disagree from a posture, from a…

Pregnant woman siloutted by light coming through a window.

My Soul Magnifies

December 21, 2020
Mary’s pregnancy is a liminal space, in between conception and birth. She enters into the liminal space willingly and embraces the uncertainty of her situation with faith and hope. The…

Person raising their hands up toward a dawning sun.

Loving & Living

Advent is like one of our dearest friends, showing up, right on time, come hell or high water…or even a pandemic. No doubt, we are loved!

Testify To The Light

December 14, 2020
John’s task, and ours as well, is to “testify” to what Messiah will be doing. John points out that in fact Messiah is already among us, and we have yet…

Woman prayerfully looking up out a window.

Listening & Loving

“We don’t pine for a second coming that will bring the world to an end. We pray for the indwelling of Christ that will enable the world to continue.” -Dr.…

Woman sitting on desert sand overlooking the expanse.

Prepare The Way

December 7, 2020
This year the Advent season is not as full as in the past because of the pandemic. Ironically, this makes it easier for us to enter into the wilderness and…

Longing and Listening

We will praise the One who hears our words and our silence.

When the Stars Begin to Fall

December 1, 2020
Advent is a season of waiting in the liminal space of anticipation and wonder. Emmanuel is not yet here, and we long for his arrival. So we watch for him,…

Photo of woman focused only on her computer, no one else.

From Lost And Longing

'From Lost and Longing' is part of a four-part Advent series titled 'From Lost to Living.'

There’s No Time Like Forever

November 23, 2020
'There's No Time Like Forever' explores the idea that the Kingdom of God is a past, present, and future event; it is both here already and not yet here.

Field of mustard against a backdrop of mountains.

I Just Forgot the Yeast

November 16, 2020
The parable of the yeast demonstrates that the kingdom is about the small things; even small acts of faith make a big difference. And it doesn’t have to be incredibly…

Photo of hands of many people placed on top of each other.

Among You

November 9, 2020
The Kingdom is not a personal possession, but rather among/within the life of the community is where the Kingdom of God exists.

Photo of bricks being layed, one at a time.

God At Work

November 2, 2020
The kingdom is being built by God, not by us. At the same time, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do the work of the kingdom. We allow God to build…

Photo of Manchester UMC's building in the fall.

Entirely Sanctified

October 26, 2020
The ONLY limitation to this congregation’s potential is the extent to which we can envision the future God has in store for us.

Sidewalk chalk art with a smiley face and the word Pause underneath.

Let the Light Shine

October 19, 2020
Being “children of light and children of the day” means we in a different relationship with others and the world…where we welcome the outcast and tear down the supposed hierarchies…

Illustration of the word 'Why' in printer block type.

Why We Do What We Do

October 12, 2020
Paul and Silas were not only “doing the right thing” they were doing it “for the right reason.”

Photo of early bible open to Thessalonians.

Turning the World Upside Down

October 5, 2020
The mission of the church can really raise a ruckus, and working together on a mission like that creates a deep and affectionate relationship.

Photo of a river running through the forest over rocky terrain.

The River

September 28, 2020
Water appears throughout scripture as a source of life, renewal, and promise. "Everything will live where the river goes."

Young woman practicing breathing in a yoga position.

The Air

September 21, 2020
Wind (air) is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, a life-giving presence that moves within, among, and around us.

The Land

September 14, 2020
The first man is named Adam to emphasize humanity’s connection to the land and to the earth, adamah.

Photo of a single older tree with limbs reaching to the sky.

The Forest

September 7, 2020
Humanity is created in community with creation; when God’s creation suffers, we suffer too. Trees are the lungs of creation, making it possible for us to breathe.

Photo of a cross with a sunset in the background.

LOVE Is A 4-Letter Word

September 2, 2020
What can we do to make a difference in times like these? Maybe we should not waste time bothering whether we love our neighbor, and act as if we did.

Esther Saved

When Esther risks her own life to approach the king, she was doing so in order to save the Jewish community in the nation of Persia. The story highlights God’s…

Painting of what Huldah may have looked like.

Huldah Spoke

August 17, 2020
When Huldah declared her prophecy, she was speaking on behalf of God, expressing God’s anger at the unfaithfulness of the people. She called the people to remember because the nation…

Art depicting the celebration of the Israelites.

Miriam Sang

August 10, 2020
When Miriam sang on the “other side” of the Red Sea, she was leading the nation in an expression of joy and gratitude for God’s faithfulness.

Photo of a winding road with a single person walking.

Sarah Laughed

When Sarah laughed at God’s announcement that she would have a child, she was expressing skepticism that God could do what God promised to do. Turns out God could.

Painting of a farmer sowing see by hand.

The Good Soil

July 27, 2020
The Word of God is present everywhere in the world; it has been “sown” like seed. The Word of God always finds a way to grow, in spite of any…

The Good Shepherd

July 20, 2020
The parable of “The Good Shepherd” is about knowing God, and being known by God. There is a deep, authentic relationship.

The Good Wage

July 13, 2020
The wage each worker was paid in the parable of the vineyard was “good” because it recognized the value of each person’s work, no matter how long each had worked.

Good Samaritan painting by Paula Modersohn-Becker

The Good Samaritan

July 6, 2020
The Samaritan was called “good” because he showed mercy to the one who was injured; his acts of compassion made him a neighbor even though his ethnicity made him a…

Photo of the ocean with the words 'Anticipate your heaven below, and own that love is heaven.'

Eternal Life

June 29, 2020
Our forgiveness makes a difference in the present; it is not only a ticket into a post-mortem life everlasting.

Photo of a green sprout gtrowing from a stump.

Alive to God

June 22, 2020
Being forgiven empowers us to die to our old selves, become alive to God, and live as our new, true, Christlike selves, which means we in turn forgive others.

Christ in Alabama Painting by William H. Johnson

Still Sinners

June 15, 2020
The love of God is proven by the fact that Christ “died for us while we were still sinners,” meaning that we do not earn God’s forgiveness, but rather that…

Person looking at the nigh sky filled with stars

The Chaos of Creative Disruption

June 8, 2020
Imagine the chaos & angst of God in creating a creature who can think, do, and say "no" to God. Then, in Matthew we perhaps find a new creation story…

What Does This Mean?

June 2, 2020
The way the Holy Spirit moves among us can be perplexing and sometimes elicits skepticism; it is hard for us to believe that God is so generous with God’s Spirit.

Aldersgate

May 25, 2020
John Wesley went to a Moravian group meeting “reluctantly,” feeling like he had failed - and the Spirit warmed his heart and empowered him to launch the Methodist movement.

Paper cut-outs with Truth and question marks written on them.

Give Me Your Hand

May 18, 2020
Methodism is both intellectual and emotional, a balance of head and heart. A rigorous exchange of opinions is good, as long as we manage to do so with grace and…