August 15, 2022 Solomon asks for the ability to discern what is right for the people, for the common good. There are six passage of Scripture most often cited to condemn same-sex relationships,…
August 10, 2022 This sermon will set-up the possible outcomes of the pending General Conference. We confess the UMC has not always acted like Ephesians 4 tells us to, and hope that this…
August 1, 2022 Forgiveness can “close the loop” on unresolved tension or conflict. Joseph’s brothers, even a long time after their reunion, were worried that Joseph would hold a grudge against them. So…
July 25, 2022 After Jacob was so bad to Esau, taking everything away from him and destroying the family relationships, he had to forgive himself for doing that harm so that the two…
July 12, 2022 The forgiveness Jesus offers de-escalates the need for revenge, for retribution, for punishment. Jesus reverses the power dynamic in this story by pointing out the mob’s own need for forgiveness,…
July 5, 2022 The paralyzed man in this story doesn’t ask for forgiveness but he gets it anyway. When Jesus forgives him, the Pharisees react with disapproval and in response Jesus heals the…
June 20, 2022 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 not stay together just for…
June 14, 2022 Listen to Ali Fields preach and ask "Zacchaeus stayed. Why did he stay? ... He can't shake this emptiness inside him, this feeling that he's doing it wrong ... He…
June 6, 2022 Working by human priorities, according to human agendas, will always result in a confusing, conflicted mess. Working by divine priorities, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, will always result…
May 31, 2022 Jesus promises that his disciples will be “clothed with power” to proclaim the good news to the world. The power of the Spirit was to come, and in the meantime…
May 26, 2022 Saul encounters the Risen Christ in a dramatic, extraordinary way, very unlike most of the other encounters we’ve looked at. In spite of Saul’s past acts of persecution, the light…
May 16, 2022 The risen Jesus was not a ghost, and to show his disciples that he was bodily present, he does a very basic human thing - he eats. In doing so…
May 9, 2022 The risen Jesus walks alongside the disciples in their grief and confusion, not trying to fix it. And then he stays present with them as they arrive at Emmaus and…
May 2, 2022 The risen Jesus introduces himself to the fishermen by giving them fishing advice, then cooking some of the fish they caught. This strikes us as a very ordinary thing, an…
April 25, 2022 Following his resurrection, the Bible teaches that Jesus appeared to his followers several times. Explore lessons from one of those encounters and discuss how it should guide the church today.
April 18, 2022 The risen Jesus introduces himself to Mary at the tomb by asking her why she is weeping. He approached her with empathy and a desire to know her, to share…
April 11, 2022 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 has yet to be fully…
April 4, 2022 We might rather rush to Easter, getting through the self-reflection of Lent. Nobody wants to watch Jesus walk to Golgotha, carrying the cross; we do not want to deal with…
March 28, 2022 Nothing that we can do ourselves can “fix” the world; “we do not have the power within ourselves to abolish sinful systems.” It seems easier to remain a slave to…
It is not the job of the people with disabilities to explain disabilities to the able-bodied. It is the responsibility of the people of God to be “all-in” and to…
March 14, 2022 Sometimes we want a Gospel that avoids suffering. Jesus offers a rebuke to that kind of thinking, and reminds us that suffering is inherent to living.
March 7, 2022 The physical healing of the “healing stories” is not the point. People who are able bodied are temporarily able-bodied. Redemption has nothing to do with our physical ability - God’s…
Moana is Moses, called to go beyond the boundary of slavery, beyond the boundary of the reef, but uncertain as to her worthiness. She is called to lead the people…
We tend to forget ourselves, to forget who we are. Peter “forgets” who he is when he denies Jesus. When we remember our story, our ancestors, the saints of the…
February 15, 2022 Death makes us aware of how precious life is, even the most ordinary and mundane life. Joe’s reaction after playing his dream gig points out the vanity of wishing for…
February 7, 2022 We have to remember our story, to remember our ancestors. If we do not remember our ancestors our story will fade into non-existence. If we do not tell the story…
January 31, 2022 As a gentile, a woman, and a widow, the “Widow of Zarephath” would have been completely powerless in her context. Yet she is called by God to provide food for…
January 24, 2022 As Jesus begins his work, he claims an anointing by the Spirit, connected to the prophecy of Isaiah. To be anointed is to be sent by God, to be consecrated…
January 18, 2022 After baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to prepare for public ministry. The Spirit prepares us for our work by giving each of us gifts “as…
January 10, 2022 God calls us “by name,” which means that we are known by God. Just as God’s voice calls Jesus a beloved child at the moment of his baptism, so also…
January 3, 2022 The birth of Jesus is the initiation of the restoration of the remnant. The presence of both shepherds and angels means that the Messiah has come to gather in the…
Join Manchester United Methodist Church and celebrate the birth of Jesus in this special online only worship service full of music, scripture, and stories. The birth of Jesus is the…
December 20, 2021 Micah’s prophecy was early on, before even the Northern Kingdom fell. In the midst of his warnings, he also promises a restoration of the remnant, the lame and afflicted who…
December 13, 2021 Zephaniah is prophesying before the exile, during the time of King Josiah. He is both warning the people of God’s impending judgement and offering a word of hope that a…
December 6, 2021 Malachi’s prophecy is post-exile, the temple was rebuilt, the walls of the city rebuilt, yet the people still did not follow God’s ways. In response God promises a messenger who…
November 29, 2021 The Babylonian Exile challenged the faith of the people, who had been promised God’s presence would be with them always, in the land and the temple itself. With all of…
November 22, 2021 The next few years in the life of this congregation will be directed by a new strategic plan currently being developed. This plan will take us from here into “Century…
November 15, 2021 The past few years have been directed by a strategic plan known simply as the “2021 Plan.” Good work has been done in multiple ministry areas by a wide cross…
November 8, 2021 The saints of the church are those who have come before us and made it possible for us to be where we are now. Though technically the UMC does not…
Jesus is toward the end of his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has been sharing with his disciples the importance of genuine faith all along the way…and then, from…
October 25, 2021 Followers of Jesus believe that the way we treat others is equivalent to the way we treat Jesus. And that is especially true of the way we treat “the least…
October 19, 2021 God knows us intimately, even better than we know ourselves. We can learn how to see ourselves as God sees us, to see our intentions, our deepest inner longings and…
October 11, 2021 Participating in the life of the church (prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness) turns our focus “upward,” meaning toward God. First and foremost, our priority is aligning with God, obedience…