Text: Matthew 5:1-13 In his translation of the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Eugene Peterson concludes the Beatitudes with these words: “Let me tell you why you are here…” You see, this sermon from Jesus is full of instructions for the people of God. It reminds us of the attitudes we are…
Ordinary Time
Taste and See God’s Provision
htt Text: Luke 13:6-9 Brandon and I planted raspberries in our backyard when we moved to Des Moines. This is officially the eighth summer… and we have yet to see an abundant crop. A handful of crumbling berries that won’t hold together is all we have ever had the chance to harvest. There were a…
Taste and See God’s Power
Text: Luke 24:28-32 One of my favorite experiences while on vacation just now was sharing tapas with Brandon at Jaleo – one of Chef José Andrés’s restaurants. From a perfect slice of toasted bread, brushed with crushed tomatoes and garlic… To an incredible dish of fried eggplant drizzled with honey and lemon… And beautiful cauliflower…
UMC 101: The Local Church & Membership
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:12-13, 3:18-4:1, 5-6; Book of Discipline 201-204, 214-221 Over the last seven weeks, we have explored together some of the foundational beliefs and practices of the United Methodist Church. Our focus on grace and faith put into practice. The call to reach out and share the love of God with all people.…
UMC 101: An Inclusive Church
Text: Luke 5:17-26, Book of Discipline – Constitution Preamble and ¶1-5, ¶140, and the new 6 Over this last month as we have worshipped with one another, there has been a recurring theme at the core of our tradition: God’s grace and love is for all. The prevenient grace of God stretches out to all people,…
UMC 101: We are ALL Ministers
Text: Ephesians 4:4-16, Book of Discipline P126-139 Last week, I offered a very brief summary of scripture: God forgives us. God loves us. God has a job for us. And we see this message at work in our scripture for this morning. We are forgiven by the ONE lord, through our ONE faith and in…
UMC 101: The Mission of the Church
Text: Isaiah 6:1-8 I think one of the greatest failures of the church today is that we put God into a very small box. Jesus is our friend and companion. The Holy Spirit holds our hand and brings us comfort in tough times. The Father tenderly calls us to do the right thing. These are…
UMC 101: Our Theological Task and the Quadrilateral
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Over the last several weeks, we have been exploring what it means to be United Methodist. We’ve talked about some of the core beliefs we affirm, how we came to get our distinctive United Methodist flavor by emphasizing faith and love in action, and both standards for teaching those core beliefs……