Theology in Song

September 19, 2021

Worship 9 a.m. A Charge to Keep I Have

Worship 11 a.m. A Charge to Keep I Have

Yesterday, we looked at the final Charles Wesley hymn in our Theology and Song series, A Charge to Keep I Have. This main idea of this song is that we as Christians have a responsibility to serve God in the world, using the gifts that God has given us. Charles warns (as John Wesley often did in his preaching) that if we neglect our responsibility, if we shirk the duties to which God has called us, that amounts to a betrayal and carries consequences that reverberate into eternity.

One way to think about it is to get a little creative with that word "responsibility" - we have a "response ability" for which God will hold us accountable. A couple of points about that following up on yesterday's sermon:

• Serving God and others in Jesus' name is a response to what God has done for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have been given the free gift of God's grace and salvation - an amazing gift that should inspire to serve God and our neighbors in response.
• Through the Holy Spirit, we are given the ability to respond. God has given each of us spiritual gifts that we are called to use in service of the Kingdom of God and for the building up of the Body of Christ. Our abilities are not for the purpose of building ourselves up and they are not to be used to make ourselves look good in the eyes of other people, but to give glory to God and to lead others to God's transforming, life-saving grace.

That leads us to a question to reflect on this week: What opportunities do we presently have in our lives to use the gifts that God has given to serve others and build up the Body of Christ? I pray that God would give us the eyes to see the opportunities we have to serve and the courage to use the gifts we have been given for the sake of the Kingdom.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Wes

Worship 9 a.m. - Love Divine

Worship 11 a.m. - Love Divine

September 13th, 2021

In yesterday's sermon, we looked at Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, one of Charles Wesley's most well-known hymns. As I mentioned yesterday, this hymn (like most of Charles' hymns) is theologically rich and evocative. Wesley had a gift for utilizing stunning imagery that was both theologically deep and Biblically rooted. This is why the idea is often expressed that in order to understand Methodist theology, one doesn't need to read a book or listen to sermon, but sing the hymns of Charles Wesley.

In that spirit, here are 3 takeaways from Love Divine, All Loves Excelling:

1. "…enter ev'ry trembling heart" - Early Methodists in America were often looked down on by members of other Protestant churches for being too "enthusiastic", meaning that a lot of other Christians thought the Methodists were too emotional and too loud. In fact, we were known as the "shoutin' Methodists" and the "singing Methodists" (which was not a compliment). In the journals of early Methodist circuit riders, there are numerous stories of worship services where people's hearts were "melted" or they collapsed because of overwhelming emotional experiences. Charles Wesley was not shy about appealing to or describing powerful emotions and the early Methodist movement was anything but austere and stuffy. It might do us a lot of good in our own time to feel more free to express our emotions in worship and to allow our own hearts to be "melted", even if it's not as dramatic as early Methodist worship.
2. "Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit" - I mentioned yesterday that Charles was evoking Pentecost in this line, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. But it goes back farther than that. Charles is also taking us back to the very beginning, when God created Adam out of the dust and the breathed the breath of life into him. Through the Spirit, God also breathes life into us if we are open to receiving that life. It is the breath of the Spirit that inspires and animates us as Christians, helps us when we are weak, and works in us daily through God's sanctifying grace.
3. "Finish, then, thy new creation" - Sometimes events and history, even our own lives, can seem to lack purpose or direction. Given the number of crises that we are currently facing, it can feel like things are falling apart and it might cause us to doubt that God is still working in the world for the sake of reconciliation. The last stanza of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling is a prayer for God to finish His work, a prayer that the Kingdom would come. That prayer is an acknowledgment of our faith that God is in control of history, that God is still sovereign, in spite of whatever troubles we face. 

I pray this week that we would know and share this great love from God, which is greater than all other loves. And I pray that we might all know the inspiring and comforting presence of God's Holy Spirit, making God's sanctifying grace real in our own lives.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Wes

September 5, 2021

Can it Be that I Should Gain - Worship 9 am

Can it Be that I Should Gain - Worship 11 am

Depth of Mercy - August 29, 2021

Depth of Mercy - Worship 9 a.m.

Depth of Mercy - W0rship 11 a.m.

This week we began our series “Theology in Song” by reflecting on the nature of God’s grace expressed in Charles Wesley’s hymn “Depth of Mercy”. Specifically, we talked about Prevenient Grace- God’s unmerited favor that goes before us and makes a way for us to know God’s love, mercy, and grace available for all people. In response to that we invite you to consider this hymn in your devotion this week.

What does it help you acknowledge about yourself and your struggle?

What does it teach you about how God responds to our human predicament?

What is the Good News of Jesus in this hymn?

When in your life have you experienced the prevenient grace of God?

Depth of mercy! Can there be
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace:
long provoked Him to His face;
would not hearken to His calls;
grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
oft profaned His hallowed name,
put Him to an open shame.

There for me the Savior stands,
shows His wounds and spreads His hands:
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps, but loves me still!

Now incline me to repent!
Let me now my fall lament!
Now my foul revolt deplore!
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

Want to listen and sing along?

Traditional Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq-9mPdAtbw

Modern Translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7kTMW3QKA

Don’t forget! We are asking you to share your favorite hymns and what they taught you about theology (the nature of God and what God has done and is doing in the world). More than just your favorite song because someone you love loved it, we want to know how these songs shape our faith in the Lord. You can share your responses here: https://forms.gle/9UmCZFJZbFWuTFb7A

Sermon Aug 22, 2021

ReNewing your Commitment 9 a.m.

ReNewing your Commitment 11 a.m.

The Wesley 21 day Challenge Questions

Reflections from. Sunday, Aug 22th Sermon

On Sunday, we invited you to consider what Paul means when he tells us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12b-13). This is the every day work of disciples – to let God’s saving work make its way into every part of our lives, working IN us to make us holy. Everyone needs a little help in that work – God’s help and also the help of the community to love, forgive, hold accountable, and encourage. 

This weekend the kids and I cleaned up what has long been the play room at our house. I hadn’t been in there in about a year because every time I opened the door I just felt overwhelmed by the work it would take to fix it up. Well, this weekend we could avoid no longer so we all got in there with trash bags and determination. We reminisced over beloved books, threw out trash, decided what we could and could not part with, boxed up what we wanted to keep and filled the car with what we could give away (and I found $40 tucked away in purses and bags and such!). When I walk by that room now I don’t feel so overwhelmed. 

I shared this story with my Wesley Challenge group as we reflected on the power of all 21 questions that John Wesley asked. Sometimes our spiritual lives can feel like that room. Full of old habits that used to work but don’t, some junk that is getting in the way and we need to toss, some stuff we really need to look at and decide if it is worth keeping or not. We may know that we aren’t walking with Jesus like we want to but we just don’t know where to start. John Wesley’s question are one tool that can help us start dealing with the messes that we are tempted to just shut the door on and ignore. They invite us to get real and start working out our salvation. One member of our group said that she felt like if she just saw those questions every day it would help her. She wouldn’t want to answer “no” to some of them and so it would reminder her what choices she most wanted to make. Agreed! Our walks would be more faithful and our lives a little less overwhelming.

I invite you to put these questions on your bathroom mirror and take a moment when you are brushing your teeth to focus on just a couple every day. Let God’s Spirit work in you to help you to will and act according to God’s good purpose. There is grace enough for every day friends and opportunities to grow in our life with God if we will get serious about working out our salvation. I am praying for you and for me too! 

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Sermon Aug. 15, 2021

ReNewing Outward 9 a.m. Worship

ReNewing Outward 11 a.m Worship

Reflections from. Sunday, Aug 15th Sermon

This past Sunday, we continued our Renew series based on The 21-Day Wesley Challenge. The book is structured around 3 "turns": turning upward towards God, turning inwards in self-reflection, and turning outwards toward others. On Sunday, we talked about turning outwards toward others, focusing on our initial thoughts and attitudes about people.

In our Gospel reading for the morning (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who both come to the Temple to pray. The tax collector cries out for mercy, confessing his sinfulness with tears and remorse. The Pharisee, however, thanks God that he's not like the tax collector and proceeds to inform God about all of his faithful accomplishments. This parable, like the rest of Jesus' parables, is like an onion: if you start peeling, you'll find layer after layer of meaning. If we sit with this parable and seriously reflect on what Jesus is telling us, we might begin to feel the Holy Spirit convicting us about how often we turn outwards toward others in judgment and condemnation, instead of love and compassion. This is exactly what God wants us to discover, not for the purpose of making us feel miserable but for the purpose of leading us to recognition, repentance, and renewal.

There are plenty of things we judge other people for - their skin color, their accent, their clothes, what they drive, where they live, where they went to school, on and on. When we judge others by such shallow criteria, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else and the opportunity to be blessed by them. We are also giving more weight to our judgments of others than to God's command that we love our neighbor.

This week, pay close attention to how you think about and respond to other people you meet this week. How long does it take for you for an initial impression to harden into judgment? What are some of your own shallow criteria that lead you to judge other people harshly? What are some ways that you might push past judgment by turning outwards and getting to know someone at a deeper level? Let's pray for one another as we work on being less judgmental and more like Jesus.

Grace and Peace,Pastor Wes

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Sermon Aug. 8, 2021

ReNewing Inward 9 a.m. Worship

ReNewing Inward 11 a.m. Worship

Someone who was paying attention and was a little cheeky left this pencil on my desk on Monday morning. Like I said, WWJD was on EVERYTHING for a season and the question lost its significance. The question, “What Would Jesus Do?” came from In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, a book about following in the steps of Jesus and seeking to grow into the full stature of Christ (see Ephesians 4:11-16). In order for this question to have any real import in our lives, we have to become students of Jesus, learning what he did, what he taught, why he came, and what that means for us. The willingness of every follower of Jesus to grow in maturity in this way is essential. Your faithful discipleship matters so much!

This week, we invite you to reflect on your own walk to become a mature Christian. How might you take advantage of the equipment provided by your church to help you grow in faith? We offer bible studies at every age level, prayer times M,W,F online, weekly worship, opportunities to serve, and a staff of pastors and teachers to help you with any of your question and needs as a disciple. What steps might you take this week to grow in maturity as we all grow together as the body of Christ? Our God is so faithful and will honor every step, even the smallest most tentative one, on the path of discipleship! Trust that you are not alone and get growing! 

On the journey with you, Pastors Toni Ruth (and Wes and Richard too!)

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Sermon Aug 1, 2021

ReNewing Upward 9 a.m. Worship

ReNewing Upward 11 a.m. Worship

Yesterday, we continued talking about what it means to renew our discipleship by looking at the first section of The 21-Day Wesley Challenge, which is about the need for disciples to have an upward focus. Turning upwards to focus on God, Who is greater than us, is the starting point of our daily discipleship, our daily walk with Jesus. We saw that God has made God's self known to us in Jesus Christ and God is near to us - in fact dwelling in us - through the Holy Spirit.

By turning upwards towards God, we are given the perspective we need to how God is always already working in the world. The Holy Spirit Who dwells within us gives us the power and ability to join in that work - the work of reconciliation, justice, peace, and love.

We do need help along the way as we seek to follow Jesus and join in with what God is doing in the world. With that in mind, here are some helpful resources to help you on your daily walk with Jesus:

• The Daily Prayer app 
• The Centering Prayer app
• The Upper Room Daily Devotional
• The Pray as You Go podcast
• Read the Bible in a Year

These might be good starting points (or re-starting points!) for you on your journey. Know that we are praying for you and that you are deeply loved - by us, but most importantly by God. And if you need any help or have any questions about ways you might renew your discipleship and join in what God is doing in the world, please reach out to one of the pastors here at HUMC - we'd love to talk with you about serving Jesus and our neighbors!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Wes

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Sermon July 25, 20201

ReNewing your Call. 9am Contemporary Worship

ReNewing your Call 11 am Traditional Worship Service

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Services and Reflections July 18, 2021

Link to 9 a.m. Contemporary Worship Service

Link to 11 a.m Traditional Worship Service

Yesterday morning, we started a series called Renew, focused on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in today's world. Our Gospel reading yesterday morning was Mark 8:27-38 and the focus of the sermon was what Jesus says in verse 34 about being a disciple: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." We did a little digging around Jesus' call to self-denial and what that might mean for us today.

Here's a reminder of three ways we can understand self-denial, along with some suggestions about what we can do about that in our lives this week:

• We can understand self-denial as suppressing our desires and appetites by the strength of our own will power. We saw yesterday that if we only understand self-denial in that way, it's not helpful in the long run in terms of being a disciple. Our discipleship is more than our efforts to suppress our desires and appetites. What is one thing that you need to say "no" to in order to say "yes" to Jesus and grab hold of your identity as a disciple?
• At a deeper level, we can understand self-denial as the conscious choice to put the interests of others ahead of our own. By doing this, we are seeking to be like Jesus who tells us that He came "to serve and not to be served". This week, look for a way to serve someone in need - especially someone who might be vulnerable or considered to be "on the margins" in our world. 
• Going even deeper, we can understand self-denial as the process of allowing God to show us our deepest, truest selves and then giving us the strength to let go of our constructed, false selves. This is certainly a difficult process, even a painful one, choice because so many of us have invested so much time and energy into constructing an identity to show to the world. What Jesus calls us to deny is the false self that we construct so that we can begin to embrace who we really are – children of God, deeply loved, formed and created in God’s image. This week, spend a few minutes praying and reflecting on your identity - what does it mean to you to be a beloved child of God before you are anything else?

As I said yesterday, the self-denial that Jesus is talking about is a combination of all three of those ways of thinking about it. Following Jesus - say "yes!" to being a disciple means that there are things that we need to say no to, many times related to our appetites and desires. Self-denial also means putting other people's interests and needs ahead of our own, especially people who are vulnerable, struggling, or on the margins. Self-denial also means denying a false, constructed self and allowing God to re-create us.

Worship July 11, 2021

UNCC Niners United

Sunday, July 11, Rev. Steve Cheyney, Campus Pastor at UNCCharlotte shared a word about being blessed. Challenging us to dig deeper into what it means to be blessed, to see the blessing in the world around us and in our neighbors. The two links are for: Sunday's Worship Service, with Rev. Cheyney's message and the website for Niner United, the UNC Charlotte, Campus Ministry.

9 am Worship Service

11 am Worship Service

Whether we find ourselves asking this because of wider societal struggles around race, covid, and changing culture or we find ourselves asking this because of personal struggles around life change, we may feel overwhelmed and want to throw up our hands and say, “I don’t know!” The story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10 reminds us that meeting Jesus changes our boundary lines and that the truth is after meeting him we cannot go back the way we came or to the way things were. That truth often serves to unsettle us more deeply and yet we claim the promise that we serve a God who is always making a way where there is no way. What’s more, the story of Ruth and Naomi in Ruth reminds us that when we don’t know where we go from here if we can find the courage to make that first faithful step we never go alone. Through time of change and newness, we go together as God’s people one faithful step at a time.

Today take a moment to pray over these words from Isaiah 43:18-21 asking God to open your eyes to perceive the next faithful step and to see the company God has put beside you to embolden the journey from here into God’s next unknown.

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

I've Been Meaning to Ask...What do you Need

9 a.m Sermon

11 a.m Sermon

Yesterday, we continued our series "I've Been Meaning to Ask…" focusing on the question, "What do you need?" We saw that for many of us, recognizing and acknowledging our needs can be really difficult and that we can serve and love one another by asking each other what we need. Our focus yesterday was not on folks in need, but rather on asking the question. I offered some practical stuff related to asking someone, "what do you need?"

• Ask the Question - the first step is simply asking the question. This might seem basic, but so often we don't ask the question and we just assume that we already know what someone else needs. If we're trying to be more like Jesus, it helps to remember that many times Jesus asked people what they needed before he healed them. And remember, asking "what do you need?" opens us up to both opportunities to serve and responsibility for one another.

• Listen to the Answer - don't assume what someone needs before they tell you. This is especially true if you don't the person you're asking that well. When it comes to family and close friends, we might know them well enough to know what they need, but even then we might be surprised. When we ask someone what they need, we need to listen carefully to what they say so that we can serve them in ways that show God's love and grace.

• Be Present - Two things: (1) Be present with the person you're asking - show up and be there for them as best as you are able. (2) Be present to them - let them know that you're paying attention to what they need. Even if it's for a short time, your loving attentiveness can mean a lot to someone who is struggling.

• Follow Through - this is also pretty basic and can be summed by saying: if you say you're going to do something, do it. This builds trust but also, it might help us to avoid making promises we can't keep or committing to something we aren't able to actually follow through on.

Don't forget the two challenges I offered you all this week:

• Spend a few minutes thinking about what you need this week. Reach out to someone you trust and share that with them.
• Reach out to someone and ask them what they need. Do your best to help them in whatever way you're able.

Have a blessed week, friends!

Grace and Peace, Pastor Wes

Reflections Sunday, July 13, 2021

9 a.m  Contemporary Service

11 a.m Traditional Service

This week Pastor Toni Ruth invited us to reflect on the places in our world, communities, and lives where we see people in pain. Pain sometimes looks like anger, sometimes like tears, and sometimes like stoic grinning and bearing it. No matter what its source, pain demands to be heard and acknowledged or it will fester and express itself in behaviors that harm self and others. Our Lord Jesus always moved toward people in pain with compassion and healing grace. He listened, forgave, included, touched, and loved those who suffered and it changed them. To often our response is like Peninnah – to mock pain, Elkanah – to belittle pain and make it about us, or Eli – to dismiss pain as something else because we don’t understand it. 

When have you been like these characters? 

Who’s pain have you mocked, belittled, or dismissed? 

What might the Lord have you do differently in response to his unfailing kindness and compassion for you?

This week we challenge you to talk to someone whose pain makes you uncomfortable and to jus ask, “Where are you hurting?” and then listen with love. How might this simple question help someone feel seen, loved, and not forgotten? 

1. Do not be afraid of the challenges.
2. Do not run from the pain – that’s where the greatest change and deepest meaning from the story comes from.
3. Do not give up on writing your own story.
4. As the Bible tells us over 200 times, DO NOT FEAR!

Reflection on Sunday’s Sermon

9am Worship 5/30/21

11am Worship 5/30/21

I’ve Been Meaning to Ask?....Where are you from?

This past Sunday, we began a new series called "I've Been Meaning to Ask…". Our hope is that you will be inspired and motivated to connect and re-connect with one another after such a long period of separation and distancing. But as I mentioned yesterday, it's not simply about beginning or restarting relationships with one another - it's about doing that with God at the center. We hope that we will all remember that what binds us together is not shared interests or even common purpose, but the Holy Spirit of God.

Yesterday, we began our series with the question "where are you from?", which seems like a simple question, but it's often loaded with meaning. Being asked where we're from might make us worry about being judged by other people or, if we're the ones asking, we might be tempted to make assumptions about people based on how they answer. Sometimes, we might worry that people will respond to us the way Nathanael initially responded to Jesus: "Can anything good come from ________________?"

If we're going to connect in ways that go beyond the surface, we need to be open to sharing our stories with one another - where we're from, the people that shaped us, the rhythms of life that formed us. For some of us, this will be pretty easy. But for others of us, this will require a step of faith and courage in sharing where we're from and who we're from. In listening to each other's stories, we may have to push past easy assumptions and unhelpful judgments.

Finally, in order to connect/re-connect with one another, we'll have to invest in each other. We will need to invest our time. Building relationships with depth and trust is slow work and we will need to be patient with each other. Building deep relationships requires an investment of our attention, a commitment to sharing honestly and listening closely to one another. When we invest in one another, remembering the bond we have through the Holy Spirit, sharing the love of Jesus, God rewards our efforts and the Body of Christ is greatly strengthened by our efforts.

This week, reach out to someone in our church family that you don't know very well or haven't talked to in a while and ask them where they're from and be willing to share the same about yourself.

Reflections on the Importance to Worship

Sermon 9 am.         Sermon 11 am

I didn't actually spell this out in yesterday's sermon, mainly because I have a love-hate relationship with using alliteration in a 3-point sermon, but we looked at three different aspects of Luke’s ascension story in his Gospel and in Acts: waiting, worship, and witness. (Even typing that out makes me feel inspired and annoyed in equal measure…)

The disciples received Jesus’ final blessing (in Luke) and instructions (in Acts) before Jesus was taken up into heaven in a cloud. They were told to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, Who would give them the power to be Jesus’ witnesses to the whole world. Waiting can be frustrating – especially when you’re not sure what you’re waiting for. Of course, we know now that they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to come down, inspiring and equipping them to be witnesses to what God had done in Jesus. We don’t have to wait for the Holy Spirit – the Spirit is always with us!

While waiting as Jesus instructed them, Luke tells us that the disciples were at the Temple, worshiping“through everything”, setting an important example for us. No matter what we’re going through in our lives or in our world, worshiping God with our brothers and sisters (whether gathered together in-person or virtually) is a crucially important foundation for our lives as disciples. Through worship, we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, so that we can be empowered and equipped for what God calls us to do.

God calls each one of us to be witnesses. We witness through our words – through telling people about what God has done and continues to do for us and in us. We witness by the way that we talk to people (in-person or on social media) – do our words give grace to those who hear/read them? Are we building people up with our words, or tearing them down? It’s not just words, but how we live our lives. Are people experiencing God’s love and grace in the choices we make and the way we live? 

This week, ask God to help you be more patient when you have to wait, reflect on the importance of worship in your life, and be mindful of the opportunities you have to be a witness to God’s love and saving grace.

Lift Your Eyes

April 25th, 9 am. Worship

April 25th, 11 am. Worship

Sermon April 18, 2021

Sermon Reflections

This Sunday’s sermon focused on our Purpose from God. God has a purpose for everyone, and some are better at living it out than others. God’s purpose for our lives should be the force that propels us forward to becoming the people God calls us to be. The martyr Stephen from the book of Acts gives us an excellent example where staying focused on God led him to a path of freedom even though it cost him his life. Stephen gladly laid down his life for His God. Maybe God is not calling us to be martyrs like Stephen, but in a very real sense He is calling us to lay down our lives for Him by realigning our focus and purposes to match God’s. What we receive in return is so much more than we can imagine! What is your purpose? Where is your focus? What is God’s purpose for you? If you are looking to explore that more deeply, consider becoming more involved in the church body and finding those places where you can find your own identity, belonging and purpose, and at the same time help others find theirs!

Pastor Richard

Sermon Link - April 11

On Sunday, we looked at a story that serves as a turning point in the Gospel of John (12:20-36). We saw how a brief encounter between some Greeks, two disciples, and Jesus represents the arrival of Jesus' "hour" - the moment when the scope of Jesus' mission is revealed: the salvation of all people. For John, this is the meaning of the light breaking into the world, the purpose for which Jesus was born, crucified, resurrected, and raised to God's right hand.

Jesus says in verse 32 that when he is lifted up (on the cross, out of the tomb, and in the ascension), he will draw all people to himself. All people - not some people, not a small group of chosen people, not just righteous people. All people. This something that we often struggle with. We almost instinctively assume that there has to be some condition, some requirement, some command that we must obey in order to be saved. The scandalous thing about salvation in Jesus Christ is that it is grace, unearned and freely given.

Of course, like any gift offered to us, we can reject it. We can work against other people recognizing and accepting God's invitation to life. We can find ourselves standing with the Pharisees, acting like gatekeepers thinking that we can decide who's 'worthy' to receive grace and who isn't. The truth is that we're all unworthy and we all need God's grace, forgiveness, and mercy. The amazing thing is that God continues to offer that free grace to us again and again, inviting us to come out of darkness and draw near to the light of Jesus.

This week, I want to invite you to find practical, concrete ways to embody God's grace for someone else. Is there someone who you know that needs a word of encouragement or acknowledgement that they are loved? Is there a need for reconciliation and forgiveness in your own life with someone who has hurt you or that you have hurt? Is there an opportunity - large or small - for you to reach out and serve someone in need? As followers of Jesus, let's work together to share God's light in our world this week.

• Jesus calls us to follow Him, to join in his procession that ultimately leads to life. He talks about this way in the Sermon on the Mount: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) What other roads are we tempted to follow in our world? What "parades" lead us away from God's Kingdom and towards violence and death?
• We also saw how Mark doesn't include details accidentally - it's important that Jesus began his entry into Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany and the Mount of Olives because those places had deep meaning for Jewish people in 1st century. This can invite us to reflect about places that have deep meaning for us - what places in your own life are places of hope or joy or expectation? 
• Mark's telling of the Triumphal Entry is unique because it's partially about unmet expectations. Many people following Jesus were looking for a warrior Messiah who would overthrow Rome. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem not to conquer, but riding humbly on a donkey, it's likely that there were people who were disappointed. It could be that they were part of the crowds who cried for Jesus to be crucified later in the week. We also know the sting of unmet expectations. We're familiar with disappointment. This story invites us to reflect on how we deal with disappointments and unmet expectations. What might it mean for us to move from unmet expectations to transformedexpectations?

Written on the Heart

Lenten Sermon Week 5

On Sunday, March 21st we considered

 Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God says

“I will make a new covenant with Israel…it will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors…a covenant they broke though I was their husband…This is the covenant I will make…I will put my law within them,, and I will write it on their hearts.”  

In this text, God promises a new covenant that will give us not just the DESIRE to be faithful to the promise but the CAPACITY to be faithful.   No longer will we say, “I do these good things (service, devotion, worship, prayer, giving, etc) this so that I will be loved, forgiven, and in relationship with God”. Rather we will say, “I do these things because I am loved, forgiven, and in relationship with God.” 

God is not looking for external obedience that shapes internal relationship but rather internal relationship that shapes external obedience. God accomplishes this transformation of humanity by sending us Jesus to mend our broken human heart (or will) and show us the way of faithfulness.  

As you consider what it means to have God’s law written on your heart, a law of love for God and love for others, what steps might you take that reflect your identity as God’s people? Here are a few ideas, pick one or two and see how God invites you both to rend your heart and claim his promise.  

• Print the attached coloring sheet (attached) and read the description of the piece from the artist. In a spirit of prayer, color this heart and asking God to show you what this promise means for you.
• Attend a Bible study (Tuesday at 10 am in person or on Zoom ID 848-9159-8689) or Lenten study (Sunday at 11 and 3:30 or Wednesday at 7:00 on Zoom ID 853-3703-5116)
• Join us for weekly prayer M, W, F at 10 on Facebook but available anytime you want to pray after 10. 
• Reach out to a friend of another ethnicity and check on how they are because many are struggling this week in the wake of another race related murder spree.  
• As a gesture of gratitude and from a servant’s heart take 10% (a tithe) of the stimulus money you receive and give it to this church or another ministry that seeks to share the love of God. 
• Make a commitment to live Holy Week, participating in all the activities that will begin next week as we journey to the cross with Jesus. 

Lent Week 4 - Look up and Live

Sermon Follow-Up - March 15th - Sermon Link

By Pastor Wes

This past Sunday morning, we talked about snakes, specifically fireball-spitting snakes. Another name for these deadly creatures that attacked the Israelites in the wilderness is Numbers 21 is "angels". I say that only half-jokingly. We saw how the serpents (literally in Hebrew "the seraphim snakes") were sent as messengers of God. In this case, messengers of God's judgment against the people of Israel for their disobedience and complaining.

In his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus mentions this story, telling Nicodemus that he too will be lifted up. And like the Israelites looking to the serpent on the pole for healing and life, we look to Jesus on the cross for healing and salvation. In the midst of our struggles, our pain, our own struggles with sin, God calls us to look to Jesus, to look up and live.

We are approaching the end of the season of Lent, journeying with Jesus to Jerusalem, rending our hearts because we know our sin - we know the ways that we have been disobedient or unloving or selfish, on and on. The weight of our sin threatens to overwhelm us. We want to hang our heads in shame and we might even fear God's judgment and anger.

But in His amazing grace and unending love for us, God calls us to raise our heads, to lift our eyes to see Jesus lifted up: lifted high on the cross where he died for our sins, lifted out of the tomb and out of death, and lifted in glory in His ascension, now seated at God's right hand. Even in the midst of our Lenten journey, we claim the promise of God's gift of forgiveness, grace, and eternal life. Friends, look up to Jesus and live!

Lent Week 3  Sermon Link THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

Sermon Reflection -- March 7 ,2021

by Pastor Toni Ruth

On Sunday we considered the boundaries of the covenant on Mt. Sinai that we know as “The 10 Commandments.” Pastor Toni Ruth challenged us to shift from thinking of them as discrete rules that save us to understanding them as boundaries that SHAPE us into the people God calls us to be. Rather than reading them as “you shall and shall not” we are invited to read them as “you are and are not.” 

Who you are in relationship with God

1. You are the people who have one God

2. You are the people who do not worship idols

3. You are the people who use God’s name rightly with honor

4. You are the people who honor a day of rest with God to restore 

Who you are in relationship with others

5. You are the people who honor your parents 

6. You are not the people who kill

7. You are not the people who commit adultery

8. You are not the people who steal

9. You are not the people who lie 

10. You are not the people who covet

Take a moment with this list and consider how well you are living your identity as a follower, not of the rules but of Christ. Where is God inviting you to rend your heart/to repent so that you can be more faithful and fruitful? 

Now consider what word you most need to hear to support and direct your growth into who God calls you to be. Where is God inviting you to claim his promise to help you live faithfully not just the letter but the spirit of the law? 

Give thanks for how God has been moving in you and our community forming us into the image of Christ so that we can bear kingdom fruit for his glory.

Pastor Toni Ruth

This is the Sign

Sermon Link -- February 21,2021

by Pastor Wes

In my sermon on Sunday, we went all the way back to the beginning (well, almost) to look at the covenant that God established with Noah after the flood. We saw how this covenant set a trajectory in Scripture that culminates with Jesus Christ. We saw that Jesus is the embodiment of the sign of God's promise.

First of all, Jesus is the embodiment of God's promise that He will be with us. This is literally what the word Immanuel means (which we see in Isaiah 7:14 and again in Matthew 1:23) - God is with us. And Jesus reveals that God is with us, not in judgement or anger, but in love and offering grace. God is not with us as an adversary, but as our Advocate. (Read John 14:15-31 for more about this.)

Secondly, Jesus is the embodiment of God's choice to set his bow in the clouds. Our God - the God revealed in Jesus Christ - is not a warrior God. This is the reason that we refer to Jesus as the "Prince of Peace". Through Jesus' death and resurrection, God has given us peace. This peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but a peace that is shalom, wholeness. This is a gift of God's grace and love, demonstrating yet again that our God is not a vengeful warrior, but a gracious and kind Advocate.

Finally, and perhaps most astounding of all, God is working in us to make us the sign of His promise and His presence. The Church is the Body of Christ and we are called to embody God's presence and God's peace in the world. This is only possibly through the Holy Spirit working in us, through us, and at times, in spite of us. Just as God is not our adversary, we must be mindful that we are not adversaries of God, standing in the way of God's work in the world.

So, this week in your own life, reflect on how you might embody the presence and peace of God. How can you join in with what God is already doing in the world?

Pastor Wes

Third Sunday of Advent 12/13/2020

Sermon Link PEACE

• How do you identify with the lowliness of Eve and her sadness?
• What joy comes to you, as it came to Mary, in the understanding that Jesus is coming to redeem our sadness and our loss?
• Spend some time in conversation and prayer with the Lord about where this word needs to pierce you today. What good news is God offering to you in your life today?

_________________

Second Sunday of Advent 12/6/2020

Sermon Link HOPE

We continued our Advent series Joy to the World yesterday by looking at the first part of verse 2 of the famous hymn. The original wording was: "Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ!" God calls us to use our songs to worship and to proclaim the Gospel message of salvation and peace. We see specifically how Isaiah 40:6-11 gives us songs to sing to people who desperately need messages of hope and peace in our world today. I compared Isaiah 40:6-11 to a classic progressive rock album because, for one reason, I'm a total music nerd. But the main reason is that the list of things we are to proclaim, the songs we are to sing from that passage, fit together and flow like a classic prog concept album.

Here's the track listing for Isaiah's prog concept album masterpiece:

1. "All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades…"

This is a difficult word for us to hear, but it's not a song of lament. It's a song of reality that confronts us with the truth of our mortality. A mature faith, rooted in truth, must hear and sing this song. We can bear to hear and sing this song because of the one that immediately follows.

2 "…but the Word of our God stands forever."

We can bear the truth of our mortality because of our faith in God and God's Word. As Christians, we proclaim that the Word of God which stands forever has come to us in the flesh in Jesus Christ.

3."Here is your God!"

Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, was also given the name Imanuel, which literally means, "with us God". Jesus is God with us, so we don't to wonder about where God is and we don't have to worship at certain places or in certain buildings. God is with us always in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

4."See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."

The Lord is mighty and strong, but that strength is not used for violence or revenge. We do not serve a warrior God, but a God of peace and restoration. Jesus, who told Peter to put away his sword, shows us what our God is like.

5."He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep."

Our God is not a soldier, but a shepherd. This is the God Who gives us abundant life, salvation, grace, mercy, and truth because of His faithfulness and steadfast love for us. That's good news worth singing and shouting about!

So as we continue this Advent season, I pray that the joy of the Lord will be in all of our hearts and that we will sing the songs the God has given us with boldness!

First Sunday of Advent, 11/29/2020

Sermon Link: JOY!

• Lament

• Repent

• Remember

August 2, 2020 - Witness Moses: Unexpected Beginnings -  Pastor Wes - Scripture Lesson Exodus 2:1-10 - WORSHIP LINK

Connection, Delight, Recreation, and Memory

July 5th - Connections -- Worship Service Youtube Link

July 12th - Delight  -  Worship Service Youtube Link

July 19th - Rest and Relaxation - Worship Service

July 26th - Memory - Worship Service

Leaning into the wind of Holy change” 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change..”- Psalm 46:1-2

In Acts, the Holy Spirit blows through the first believers and in a time of seismic change offers reminders, direction, revelation, and encouragement. 

How might the lessons in Acts helps us to move with the Spirit through our own time of transformation?

June 7   Letting go of the past, embracing the future Sermon 6/7/2020

June 14  Stop! Pay Attention! Let the Spirit lead. Sermon 6/14/2020

June 21  Get out of the way

June 28  Into the unknown where God awaits Sermon 6/20/2020