First Free Methodist - FFMC

In the days of pandemic and polarity there seems to be so little wonder for us to hold. This story following Jesus' birth is filled with obedience, witness, and wonder. So often, we try and solve and resolve wonder. At the heart of Christian spirituality is to simply hold wonder like Mary did when she, "treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." This week's episode explores how might learn to hold a wonder for God's grace and love.

The birth of Jesus is a collision between the powerful and powerless. Like so many other occasions, the grace of God is revealed at the margins or the edges. Jesus' with happens in a small town, in a single family home, with animals, and with shepherds attending. It is a humble scene for the cosmic event that will change everything. For us today, our work is about allowing this humble grace to enter our lives when we chose to allow it.

We all have a story. That story is part of God's story which intersects the stories of others. Mary, the mother of Jesus, comes to share her story with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. When their stories intersect we see the deep blessing of shared lives and mutual grace. When we follow the leadership of these two mighty women we find the courage face every obstacle in our path. This week's episode explores how Mary and Elizabeth point the way toward a rich experience of the Holy.

The age of social media often invites us to make statements about politics, injustice, etc. Often we feel that the opinion we have on something equates with fruitful action about it. John the Baptist makes it clear in his witness that we are all called to bear "fruit consistent with repentance." This week's episode explores how we are to embrace God's judgement as a way of bearing fruit while also rooting out our own hypocrisy and brokenness. 

Religious people are often guilty of using religious jargon. Words that lack explanation or context. This week's episode explores four simply words that introduce the work of John the Baptist. Baptism. Repentance. Forgiveness. Sin. Each of these words are powerful markers for us today as we prepare for the mysterious and powerful coming of Christ.

Often the stories of Jesus' second coming frighten us. We read of signs in the stars and chaos on the earth. Jesus's explanation of the coming reign and rule of God are not intended to offer us more anxiety and fear. They are shared with us to better understand our focus and work in this challenging time. This week's episode explores how Jesus' explanation of his coming "again" is about summoning clarity, diligence, and grace for today.

During these days of pandemic and polarity, many people have taken "hope" into their own hands. This week's episode opens up the Book of Revelation and points to the true hope we can all have. God is moving and at work today and in the future to bring about a new creation. On All Saints Sunday we can hear again the message that God is redeeming all things.

Naming the most important truth of faith is hard to do. Jesus' words in Mark 12 make clear what that truth must be for Christians. Our most important truth is love. Beyond being in love, Jesus calls us to embody the very love we believe. When our heart and our actions find alignment through love, we have made the beginning of journey that will lead us toward God in every way. This week's episode explores how that love can be made real in our lives.

It is one thing to get answer you may not want. It is another to learn that you have been asking the wrong question. Our obsession with explaining why one person is "blessed" and another is not, reveals our own broken way of thinking about God's grace in our life. This final episode on the Book o Job uncovers the danger of our wrong questions and helps us explore something more valuable...how shall we then live?

Our longing for justice from God can be wrongly motivated. We want justice for others but sometimes. not ourselves. In this week's episode, we come face to face with the God of justice. Instead of wielding the gavel, this God invites us to ask if we really know what we are asking for in justice. God's power at work can make our requests for fairness seem petty. This all the more true when we discover that God's infinite power is offered completely in love.