First Free Methodist - FFMC

We have a heightened sense of justice these days. Knowing what is fair and not fair are closely held virtues for every human being. Often our sense of justice is uninformed and lacks nuance. We are eager to see black and white with very little grey. In this week's episode we explore how the quest for justice with God and even with others can leave us empty. Perhaps asking "why" blinds us to other questions worth asking.

Learning to ask the right questions is one of the hardest skills we have to learn as people. There are times when our grief, pain, and suffering overtake us and we ask, "Why me?" The Book of Job may not do the best job answering that question but it may help us learn how to ask an even better question. That is, "How shall I live in the midst of suffering?" This week's episode introduces the ancient story of Job and some of hard truths about asking the right questions.

This episode explores the marks of a what it means for Christians to live in a faithful and mystical community of prayer. Prayer, at its core, is about being in communion with God and with one another. The closing verses of the Book of James explores how we are called to share in a community of grace and love as we pray for another regardless of circumstance or situation.

"What are the sources of the quarrels among you?" This is not only a question asked today. it was one asked by the writer of James at the opening of James chapter 4. The Christian community then, as it is now, was deeply divided. James points us to a wisdom that comes from God alone as our only hope. That hope can only be accessed through humility before God and others. Listen to this week's episode for ancient wisdom that may help us today.

Words have power. During these days of pandemic, political challenges, and social media words have power in new ways. The capacity to bring life and to deal death with what we say is unrivaled. This week's episode explores how God's wisdom can guide us to make life-giving moments with our words. The Letter of James brings a fresh wisdom for leaders, teachers, and everyone who uses words to communicate.

Have we made too much room in our world for judgement? This episode from James helps us understand the dangers of judgment in the form personal favoritism. Christian community has an antidote for this world of judgment. The antidote to judgement  is mercy which is borne out of loving our neighbor as ourselves. Listen in to this week's episode to discover the power of equity and mercy!

The Book of James opens a new way of thinking for people in the midst of suffering, hardship, and even persecution. This week's episode explores some of these deep themes of listening and humility. For James, wisdom is the foundation of our response to difficult situations rather than anger and bitterness. Words matter and so does doing right by God and others. Here is space for a reconsideration of our hurtful and death-dealing words.

A house does not make a home. As King David settles into his own palace in Jerusalem, he begins to wonder about building a suitable house, a temple, for God's ark. God's response to David's generous gift is curiosity. "When did I ever ask for house?", responds God. In this week's episode, we discover what God may really want from David and from us today. We might be surprised to learn that God may not need a house as much as God desires to dwell in us and among us. We might be the house God has always wanted.

Most people know about the Ark of Covenant through popular movies like "Raiders of the Lost Ark." This text from 2 Samuel 6 contains a rich story about the ark and how King David moved the ark into Jerusalem for the first time. In this text we learn about worship, our posture in worship, and how we can be the best leaders. The key is being a leader that KNOWS who the real leader actually is. Are we imposters or imitators of God?

How does your story define your own life, values, or leadership? This episode takes a look at what Dr. Walter Fluker calls "Ethical Leadership." It is about how leadership is grounded in one's own story. In this week's reading, we find King David consolidating his leadership over all 12 tribes of Israel. How will he keep his own ethics as a leader? The person of David and the place of Jerusalem take center stage as the newly minted King begins his reign.