First United Methodist Church - DeRidder, LA

ONE OF THE MOST OVERLOOKED SOURCES OF HATEFUL BEHAVIOR is how we look at the roles each of us plays in life, and how we look at the roles others play in life.

One of the major reasons we deal with such strong negative emotions that manifest themselves in hateful actions and attitudes is we miss one of the most fundamental beliefs that Christians hold - the role of God in making us who we are because of whose we are.

In the first verses found in the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, we discover the source of all the varieties of gifts that exist in humanity - the Holy Spirit. Today, we dive into these verses to discover that it is not by our work nor our merit that we have been given our specific resources and abilities, but the grace of God alone at work by the love of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Why does this matter? Well, here are a few reasons:

When we accept that our gifts, graces, and abilities come as the result of God's grace and not our self-importance, it gives us the humility required to live a truly faithful and obedient Christian life;

When we accept that others' gifts, graces, and abilities come as the result of God's grace and nothing else, it gives us the grace required to appreciate that God works in others just as in us, and allows us to see not others, but God working through others; and,

When we accept these truths it frees us from feelings of fear and self-loathing because we embrace the reality that God loves us and has given us a specific set of gifts to use for God's glory, and the freedom to live not by the world's standards but the grace of God alone.

The second installment of our HATE: Enough is Enough worship series finds us in the midst of a few short verse from Acts 8 that give us specific inspiration with respect to how we spread love in the world, understanding that love is the exact opposite of hate. In this week's message, we also hear this series is not about finger-pointing with respect to blame or responsibility to correct hatred, but hopefully a source of inspiration to live a life in which hatred has no room to flourish.

We begin a new series this week, HATE: Enough is Enough, by drawing upon words from the apostle Paul, whose past was the embodiment of one who would be considered by many faithful at the time as one who had done so much to destroy the church that grace was far beyond him. And, yet, we see from Paul's own words how grace is transformational even in those who may not fit the right profile. Through this, we begin a series about a Christian's witness in a world that seems to trade on hate by looking at how there is not one of us who is not a recipient of God's undeserved grace and through that reality are called to extend grace to others.

Our Christmas Eve homily explores three questions:

Where Did it Go?

How Did We Miss It?

How Do We Get it Back?

What is the 'it' referred to in these questions? Listen in and find out!

In the last of our "Told Ya So!" Advent series, we hear from the prophet Micah a challenge to our preconceived notions of where to look for a savior - a question that is just as relevant now than ever before because of the many ways in which we look for an escape from reality.

We start our Advent 2018 journey, and the new Christian year, by going deep into the biblical archive to mine wisdom from the prophet Jeremiah, who was charged with the task of bringing good news to a people of hopelessness and despair, deportation and destruction. The good news the prophet brought them had nothing to do with their current situation, but pointed them to a better day to come, a day where God will make everything right. We draw on these words as a reminder to find our hope no where else but in Christ.

In the final worship service of the Christian year, wherein we observe Christ the King Sunday which points us to the promise of Christ's second coming, we draw strength from a few verses in John 18 to ask ourselves the same question Pilate asked of Jesus - "Are you a King?" Much more important than Pilate's answer is ours - is Christ our King?

We conclude our season of reflecting upon A Disciple's Path with a simple yet vital opportunity if we are to be serious about living out our calling to be disciples of Christ - now that we have looked at our vows, it is time for us to commit to ourselves, God, and one another the promise to live as faithful disciples of Christ. Drawing from the powerful imagery found in Joshua 24, we, too, must choose this day whom it is we will serve...

The newest and final vow of membership one takes, a vow to support the ministries of our church with our witness, is in some ways one that seems obvious. However, there are many times and many ways in which our witness obviously is not supporting the ministry of the church (even times when we delusional think we are) both intentionally and unintentionally. Through this vow of supporting our church through the witness of our lives, we have the opportunity to embody some wise words from John's gospel.

VETERAN'S DAY - Also included at the end of this podcast is the litany we prayed together on the 100th observance of Armistice Day, the end of World War I.