Hyde Park United Methodist

The character Nostalgia does not get much screen time in the film Inside Out 2, but it is a significant and regular aspect of our personality and emotional makeup. The capacity to remember the past with fondness can be a gift. Indeed, the Bible is filled with numerous commands to remember what God has done, and to celebrate the faithfulness of our ancestors. At the same time, like all emotions, nostalgia can also be a detriment, if taken to an extreme. When we fail to live fully into the present or fail to have creative and hopeful imagination about the future, then we are unduly anchored in what was, rather than what can be.  

Reflection Questions:
1. What makes you feel nostalgic, and what past moments does it make you remember?
2. How will you learn from both the good and bad memories of your past?
3. What is your inner child telling you? What do you want to tell them?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

“Anxiety” is the newest character addition to the Inside Out films and is the one that most resonated with people who viewed it. Throughout the Bible, people exhibited worry, from the Israelites wandering in the wilderness to the disciples who followed Jesus. But even though worry is a natural human emotion, it does not need to define our experience. We can, in the words of Jesus in Matthew, exchange our burdens with that of Jesus, whose yoke is easier.

Reflection Questions:
1. When was the last time you felt anxious but didn’t name it out loud? What changed—or could have changed—if you had?
2. What’s one practice (spiritual or practical) that helps you feel grounded when anxiety hits?
3. Who in your life could use a safe listener right now? And how can you be present for them without trying to fix it?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Go behind the scenes of a powerful moment from our recent event with psychologist Dr. Erica Clarke. In her talk "Decoding Your Emotions," she unpacks how understanding our feelings can lead to healthier relationships, stronger self-awareness, and a more grounded life. She reminds us that no emotion is inherently bad — each one has a purpose, and we can learn to bring them into balance instead of letting them take over.

📄 View the full PDF handout from Dr. Clark:
https://hydeparkumc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/mhotho_hydeparkumc_org/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fmhotho%5Fhydeparkumc%5Forg%2FDocuments%2FQuickDisk%2FDecodingYourEmotions%2FDecoding%20Emotions%20Deck%20notes%2Epdf

https://hydeparkumc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/mhotho_hydeparkumc_org/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fmhotho%5Fhydeparkumc%5Forg%2FDocuments%2FQuickDisk%2FDecodingYourEmotions%2FDecoding%20Emotions%20Deck%20notes%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fmhotho%5Fhydeparkumc%5Forg%2FDocuments%2FQuickDisk%2FDecodingYourEmotions&ct=1747609022613&or=Teams%2DHL&ga=1&LOF=1


Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

What do you do when something makes you angry—not just annoyed, but deep-in-your-body angry? In this week’s episode, Justin and Mat unpack what it means to recognize and work through our anger without letting it consume us. Mat shares a real-life situation that stirred up frustration, anxiety, and powerlessness, and Justin walks through a spiritual inventory tool that helps name the source of anger, what it’s touching in us, and what role we might unknowingly play in keeping it alive.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

What if anger isn’t the issue, but how we channel it? Anger itself isn’t sinful. The key is being angry at the right things and directing it toward positive action, just as Jesus and the Bible show us. 

Reflection Questions:

1. When you think about a time you felt deeply angry, what was the source of that anger—was it rooted in love and justice, or ego and fear? How can you tell the difference?
2. How has anger shaped—or distorted—your relationships, either through denial, repression, or explosion? What would it look like to let love, rather than anger, have the final word?
3. Jesus responded to anger with purposeful, holy action. What might it look like for you to “acknowledge, analyze, invite, and act” in a current or recent situation where you’ve felt anger?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This week, Pastor Magrey deVega and Mat Hotho open up about their personal experiences growing up with emotions like fear, sadness, and anxiety. From emotional suppression to learning how to feel and express emotions in a healthy way, this episode dives deep into why our feelings matter — and how they can actually help us connect, grow, and heal. Plus: a powerful story about proud tears on a soccer field, a Ted Lasso moment, and real-life tools for staying grounded when anxiety hits.

FInd out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

What if grief is not something to escape but something to navigate? Grief is the shadow side of love—we only grieve what we have loved. Avoiding grief means avoiding attachment, which is not an option in the human experience. The question isn’t how to minimize grief but how to move through it in a healthy way.

Reflection Questions:

1. When are you most prone to experiencing sadness? Fear?

2. In what ways can sadness and fear be beneficial? Detrimental?

3. How will you learn to name sadness and fear, and express them in a healthy way?  

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this joyful episode of Beyond the Sermon, Pastor Magrey deVega and Mat Hotho celebrate Holy Humor Sunday, a tradition rooted in the idea that Easter is God's ultimate "gotcha" moment against evil. They kick off a new series on emotions by diving into joy — and sharing some hilarious faith-based memes along the way. From Spongebob and St. Paul to a Smokey Bear Bible story and a nod to the eternal "Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?" debate, this episode reminds us that laughter belongs in faith, too. Join us as we find the sacred in the silly and embrace joy together.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

What if joy isn’t about circumstances but about strength? True joy is anchored in the unwavering truth that God is our strength, no matter what we face. 

Reflection Questions:
1. What does it mean for you to have healthy emotions?  
2. How can you experience joy amid hardship?
3. What do you think it means to believe that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In the most personal and poignant resurrection encounter in the gospels, Jesus appeared to Mary in the garden and revealed himself once he spoke aloud her name. The work of resurrection in us begins with recognizing our identity in Christ as a child of God, and then seeking to affirm the personhood of others who feel lost in their own grief and despair.  

Reflection Questions:
1. Why do you think Mary didn’t recognize the resurrected Jesus?  
2. In what ways do you live out of your false self?
3. How can you allow God to help you rediscover and reveal your true self?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps