Hyde Park United Methodist

In one wonderful, glory-filled instant, the shepherds went from lowly, overlooked citizens to ambassadors of good news and great joy. The Christmas story from Luke 2 reminds us that God sees more in us than we might see in ourselves, and empowers us to make a big difference for the kingdom. How might we as a church communicate the good news of Jesus? How might we reach out in invitation and love to those we know, to experience the love of God born at Christmas?

Step into Mary's story through this dramatic reflection on the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. From the appearance of the angel Gabriel to sitting alone after Jesus' death and resurrection, reflect with us on the meaning of Jesus' life through the eyes of his mother's love.

The story of Zechariah—and his song in Luke 1:67-80—pray for a coming time of peace, when God will send a savior to the Israelites. This Christmas season it can be hard to feel at peace with all the to-dos and the busyness that comes with the season. Find out ways to discover peace this season.

John the Baptist arrives in the Christmas story as one of the most unexpected guests. He's a nomad—a wandering prophet—telling people to repent and to straighten out their paths. It's bizarre! But what might this have to teach us about how to structure our preparation for the birth of Jesus this Advent? What can we learn from John about confession and about repentance? And how can that make Christmas more meaningful?

The opening of Paul’s letter to the church in Collossae offers a grand, sweeping vision of the majesty and supremacy of Jesus Christ. It is a comprehensive view of Christ’s lordship, encompassing not just the personal, but the communal and cosmic as well. On this Christ the King Sunday, we acknowledge that Jesus seeks to be lord of more than just our individual lives, but also seeks to right the systemic injustices of our community, heal the broken divisions within the body of Christ, and offer salvation and grace to the whole world. The title of the sermon “Christ at the Center” echoes the first and foremost core value of our church, and reminds us that if Christ is not at the center of our lives, then nothing else matters.

We know these are tough times for a lot of people. Many families are living with economic uncertainty. Affordable housing is hard to come by, and the “poor we have always among us,” as Jesus said. But such times are not new to the people of God, who throughout history have been called to focus less on their own needs and more on making an impact through their generosity and love.

 This Sunday is Commitment Sunday, in which we give in gratitude for God’s goodness and in celebration of the impact of this church. But most importantly, it is a commitment to living beyond focusing on our own needs, so that we can be the hope that God is calling us to give to the world.

This is All Saints’ Sunday, traditionally the first Sunday of November, in which we join with Christians around the world in remembering the life, legacy, and impact of the saints who have gone before us. This text from Ephesians comes from the lectionary, and Paul reminds us of the blessed privilege it is to be a follower of Jesus. In Christ, we have been given a glorious inheritance of God’s love and grace, which has been handed down to us from our spiritual ancestors. It is now our turn to exhibit that same faithfulness, so that we can both experience and share the hope of God with the world.

In this moving passage from 1 Chronicles, David leads the Israelites through the power of his own generous example. God called the people to gather together the materials necessary for the building of the grand Temple, which David’s son Solomon would be entrusted to construct. The lavish, ornate materials necessary to build the Temple would come from the Israelites themselves. In other words, the Israelites already had all that was necessary to build the Temple; they just needed to surrender it over to God in an act of generosity.

God is calling our church to do amazing and mighty things in the future. What is amazing is that God has already given this church the means to accomplish our calling. It is simply in the wallets and hands of our people, awaiting an obedient and generous offering of our resources over to God. We have everything we need. We just need to give it to God.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians offered practical guidance on how to live in peace and harmony despite the cultural forces that would pull the apart. The instructions build to the fifth and final chapter, in which Paul boldly and plainly asserts that each Christian can play a role in building the kingdom simply by watching their own behavior: avoid the desires of the flesh, and live out the fruit of the spirit. 

We remember that whenever the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament, it is never solely for the benefit of an individual; it is always for the benefit of the community. The fruit of the spirit – and specifically, generosity – is always for the purpose of building each other up and extending the reach of God’s love to more people.

The work of missions is tiring, difficult work at times. You may feel exhausted and worn out, in need of encouragement. Or maybe you are wondering what God has called you to do in the world. Derrick Scott from Campus City to Wesley in Jacksonville, FL encourages us to embody the Holy Spirit, practice repentance, and live into our ordination as people called to serve God.