Hyde Park United Methodist

Like many of the parables of Jesus, the story of the Prodigal Son is a study in contrast, between the waywardness of the younger son and the extravagant love of God. Embodying that contrast is the light and shadow that comes from beautiful stained glass, like the stunning windows of Cathedrale Saint-Etienne in Bourges, France. Its depiction of the parable of the prodigal is not only rich in imagery; it also renders imaginative aspects of the story as a way of inviting the viewer to see themselves in the narrative. For all the soulful repentance that Lent prompts, it is good to remember that ultimately, God is there to welcome us, hold us, and forgive us.   

Reflection Questions: 
1. What rooms of your past remain closed, waiting for God’s healing light?
2. Where are you chasing fulfillment outward instead of returning inward to God?
3. How might God expand the living space of your heart today?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In week three of Visio Divina, Pastor Justin LaRosa reflects on the story of Lazarus in John’s Gospel through Caravaggio’s powerful painting The Raising of Lazarus. The scene is full of shadow, grief, and tension, reminding us that resurrection often begins in the middle of pain, not after it disappears. Jesus meets Martha in protest, Mary in tears, and stands before the tomb calling Lazarus by name. This story asks what resurrection looks like in our lives right now. God does the raising, and the community helps unbind us as we step into the light.

Reflection Questions:
1. Share an experience when you had a Mary/Martha moment.
2. What protects you from pain/suffering but also prevents Jesus from entering?
3. Where might God be inviting you to help unbind someone else?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This first miracle by Jesus, recorded in John’s gospel, may seem like an odd insertion into the Lenten journey. But it is the moment when Jesus made his public debut as not just a stirring teacher, but as a miraculous healer who was concerned about the wellbeing of others. His response to his mother that his “hour has not yet come” is a foretelling of his crucifixion and resurrection, when he would be poured out as blood and water for the salvation of others. In that way, the turning of water into wine is a kind of foreshadowing of his ultimate miracle. The Renaissance painter Veronese renders this story in vivid detail, both immersing the viewer in the story and expanding the hospitality of God to others.  

Reflection Questions:
1. When have you been to a family gathering where things didn’t turn out as hoped? 
2. How is God calling you to “widen the table” and make room for people to experience God’s love? 
3. How are you a character in the story of the wedding at Cana?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this full-cut Visio Divina conversation, Magrey deVega and Dr. Rose Trentinella explore Tintoretto’s depiction of the Wedding at Cana. Originally created for a monastery dining hall, the artwork was meant to surround viewers as they shared their own meals. Even more compelling, art historians believe Tintoretto may have painted himself into the scene—not looking out at us, but participating in the feast. What does it mean for an artist to place himself inside the miracle? And what might it mean for us, as we practice a slower, more attentive way of seeing? This conversation invites us to consider what we notice and where we find ourselves within the story.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

The most famous fresco in the history of western art is in the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo. It depicts the stirring moment when God created humans, with God and Adam, arms outstretched, making contact. Just as moving is the stunning entryway doors to the Baptistery of St. John in Florence, Italy by Giberti, which depics the story of creation in incredible, gilded detail. The creation story is a fitting starting point in our Lenten journey, reminding us of our inherent nature as made in the image of God, and calling us to return to a full reflection of God’s character, as we reach out and touch the divine.   

Reflection Questions:
1. How might you begin to read the Bible with multiple physical senses? 
2. When has a work of art opened your eyes to wonder? 
3. How do these two works of art give you deeper appreciation for the creation story? 

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this full-cut interview from our Visio Divina Lenten series, Magrey deVega sits down with Dr. Rose Trentinella from the University of Tampa to explore two extraordinary works of Renaissance art: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise.” From Michelangelo’s reluctant frustration at being forced to paint instead of sculpt, to the astonishing technical precision of fresco on a curved vault seventy feet overhead, this conversation uncovers the human struggle behind legendary genius. Then, turning to Florence’s gilded bronze baptistry doors, they examine the innovation, symbolism, and hidden details—down to tiny lizards no one on the ground would ever see—that reveal the mind of an artist working at the height of his craft. It’s a deeper look at calling, creativity, and the tension between assignment and passion.

Special thanks to Dr. Trentinella, the Ferman family, and the University of Tampa. 

Find out more and watch the full sermon at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this final episode of Beyond the Sermon for the "Say Less" series, Justin LaRosa and Mat Hotho reflect on what it really looks like to listen for God’s will. The conversation explores centering prayer, silence, counseling, spiritual direction, and the courage it takes to say no to good things in order to say yes to what truly aligns with how God has wired you. Along the way, they wrestle with anxiety, alignment, repentance, and the slow work of recognizing God’s voice in the rearview mirror of life.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Revelation may seem like an odd choice to include in a series on listening, but the oracle is founded on a witness from John to Christians who needed to listen better. Beginning with the indictments to the seven churches, the book is filled with words of comfort and courage to people under distress. When we learn to “silence all voices but God’s voice,” (Henri Nouwen) we can learn to hear God’s will for us to move forward with conviction.   

Reflection Questions:
1. Where in your life right now do you most need discernment — and what makes that situation hard to navigate?
2. When you’re making decisions, what practices actually help you listen for God, and what has that looked like in real life?
3. Jesus warned about being “lukewarm.” Where do you notice spiritual complacency in yourself or our culture — and what might wholehearted faith (zeal and repentance) look like instead?

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat Hotho sits down with Bishop Will Willimon to unpack what it really means to listen to a sermon. Their conversation explores the difference between reading Scripture and preaching it, why sermons are meant to address us personally, and how the preached word moves faith from information to enlistment. Bishop Willimon reflects on decades of preaching, the discomfort and resistance Jesus often provokes, and why following Christ was never meant to be easy, safe, or merely “interesting.” Along the way, they wrestle with discipleship, courage, and what it means to belong to a kingdom larger than any nation or political project.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This Sunday, we are joined by Bishop Will Willimon as he reflects on Jesus’ first sermon in Luke 4 and what happens when God speaks a word we didn’t come to hear. Willimon explores why preaching is so difficult to listen to, not because sermons are long or abstract, but because the true preacher is Christ himself. Drawing on personal stories from the pulpit and moments when sermons provoke discomfort rather than comfort, this message invites us to listen bravely, expecting to encounter the risen Jesus who still speaks truthfully, sometimes painfully, and always out of love.

Reflection Questions: 
1. In what ways do you listen to sermons seeking comfort, and how open are you to Jesus challenging and changing you, even when it feels uncomfortable?
2. Where do you resist the idea that God might be at work among people or places you least expect or prefer?
3. When have you realized that Jesus spoke to you through a sermon in a way the preacher never intended? How did it change you?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps