Mark Lowry wrote a poem in 1984 to be used in a Christmas play at his church. Music was added in the early 90’s and a Christmas classic was born. The song asks Mary if she knew what her newborn baby would accomplish in life. Well, according to Luke’s Gospel, she did know. She expressed her knowledge when visiting her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist (see Luke 1:39-56).

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Our Scriptures for this Second Sunday of Advent are Isaiah 7:14-16, Psalm 80:1-7, and Luke 1:26-38. The candle representing peace is lit in the Advent wreath and takes its place with the candle of hope that was lit last week. Our theme this week is the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel. In a week when we have heard another reason to fear with the Michigan school shooting...

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Happy New Year, Church! Today is the first Sunday in Advent, marking the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Messiah. Today, we introduce you to the season and a new series based upon Advent entitled Come Home for Christmas. When we think of Christmas/Advent, we don’t usually think of an apocalyptic text. Yet, that is what we find in the Gospel...

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Our Scripture this morning is John 18:33-38. We find Jesus face to face with Pilate, the Roman Governor. Pilate has found no reason to hold this man, much less sentence him to death by crucifixion. Pilate asks Jesus if he is King of the Jews, Jesus replies that his kingdom is not of this world. They spar verbally and Pilate finally asks Jesus, “what is truth?” And that is our question for the day...

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Our text this morning is Mark 13:1-8. Jesus informs the disciples that the Temple that they are admiring will be destroyed… not one stone will be left. And he was right. The Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. Jesus also goes on to remind them that while there will be wars and disasters, no one should interpret them as a harbinger of the end of time. “No one knows, except the Father...

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Join us as we start a new series this morning: A Life That Matters. Our scripture this morning is Mark 12:38-44. It tells the story of the widow who gave everything that she had as an offering to the God. Some consider this to be an example of stewardship. Pastor Wayne contends it to be an act of commitment that she is all in when it comes to trusting God. One question for us this morning: Are we...

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This morning we look at Revelation 21:1-6. As we observe All Saints Day, we remember those saints who passed from the church militant to the Church Triumphant over the past year. The post All Saints 2021 appeared first on McFarland UMC.

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This morning, we end this three part series on the General Rules of the Methodist Societies, Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living. This series is based upon the book with the same title by Bishop Reuben Job, a former editor of The Upper Room devotional. The rules are: Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God (or, I prefer, practice the spiritual disciplines). This morning...

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In the mid-eighteenth century, a reform movement in the Church of England was making great headway. In fact, many historians believe that this reform movement helped prevent in England the violent revolts against royalty that occurred in the rest of Europe during that period. This movement led by John and Charles Wesley emphasized both works and personal piety. Welcome to part 2 of this 3 part...

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There was a very successful reform movement to the Church of England in the eighteenth century. It was founded by a quirky priest named John Wesley. This movement required accountability to a faith that was active. This movement eventually became a church in North America, the Methodist Episcopal Church. The General Rules of the Methodist Societies served as the core of this movement. They are: Do...

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