In a world shaken by tragedy, how do we hold on to hope and live as people of the kin-dom? In this week’s message from Luke 14:1, 7–14, Rev. Alicia Velez Stewart reflects on a dinner party with high stakes, the social games of Jesus’ time, and the radical reversal of God’s table. With honesty about grief, challenge for the status quo, and a reminder that death never has the last word, this sermon calls us to be bearers of light in the shadows.

Step into the shoes of the bent-over woman from Luke 13, hearing her story of unexpected healing and liberation at the hands of Jesus. Together, we explore how this act of compassion became a public act of resistance, revealing a love that refuses to wait when someone is suffering. Rooted in both pastoral care and prophetic challenge, this reflection invites us to live out disruptive compassion in our own communities today.

On today’s episode of Momologian, we wrestle with one of Jesus’ hardest sayings: “I came to cast fire upon the earth.” Far from words of despair, this fire is a refining call to confront injustice, resist false peace, and stand with the marginalized.

Jesus reminds us that true spiritual wealth is found not in possessions, but in generosity, watchfulness, and a life oriented toward justice and love. In today’s world of fear and distraction, we are invited to live awake and alert to God’s kingdom already among us.

This week’s message invites us to move from fear and self-protection toward deeper trust in God and connection with others. Hear Rev A speak to the parable of the rich fool, how it is a story about the illusion of self-sufficiency and calls us to live generously and courageously, building community rather than storing up for ourselves.

Jesus’ response to the disciples’ simple yet profound request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Through the Lord’s Prayer, we discover more than a set of words—we find a communal rhythm for intentional living.

It’s been a quiet few weeks here on the podcast, and that’s because I’ve been in the midst of a big transition—moving to my new appointment as pastor of Brunswick United Methodist Church in Brunswick, Maine. Today, I’m excited to share my very first sermon in this new season of ministry. We’re diving into a familiar and maybe slightly frustrating moment from the Gospel of Luke—Jesus’ visit with Mary and Martha. If you’ve ever felt torn between doing all the things and just being present, this one’s for you.

In this heartfelt message, Rev. A shares her last Sunday as pastor at Weston United Methodist Church in Weston, MA, and reflects on leading the congregation through seasons of healing, transformation, and radical welcome. Join Rev. Alicia as she closes one chapter and opens the next—with gratitude, love, and hope that the gospel continues to unfold through all of us.

Rev. Alicia reflects on Romans 5:1–5 through a feminist, progressive, Wesleyan lens—exploring how the Trinity models a sacred connection that can help us endure and thrive in the midst of chaos. This is not a theology of suffering as divine test, but a bold claim that grace meets us in hard places, that hope rises through shared struggle, and that God’s love—poured into our hearts by the Spirit—sustains us for justice, healing, and joy.

“Blow, Spirit — WHOA!”—a bold, prophetic call to embrace the wild, disruptive movement of the Holy Spirit. Drawing on Acts 2 and the strangeness of the early Jesus movement, this sermon challenges the Church today—especially the United Methodist Church—to stop hiding in upper rooms and start living as Pentecost people.