Preacher: Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 9:28-45

This week, Luke takes us to a mountaintop where Peter, James, and John witness a sight that fills them with awe and wonder as Jesus's appearance is completely changed before he is joined by Moses and Elijah. The disciples then hear God beckoning them to listen to Jesus. It's an awe-filled story that beckons us to ponder how we might allow Jesus to awe us in similar ways that could impact everything.

Preacher: Rev. Laura Kigweba || Director of Grassroots Organizing at the General Board of Church and Society

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

People resist change because they are afraid of what it will cost them. This winter, we are exploring passages in which switches in posture, understanding, proximity, and power produce transformation that fills some people with fear and others with delight.

This week we will continue our current worship series as we welcome Rev. Laura Kigweba, Director of Grassroots Organizing at the UMC General Board of Church and Society, as our guest preacher.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 7:18-35

This week's Gospel lesson highlights questions around Jesus' identity. Is he the long-awaited Messiah? Or should people continue to wait for one who is more powerful to come? The questions demand more than a simple "yes" or "no" response; these questions beckon us to ponder who Jesus is, and what our answer requires from us. Do our lives point to the truth we profess? Or would it be better for people to wait for a more compelling power to guide how we live, move, and have our being?

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 7:1-17

This week's Gospel lesson includes two miracle stories: the healing of a centurion's slave and the raising of a widow's only son. While the two stories highlight Jesus' power to heal, they also reveal the limited power of the Empire and the unlimited power of compassion in ways that can bring abundant hope for the facing of these days.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol , Pastor

Scripture: Luke 6:1-16

The scribes and Pharisees read the same religious text, pray to the same God, and gather in the same synagogue. But when a real need is placed before them, they get tripped up over the established norms or beliefs and fail to embody the compassion demanded by the law and the prophets. How might we avoid their mistake, choosing instead to look at all of life through the lens of God's love?

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Psalm 90:14-17 & Luke 5:1-11

Can you think of a time when fear prevented you from switching from where you are to where you want to be? When has fear held you back? When have you moved past your fear and discovered that whatever costs were involved in making a change were more than worth the investment? You’re invited to join us as we ponder how the switches we make in our lives to more faithfully follow Jesus have the power to bring about real and radical transformation.

Preaacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scripture: Luke 4:14-21

In Luke 4, Jesus returns to his hometown synagogue and stands to read from the prophet Isaiah before proclaiming how the scripture has been fulfilled in their midst--today. It is a powerful proclamation of people being set free. In this message, Pastor Donna explores what an embodiment of this text might look like, alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. calling the church into this critically important work in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:10-17, 21-22

How might we fully claim our belovedness, standing firm on the belief that we are the source of God’s joy? How might this truth impact how we treat all of creation? And how might this central aspect of our identity be the reason we can rejoice--no matter what?

Join us on this week as we ponder these questions before being invited to explore several prayer stations designed to help us remember our baptism and claim our belovedness.

Preacher: Grace Rogers, Howard and Mary Martin Ministry Intern

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12

This week we speak on the story of those three magi that were there the day Jesus was born in that manger, and the faith they had to stay the course and follow faith. Hoping and believing that there is something better, more promising, more real, just by faith alone. This is something we should practice in our lives, continuing to believe that God has a plan for us, and through faith and will, we will see it to happen.

Preacher: Carie Dupree, Candidate for Ordained Ministry

Scripture: Luke 2:21-38

As new parents to Jesus, Mary and Joseph could feel weary for what lies ahead, but perhaps these sacred rituals—and those who bear witness to them—bolster them and give them courage for the journey. How do our sacred rituals root us and help us live into new chapters with courage?