West End UMC Podcast Audio Podcast

Living Love – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, today, with a passage from 1 John where the author writes that people ought to love one another because love is from God. Carol begins with a story of a preacher friend who, after a service, received a complaint from a parishioner that all the preacher preaches about is love. Carol then reminds us that Jesus, when asked about the most important commandment, replied that the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Carol goes on to cite other places in scripture, including situations in Israel’s history and in the stories of Jesus, that highlight God’s love for us and that we should live our lives shaped by love. She points out the Greek word that begins the passage we read in 1 John and is translated “Beloved” to whom the letter is addressed. The message is that because we are loved by God, we should love everyone else. We need one another and church to help us figure out how we should love others.

Living Stones – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, today, with a passage from 1 Peter in which the writer tells the believers that they are living stones. The writer goes on to see them as cornerstones upon which structures are built. The images of rock in this letter of 1 Peter are reflections of many such images in the Hebrew scriptures. The audience for this letter is people who live in the domination of the Roman empire when structures were built to show the strength of the empire, so the cornerstone that was Jesus was rejected in that context. Carol tells of her childhood experience with a large rock through which she felt close to God. God’s love is perfect, complete, and unshakeable, so West End UMC’s first bedrock belief that God loves everyone unconditionally is a cornerstone for us upon which we build. We are called to be open to be living stones as part of God’s build on earth.

Prayers of the People – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, today, with a passage in the letter from James in which the letter writer encourages the people in the congregation to whom he is writing to pray for each other. In her sermon, Carol addresses the concept of prayer, asking us to consider what happens when we pray. She says we often ask God to do something, to heal someone, assuming our prayer will alert God’s attention and response. But God is always aware and attentive, and we do not have to convince God to love us. Prayer does not draw a direct response from God, but in our common prayer among our congregation prayer often draws us together to care for each other. We all need to share our struggles, happiness, illnesses, and to share those with each other is fundamental to our being a congregation. In our worship services we have a section called “Prayers of the People” in which one of our clergy shares some of those with everyone: births, deaths, illnesses of members of the congregation and their families. And also that prayer includes concerns for others outside our congregation. When we pray to God we know we belong to God.

A Whole Life – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, today, with a passage from Hebrews, which we began last week. Today is also World Communion Sunday, and there is much in our services today that focuses on our relationships with others. In her Communion Meditation Carol reminds us that Hebrews is more a sermon to a congregation than a letter, and we don’t know who wrote it. She says that chapter 13, from which we read today, is much like announcements to the congregation, of which there are four. The first is to love one another and also the stranger. The second is to remember those in prison as if we are one of them. The third is to honor marriage and the marriage bed. The fourth is to avoid the love of money and thus to be content with what we have. These particular announcements are a map to a wholeness of life, not only for those to whom they were originally addressed, but for us today.

Anchored in Hope – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, today, with a passage from Hebrews. Carol points out that, unlike with the letters of Paul, scholars really don’t know who wrote this and to whom. But in reading it, it is clear that the congregation is worn and tired, and the writer is trying to encourage and re-energize them. The writer must have been a congregational leader. In that sense, reading Hebrews is good for those of us who are worn and tired, and she gives some examples of the stress and problems some of us suffer today. The writer encourages them to hold onto God’s promises and keep the faith. We, too, in reading Hebrews, are encouraged to stay anchored in hope and faith together.

In Partnership, By Community – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, currently, through the writings of the apostle Paul, with today’s reading from Philemon, a letter in which Paul addresses a younger colleague. Also, this is College Sunday, and the liturgists and preacher in both services are college students, most of whom are in the Vandy Wesley group that is hosted by our church. Preaching today is Amber Lewis, a sophomore at Vanderbilt. She begins by citing the Hebrew word, “shalom,” which can mean peace and wholeness. She describes life as a college student as demanding, and thus at times an experience of scarcity rather than shalom. Most people experience scarcity: some experience scarcity of time, focus, or even of food, jobs, housing. But scarcity can be overcome by partnership. We can be agents of Jesus by partnering with others who experience scarcity. Paul’s description of partnership includes love at the core.

Fan the Flame – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, currently, through the writings of the apostle Paul, with today’s reading from 2 Timothy, a letter in which Paul addresses Timothy, whom Paul had commissioned to help in ministry. Carol begins by talking about “burnout,” a term that applies to many people today who are feeling overwhelmed by their job or by family crises. And perhaps this is what Timothy was experiencing, and Paul, writing from prison, was hoping to rekindle the flame in Timothy, reminding him of the gifts of the love and power of the Holy Spirit within him. Likewise, when we experience burnout, we must remember that God is within us through the Holy Spirit, and we should fan that flame.

Labor of Love – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, currently, through the writings of the apostle Paul, with today’s reading from 1 Thessalonians. Today is also Communion Sunday. Paul’s letters in the New Testament are arranged in order of their length, and, historically, 1 Thessalonians was likely the first of Paul’s letters that were written, so in it we get the earliest glimpse of the spread of Christianity. It emphasizes that those believers are known for their love, but they are suffering some persecution. Also, they anticipate that Christ will return at any moment, but since that coming has not yet happened, there are mixed feelings and anxieties. Paul encourages them to keep the faith and manifest the vision of what is expected when Christ returns – keep working and exhibit love. In our lifetime we will celebrate the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection, and, like the Thessalonians, we experience much that is not the kingdom of God, but Paul cautions us not to fall into hopelessness but to live being deeply involved in spreading the love of God. On Labor Day weekend, we are called to work to extend God’s love. Our work matters to God.

Scripture Reflections – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, currently, through the writings of the apostle Paul, with today’s reading from Timothy 4. Today is Children’s Sabbath, which has become an annual tradition at West End UMC. There are children who are the liturgists and deliver the commentary on the scripture (i.e., the sermon), and children’s choirs participate, and Bibles are given to three-year-olds and third graders. In their reflections on the Timothy passage Henry Anderson and Virginia McMillan both say that Paul is telling Timothy that just because he is young doesn’t mean he can’t be of value and teach and lead others, a crucial lesson for children and youth today. Paul encourages Timothy not to neglect his gifts, and that is important for us to acknowledge for ourselves.

Lead Courageously – We continue our walk through the New Testament and, currently, through the writings of the apostle Paul, with today’s reading from Colossians 1. The United Methodist Council of Bishops’ created a new vision statement in May of 2025 (appearing on today’s bulletin cover), and in three Sundays we have been exploring the three features of the United Methodist Church’s Vision Statement, today focusing on “Lead Courageously.” Carol begins by recalling memories of Davis Kidd Bookstore in Nashville where one could explore books for sale that were on shelves by topic, one of which was a section on leadership. Most of them concerned corporate leadership and such, but in Paul’s writing and in the words of the United Methodist vision statement, the concept of leadership pulls normal people (disciples) to emulate Jesus. Carol then talks about her recent trip to Ireland and cites many things about the historic war in Northern Ireland, reminding us of that conflict, but also citing specific individuals and groups who worked as Jesus would have done to plant the seeds of peace, all evidence that God can use ordinary people like us to lead courageously as we build peace and reconciliation by following Jesus.