White Rock UMC

Neil Moseley, former staffer at White Rock UMC, sat down with me to talk about his favorite Christmas traditions, how his traditions have changed since he has been married and now has kids, and ultimately those traditions, or aspects of the holidays, he's not so fond of. 

Spoiler: This whole "Christmas Card" tradition is really called into question. Where did this tradition come form anyway? 

It's always a pleasure having Neil join us. Also, my ugly sweater for this week is "prehistoric"! You can watch the video version of this, and every, episode on our YouTube Channel:

Mitchell continued our Advent Series - Joy in the Darkness - by preaching from Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55). Mitchell calls attention to the absurdity of Advent, while recognizing Mary as a prophet who turns the systems upside down as she embraces her blessedness. 

If you missed this week's worship service, you can find it on our YouTube channel:

Mitchell and Phil talk about about the second week of Advent and the absurdity of Advent in general, but especially this year. They also discuss the struggle it is to "celebrate" Advent when we can't engage in our traditional rituals in the way we are used to.

We all know this is a challenging year, and the holidays are no exception to that challenge. We want to know, how are you making the most of your Advent journey this year? 

We continue talking about holiday traditions and our Christmas favorites. Today, the father-son duo of Keith and Mitchell joined the Sit Down to discuss the traditions that have been passed from one generation to the next in the Boone Family. At the end we start discussing Neon lights, so if you live in Casa Linda, get ready for some Christmas neon!

If you are looking to dive deeper or connect with others this Advent season, check out www.wrumc.org/events for all the opportunities. 

Wishing you all a blessed Advent journey.

Rev. Mitchell Boone kicks off Advent with this sermon that takes a different perspective on darkness. He preaches from Matthew 2:1-10 as he explores all the benefits of darkness, the good that comes from darkness, and the pregnant potential that awaits in darkness. 

Advent is, indeed, a time of waiting. As we journey through Advent in this strange year of 2020, what are you waiting for?

Mitchell, Rebecca, and Phil reflect on the beginning of our Advent series: Joy in the Darkness.   

We spend a lot of time talking about darkness and reference Barbara Brown Taylor's book "Learning to Walk in the Dark," which we highly recommend.   

Rebecca also referenced Mary Lu Walker's song "Advent Song," as a great song you can sing with your kids during this Advent season. 

Dexter flipped the camera around (let's be honest, he spent a lot of time setting up a camera to get just the right shot), and joined me, Rev. Phil Dieke, to kick off Advent.

We talked about some really heavy stuff during our last series, so we thought it would be nice to switch gears and talk about our favorite Christmas traditions. Dexter works really hard to make things happen and happen smoothly for White Rock UMC, and today we get the behind the scenes of Dexter Evans. Take a listen to hear the many things that make Dexter more than just a video, producer, and tech guru.

Mitchell wraps up "Faithful Friction: Finding Peace in Conflict," be taking a deeper look at family. He takes on a challenging text from Mark 3 (13-35), while also speaking well to self-differentiation, especially in the midst of family conflict. 

Knowing many of you are facing difficult decisions this holiday season, Mitchell addresses it head on. If you are receiving pushback from family members due to your decisions this holiday season, Mitchell reminds you, "you are in good company, as Jesus faced pushback from his family as well." 

As we wrap this series and turn to Advent, let us know what stood out to you most throughout this worship series. Conflict is challenging and typically difficult, but we can be faithful in the midst of friction and ultimately end in a better place.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving. This year's celebration will probably be different than most. Know that we are grateful for you, your presence with us in this virtual space, and your support. Grace, peace, and blessings to you and your family.

We had some tech issues. Sorry for the audio inconsistencies. 

We also wrapped up the Faithful Friction series. We acknowledged the heaviness of this series, but also how good it was... much like conflict. 

Let us know what you enjoyed most in this series. What was the most challenging? 

We wrapped up this series with Lisa Hancock joining me (Rev. Phil Dieke) one more time. 

In this episode we focus much of our attention on boundaries. Though boundaries can be viewed as selfish, Lisa argues they are actually a sign of self-care, and the best way to establish and maintain healthy relationships. She talks the practical side of boundaries, offering some great advice if you need to implement new boundaries, and also offers great advice for those who are being greeted with new (and possibly unexpected) boundaries this holiday season.

These have been heavy topics, and yet really important as we look to "find peace in conflict." 

Let us know what episode you got the most out of or what additional thoughts you'd like to explore in regard to conflict.