White Rock UMC

In week two of Prologue, Rev. Mitchell Boone continued to elaborate on the power of story, this week using Jesus' healing of a blind man in John 9. Mitchell shared that much of our focus for the series of Unfold is around asking better questions rather than providing specific answers. He invited us to tap into our imagination as we heard this story in John 9. And made us ponder the relationship of time in this story specifically. 

This sermon is one of many resources available as we continue to tell our collective story as a community. Find more resources on our website here. 

Also, we want to hear your reflection on this week's sermon. You can share your favorite quotes, ideas, questions, or general reflections here. 

In this week's episode of The Day After Sunday, Rebecca and Phil take a look back at week 2 of "Prologue." These last two weeks have been the set up weeks before we enter into the fullness of our series Unfold. We continue to reflect on the power of story, this week specifically through John 9. They reflect on Mitchell's questions posed during his sermon: 1. What does Jesus look like in this story? 2. What does Jesus sound like? 3. What is Jesus demeanor? Questions that invite us beyond the intellect and into the imagination. Imagination was a theme that ran through out worship yesterday. 

As always, we welcome your questions regarding the "why behind the worship." Send us your questions at [email protected].

Find all our resources for the Unfold series here. 

For this week's Sunday Sit Down, Rev. Phil Dieke was joined by Kristi (Torkildson) Waddell, a Dallas based author. Kristi shared her perspective on the value of story telling, what makes for a good story, and where she draws her inspiration from.

Let us know what inspires you in your story telling. Email us at [email protected].

Find all of our resources for our Unfold series here. 

On Sunday we kicked off the Prologue for our yearlong series "Unfold: A Year of Discovering Story." In this first sermon Rev. Mitchell Boone invited us to explore the power of story through the lens of Zacchaeus in Luke 19.

Let us know your thoughts about this week's sermon and be sure to check out www.wrumc.com for all our Unfold resources, and to request a journal if you have yet to receive one.

This Sunday will be week 2 or our Prologue, join us live beginning at 10:30am CST:

In this week's episode Rebecca and Phil reflect on the power of story and why they are excited to enter into this year long series "Unfold: A Year of Discovery Story." They share the benefits and woes of being back to online only for worship, discuss the role characters play in story, and spend some time talking about Zacchaeus from Luke 19.

Let us know your questions regarding the "Why behind the worship." You can email us at [email protected].

Also, if you have yet to receive your Unfold journal, you can request one at www.wrumc.com

In this week's Sunday Sit Down, Rev. Phil Dieke was joined by Gabrielle Schonder, Emmy Award winner from PBS Frontline and current Fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.   

As WRUMC enters into a yearlong series "Unfold: A Year of Discovering Story," Gabrielle and Phil discuss the role characters plays in a compelling story and who the characters are in the unfolding stories of our lives.

Note, if you haven't seen Disney's Encanto, you may feel shamed by Phil excessively insisting to watch this movie. 

In this month's Church and Society conversation Rev. Phil Dieke was joined by Rev. Edlen Cowley, Rev. Silvia Wang, and Rev. Joshua Manning to discuss the North Texas Conference's Journey Toward Racial Justice (JTRJ). They share the history, pilot program, and current state of this movement within the Conference. 

To find out more about the JTRJ visit the website here. To get involved email Rev. Silvia Wang ([email protected]).

You can watch this episode and previous episodes on our YouTube Playlist here.

There's just something about a wedding...

In this week's sermon Rev. Phil Dieke shared his love for weddings, Jesus' first sign/miracle that took place at a wedding (as reported in John chapter 2), and the role of Jesus' mother in this first sign/miracle. Turns out, God is here for the party! 

Note: there is a lot of talk about wine in this sermon. Phil also highlights the recovery ministry at WRUMC. You can find that information at www.wrumc.org/recovery. 

Let us know your thoughts on this week's sermon or if you have any questions/comments email us at [email protected].

In this week's (the day after) The Day After Sunday, Rebecca and Phill discuss a "one-off" week of worship - a Sunday that is not tied to a specific worship series. The focus of this "one-off" was the Wedding at Cana text found in John 2:1-11. Phil preached on this text, thus he shared some of his process of preaching preparation, specifically for this text and why he loves weddings. 

They also spent time discuss the irony of preaching a sermon about Jesus turning water into wine in a sermon, in a United Methodist Church, where we are not allowed to have wine on church grounds. They also touch briefly on the value of recovery ministry which you can learn more about here.

There was also a bit of a "yo-yo effect" in worship on Sunday. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Rebecca and Phil talk about how that wasn't fully intentional, and yet it seemed to fit the sentiment given all that is taking place in the world.

Note: The Philip Glass piece that Faron played will be shared on our social media. Find us on Facebook or Instagram to listen to the minimalism. 

As always, we want to hear from you. You can submit your questions for the "why behind the worship," by emailing us at [email protected].

In today's Sit Down, Rev. Phil Dieke was joined by Rev. Virzola Law, Senior Minister at Northway Christian Church, and Rev. Collin Packer, Director of Faith Based Partnerships at CitySquare. Together, they serve as the co-chairs of the Task Force for Racial Equity and Justice at Faith Forward Dallas. In this conversation they talk about the history of racism in Dallas, the long process toward racial equity, the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., and how you can get involved in the work, starting with a 21 day challenged. 

To find out more about Faith Forward Dallas, visit their website here: