“For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you.” -1 Thessalonians 1:9a The scriptures this day invite us to connect, and they…

“…Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”  -1 Thessalonians 2:8(b) During the last week of July the FUMC Kalamazoo Youth Tribe, along with a great number of adults, came together for a week of service around the community…

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” ~Jeremiah 29: 11 -14 World Communion Sunday is a hope filled table. On the first Sunday in October, United Methodist congregations join many Christian churches across the…

Hope broadens the mind. As we enter into the second week of our “Stewards of a Hope-Filled Future” series this week, we are challenged to examine in what and whom we invest our hope, and, to allow the gospel to inspire our imaginations. As the theologian Walter Brueggemann asserts, we Christians struggle to imagine that…

“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ~Matthew 15: 22b As Jesus entered Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman presented herself as a one-person welcoming committee. She approaches him with shouting, “Have mercy on me.” She is in despair and yet, she draws near to Jesus with…

Hope is Practical. The gospel is not. When the blind man shouted out begging for Jesus’ mercy, the crowds told him to sit down and to be quiet. Against popular demand, Jesus invited the man to come to him and then asked the man, “What do you want?” Was it not obvious? He wanted to…

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~Romans 15:13 This last Sunday of the series offers a time of celebration and naming of hope for the future and a dedicating of our gifts. We…

All Saints is a day of remembrance for the saints. We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead and celebrate our connectedness as Christians. The Christian festival of All Saints Day comes from a conviction that there is a spiritual connection between those on heaven and on earth. It is also an…

This is a text that does not directly relate to us in this time and place. It does however relate to us indirectly. We find ourselves nearing the end of a year during which the ground beneath our feet has shifted. And let’s be honest, the shifting has been occurring for several years now –…

We are presented with two texts for this final Sunday on the church calendar. The first is from the book of Revelation, in which the opening words provide us the…

What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph? Nothing. The Gospel writer Luke tells us that there was no room in the inn. The sacred text says, “she gave…

Like the childhood game of “musical chairs,” we are convinced that there are not enough places at the table. And so we shrink the guest list just in case there…