With Saints Like These All Saints and All Souls Days remind us that God’s eternal love carries us in life, in death and in life beyond death. But God’s eternal love also means that those who have gone on before us remain with us, inspiring us and illuminating the way forward. We’ll honor those of our congregation who now rest…
Not Our Table The table around which God draws the human family is not ours – we are guests at the banquet, not bouncers at the doorway. But we ARE called to invite others to the feast – not only through our words, but as we embody the heavenly banquet in all that we do. As a congregation, LOUMC has…
The Table of Possibilities There is a place in your home – the kitchen table for many of us – where you gathered with your family to discuss and make decisions. It could be a Big Deal – a career opportunity or a college choice. But often it’s just the day-to-day stuff – who is picking up the kids after…
“The Church of Out There” We might think of “church” as a place we go to, or we might think of it as the thing that happens on Sunday mornings. But the Church is the people of God, following the Way of Jesus. And while it is true that we have a place, and we gather on Sundays, we are…
The Whole Peace of God We yearn for peace! In a world that seems bent on destruction, and captive to hate, we hope for a world freed from war, violence and hatred. It seems an impossible task. And so we might be tempted to retreat from the world and cultivate a peaceful personal life. But our faith in Christ will…
The Church of Every Last One Two familiar parables about lost things invite us to reflect on what it means to be part of God’s Kingdom. Are we the ones who do the searching? Are we the lost ones who are being sought? Is it somehow both? And have you ever been a regular at a pub? And what would…
The Church of Now As we celebrate the Baptism and Confirmation of 5 of our young people, and as we welcome new members, we’ll also celebrate what it means to be the Church right now. We can be inspired by our past, and we can be hopeful about the future, but God calls us to be Followers of the Way…
The Work of Our Hands For many of us, Labor Day is a last summer hurrah, a day off work, and maybe a good sale at our favorite store. And we might think that a day honoring the laboring people of our country is not a religious holiday. In fact, it’s not. And yet, the Messiah we follow came from…
The Songs of Our Hearts Do you have a favorite song? One that lives in your heart, that just resonates for you, that you want to share with others? On Sunday, we’ll sing and celebrate the songs of our hearts, and have a chance to sing a few of them. If you have a song you want to sing, be…
Good & Weird & Problematic Song writing may be inspired by God, but it is also a human endeavor. Hymns can be profoundly meaningful, draw us toward God, and become a touchstone of faith. But songs can also sometimes miss the mark, musical tastes can change, and sometimes the author of a song can be problematic. We’ll explore some of…
“The Music of Our Heart (and Mind)” As we continue or series on music and worship, we’ll reflect on why it is that certain songs move us, inspire us, and shape us. Why do we almost universally love some songs and not others? And can we learn to love new songs? And what do we do when we’re asked to…
Songs of Our Faith Music is the heartbeat of worship – it expresses our joy and praise, our fears and our longings. It comforts us and teaches us. And singing binds the community of faith together. During August, we’ll learn and sing together as we explore “Songs of Our Faith.” And of course, these Sundays will feature lots of great…