A New, Whole WorldAdvent 4 Mary, miraculously pregnant with Jesus, travels to her cousin Elizabeth, miraculously pregnant with John. In the joy of this encounter, Mary sings a prophetic song, celebrating God’s promise of justice in our world. In a world burdened by injustice, a woman on the fringes of “decent society” is the first to see the dawning of…
Upside Down, Inside Out Do you like roller coasters? The bigger and scarier, the better? Is following the Messiah, who comes to set the world right, a scary idea? Or is it comforting, knowing that God is at work? And why does John the Baptizer stand out in the wilderness telling people they’d better get ready? Join us live at…
A Compassionate God The second week of Advent invites us to hear the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He proclaims God’s compassionate work to bring healing justice to the world. We often have a hard time imagining that the powers of the world could be displaced by a tenderly merciful God. But that is precisely the…
Time for Hope Advent is the season of Preparation for the coming of Christ. Like countless generations before us, we watch and wait for God’s renewing work in our world. And like countless generations before us, we sometimes look for hope through our tears, and we anticipate Good News even with heavy hearts. The prophets’ words remind us that the…
Whose Rule? We use the phrase “Kingdom of God” often – but where is the Kingdom? Jesus invited his followers to see the Kingdom all around them, and in themselves. Perhaps a clearer term might be “Reign of God.” Where is the Lord of Love reigning? Well, right here and right now, both within us and all around us. But…
What We Could Be It’s easy for us to imagine going back to the ‘good old days’ – a time we imagine as simpler, more faithful, and better. Followers of Jesus are susceptible to this idea – that with each passing year we stray farther from the faith and success of our ancestors. But, of course, our ideas about how good…
The Cost of Love What does it mean to be the church? Why should you give your money, your time, and your energy to the church? Psalm 146 reminds us of God’s ongoing work for justice, and the call for us to commit ourselves to this divine work. And a famous story in the Gospel of Mark about a woman…
For These Saints For All Saints Day we honor the beloved members of our congregation who have died in the last year, giving thanks for their lives and the legacy they have left. We’ll read the names of our congregation’s beloved members, and we’ll light a candle to symbolize the eternal light of God’s love. We remember and give thanks…
Living Faith All people who follow Jesus are called to be ministers of the Gospel – to offer themselves for God’s work in the world. Join us in worship for Laity Sunday as we celebrate the gifts we all have to lead and serve in the church and in the world. Join us live at 10:30 on October 27 or…
Love Knows No Boundaries There are no borders in the Kingdom of Heaven, no divisions between “us” and “them.” Rather, God’s divine love removes the boundaries we’ve drawn and invites us to live in deep connection with all of God’s children. Pastor Clay and Pastora Keren Rodriguez of Aloha UMC will be preaching together and reflecting on the ways that…
What Must I Do to Inherit When Jesus asks the rich man to give all of his possessions to the poor and follow him, we probably wonder whether he’s even talking to us. But what happens if we look more closely at the man’s question, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ and reflect on how we might go…
Bigger Than Us World Communion Sunday is a celebration of the global Church – a reminder of the gift of the variety of cultures, languages, and peoples of the church. In the rich tapestry of the Church, we can see God’s desire for our world – an interwoven community where our diversity is the very source of our strength and…
