Sermon Central

Today, we are in week 5 of our series Get Off Your Donkey 2.0. In 2023, we spent six weeks looking at Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan—a Samaritan man traveling along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and finds someone lying on the side of the road—robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Instead of continuing on his way (like those before him), the Samaritan gets off his donkey, cleans up the man's wounds, and takes him to an inn where he can recover. Jesus tells this parable to illustrate that our faith is not just about what we believe, but also about what we do—our faith calls us to get off our donkey and care for others, particularly those in need. We've brought back this “Get Off Your Donkey” series as a way to acknowledge that sometimes, faith-in-action looks like meeting immediate needs—cleaning someone's wounds or giving them food to eat. Other times, faith-in-action looks like doing systemic work—advocating so that all might have the things they need to thrive, and working to change systems that cause harm. Our United Methodist social principles are a great way to illustrate this work. These principles aren't church law, but they call each of us to engage with the world around us, and to live like Jesus—compassionately working for justice for each and every one of God's creations. This week, we are taking a look at how our faith calls us to work for justice for all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Today, we are in week 4 of our series Get Off Your Donkey 2.0. In 2023, we spent six weeks looking at Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan—a Samaritan man traveling along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and finds someone lying on the side of the road—robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Instead of continuing on his way (like those before him), the Samaritan gets off his donkey, cleans up the man's wounds, and takes him to an inn where he can recover. Jesus uses this parable as an illustration to show that our faith is not just about what we believe, but also about what we do—our faith calls us to get off our donkey and care for others, particularly those in need. We've brought back this “Get Off Your Donkey” series as a way to remind ourselves that sometimes, faith-in-action looks like meeting immediate needs, and other times, it looks like doing systemic work—advocating so that all might have the things they need to thrive, and working to change systems that cause harm. Our United Methodist social principles are a great way to illustrate this work. These principles aren't church law, but they call each of us to engage with the world around us, and to live like Jesus—compassionately working for justice for each and every one of God's creations. This week, we are taking a look at how our faith calls us to work for food justice. And with me this week, I have my husband, Chef Rasul Welch, to help teach us about food justice and give us ways we can each make a difference in this area.

In 2023, we spent six weeks looking at Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan—a Samaritan man traveling along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and finds someone lying on the side of the road—robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Instead of continuing on his way (like the priest and religious man before him), the Samaritan gets off his donkey, cleans up the battered man's wounds, and takes him to an inn where he can recover. The Samaritan didn't have to do any of this. But he does because that's what our faith calls us to do—to get off our donkey and care for others, particularly those in need. We've brought back this “Get Off Your Donkey” series as a way to remind ourselves that sometimes, faith-in-action looks like meeting immediate needs, and other times, it looks like advocating for others and doing the internal work of rethinking assumptions and preconceived notions. This time around, we're exploring our United Methodist social principles. These principles aren't church law, but they represent the prayerful efforts of the United Methodist Church to speak to contemporary context. They call each of us to engage with the world around us, and to live like Jesus—compassionately working for justice for each and every one of God's creations. This week, we are taking a look at how our faith calls us to honor our mental health.

Get Off Your Donkey - a Woman's Place by BrecksvilleUMC

Get Off Your Donkey - Healthcare by BrecksvilleUMC

If this is your first time with us, know that today is not a “regular” Sunday. Just one week ago, we celebrated Easter together—singing, praying together, and connecting scripture with our daily lives. And while we will do all those things today, we are also acutely aware of just how much can change in a week. This past Tuesday, Dana Schwendeman, our Youth Director for the past 8 ½ years, passed away suddenly. Each time someone in our community passes, it leaves a void. When that person is on staff, and has been for the better part of a decade, I'm discovering that void is much larger. Dana was someone who helped us to understand who God has called us to be… she loved us and formed us… her finger prints are all around us. And so today, as we gather to worship our God like we do each and every Sunday, we do so with deep sadness in our hearts. One of our values is Honest Worship—we invite everyone to participate in worship authentically and holistically; heart, mind, soul, and body. Today, we are reminded that sometimes, worship isn't “happy,” but there is joy and comfort to be found when we are together.

Everything In Between Grief and Hope by BrecksvilleUMC

PALM / PASSION SUNDAY everything in between shouting & silence Luke 19:29-40 (Jesus enters Jerusalem) Jesus doesn't instigate his own parade. Instead, just his quiet presence alone inspires the multitude to shout out and praise God. When the religious leaders try to silence the crowd, Jesus tells them that the noise level isn't the point—even the stones would cry out if they were silent. It takes wisdom to know when our voice is needed and when it's just noise.

The story of Zacchaeus and Jesus - Luke 19:1-10 The crowds grumble at Jesus' self-invitation to stay with Zacchaeus, and their righteous indignation isn't without cause. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus has extorted money and acted in collusion with the empire, using his position to oppress his own people. It is important to call out oppression, and yet, Jesus offers mercy. That mercy then begets more mercy as Zacchaeus, unprompted, offers to return what he took, and then some.

Our Sermon Series, Everything In Between, is studying stories and parables found in the Gospel of Luke. Each story shows how Jesus addressed the polarities people were living in, challenging his listeners to think of things in a new way. So for us– thousands of years later–this series invites us to spend Lent navigating the polarities in our own lives with more faith, intention, and openness… so that we might be transformed. Each week, the story or parable invites us to look at two supposed binaries—ideas we usually consider opposing—this or that, either/or, black or white. And we'll be challenged to look at these dichotomies with nuance and complexity. Because that space in between the “this” or “that” is like a doorway through which God is beckoning us into something new. Today, we focus on a very appropriate polarity for the beginning of spring: rest and growth.

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT Luke 10:38-42 (Mary & Martha host Jesus) In many translations, Jesus says that “Mary has chosen the better part,” which has been used to create a divide between Mary and Martha. However, in the Greek, Mary has chosen the “good portion,” and Martha's tasks are called “ministry.” Therefore, perhaps Mary represents our faith, our desire to know God intimately, and Martha represents our good works, our desire to transform the world. Both are needed, and both are good.

Everything In Between Stranger and Neighbor by BrecksvilleUMC

Today we conclude our worship series Fully Alive, based on the book of the same title by Elizabeth Oldfield. The book reminds us of the wisdom our Christian faith tradition holds. There are a million places for us to find meaning and wisdom for our lives, and so often Christianity gets overlooked as irrelevant—out of touch with current reality. But within the Christian faith, there are signposts that show us how to become the kind of human this world needs. In a world of division, pointing fingers, selfishness, and ecological destruction, we can be part of the solution—someone who is living “fully alive” and not wasting this one wild and precious life. Oldfield shares this wisdom using the framework of the seven deadly sins: how they show up in our lives and what it would look like to move towards more positive, life-giving virtues. Sin, in essence, is anything that causes disconnection between ourselves and others, us and the natural world, or us and God. Sin needs to be met with grace rather than judgment—both in ourselves and others. Because sin does not define us—our worst choices are not who we are. It's simply part of the human experience—these temptations pull us in one direction when often, we truly want to go another way. And this series is meant to help us bring awareness to our own sins—to acknowledge how these temptations show up in our lives. Then, using scripture, think about how God is calling us to live—connected, whole, and well. We are concluding our series talking about what some consider the foundational sin of pride.

Fully Alive: Gluttony - From Numbing to Ecstasy by BrecksvilleUMC

Today we continue with our worship series Fully Alive, based on the book of the same title by Elizabeth Oldfield. We are each searching for meaning in our lives—searching for wisdom. And there's millions of places for us to find it. In Fully Alive, Elizabeth Oldfield reminds us of the wisdom that our Christian faith tradition holds. Within Christianity, there are signposts that show us how to become the kind of human this world needs. In a world that is rife with division, pointing fingers, selfishness, and ecological destruction, we can be part of the solution—someone who is living “fully alive” and not wasting this one wild and wonderful life. Oldfield does this by using the framework of the seven deadly sins: how they show up in our lives and what it would look like to move towards more positive, life-giving virtues. Sin is anything that causes disconnection between ourselves and others, us and the natural world, or us and God. It is something that needs to be met not with judgment, but with grace—both in ourselves and others. Because sin does not define us—our worst choices do not define us. Sin is simply part of the human experience—to have these temptations pull us in one direction when often, we truly want to do another way. And this series is meant to help us bring awareness to our own sins—not how “those people sin”—but to acknowledge how these temptations show up in our lives, and then think about how we want to move forward in the world—with or without them. This week, we focus on the sin of envy and it's opposite, belovedness.

Today we continue with our worship series Fully Alive, based on the book of the same title by Elizabeth Oldfield. We are each searching for meaning in our lives—searching for wisdom. And there's millions of places for us to find it. In Fully Alive, Elizabeth Oldfield reminds us of the wisdom that our Christian faith tradition holds. Within Christianity, there are signposts that show us how to become the kind of human this world needs. In a world that is rife with division, pointing fingers, selfishness, and ecological destruction, we can be part of the solution—someone who is living “fully alive” and not wasting this one wild and wonderful life. Oldfield does this by using the framework of the seven deadly sins: how they show up in our lives and what it would look like to move towards more positive, life-giving virtues. It's anything that causes disconnection between ourselves and others, us and the natural world, and us and God. It is something that needs to be met not with judgment, but with grace—both in ourselves and others. Because sin does not define us—our worst choices are not our identity. It's simply part of the human experience—to have these pulls and temptations. It's easy to see how these things show up in the world—how those people sin. But this series is meant to help us bring awareness to our own sins—to acknowledge how they show up in our own lives, and then think about how we want to move forward in the world with or without them. This week, we focus on the sin of acedia—what's commonly known as sloth.

Fully Alive - Avarice: from stuffocation to gratitude and generosity by BrecksvilleUMC

Today we continue with our worship series Fully Alive, based on the book of the same title by Elizabeth Oldfield. This book focuses on the question, “Who am I becoming?” In a world that is rife with division, pointing fingers, selfishness, and ecological destruction, am I becoming someone who is part of the problem or part of the solution? Am I becoming someone who is fully alive, or am I simply going through the motions of existence on this planet? More and more, I've been struck with the reality that people are searching for meaning in their lives—as Elizabeth Oldfield points out, they're searching for wisdom. And there's millions of places for people to find meaning and wisdom—social media influencers, authors and podcasters, on tags of teabags and inside Dove chocolate wrappers. The one place people decidedly don't look is to religion, and particularly, the Christian faith. So much damage has been done in the name of the Christian God. And in Fully Alive, Elizabeth Oldfield acknowledges the harm that's been done in the name of Christianity—she holds that and honors it, while also reminding us of the wisdom that the Christian faith tradition holds. She shares the signposts that show us how to become the kind of human this world needs. And she does this by digging into the seven deadly sins: how they show up in our lives and what it would look like to move towards more positive, life-giving virtues. Last week, we talked about how sin is “the human propensity to screw things up.” And it's part of the human experience—of who we are as humans. Sin is anything that causes disconnection between ourselves and others, us and the natural world, and us and God. It is something that needs to be met with grace, not judgment. And even though it's part of the human experience, sin does not define us—our worst choices are not our identity. These are important truths to remember, particularly as we continue this series, focusing on one “deadly sin” each week. This week, we focus on a sin that is oh so fun to talk about—wrath.

Today we begin a new worship series entitled Fully Alive, based on the book of the same title by Elizabeth Oldfield. This book focuses on the question, “Who am I becoming?” In a world that is rife with division, pointing fingers, selfishness, and ecological destruction, am I becoming someone who is part of the problem or part of the solution? Am I becoming someone who is fully alive, or am I simply going through the motions of existence on this planet?

Today, we conclude our worship series, “Words for the Beginning.” It's a series that's led us through Advent and Christmas, giving us reminders like, “Hope is worth the risk,” “Love knows your name,” “We can't go alone,” and “Do the good that is yours to do.” These words have been like steady ground as we walk forward into the unknown of the future. At first glance, they seem like words we would teach our children. But in reality, they're lessons that we continue to learn and relearn as adults—they seem deceptively simple, but put into practice, they are lifelong ventures. Today, as we begin a new year, the timeless story of the Magi reminds us that the road isn't straight.

This week, we are in the gospel of Luke, with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, challenging the people then as well s us now, asking: what good am I called to do here and now?

One of life's most essential lessons is that we are never meant to go alone. And yet, modern culture pushes us more and more into lonely silos. If Ruth had followed her culture's norms, she would have gone home to her family of origin after her husband died, but instead, she commits herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Together they form a new family and covenant. Ruth and Naomi travel together to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, foreshadowing the journey Mary and Joseph will one day take to be counted in the census. Both Ruth and Naomi, as well as Mary and Joseph, are unconventional pairs, but if God can bring unlikely people together, God can form us into a covenant community too.

As you journey through this season, may you find words for belovedness and hope. May you find words for beginning again. For no matter what you are facing, no matter what this new day brings, love is your beginning.

In scripture, we find stories that were written in and told through even more turbulent times than ours. They've provided forms of collective resistance, and spiritual steadying for billions of people throughout the centuries. And God is still speaking and working through these scriptures today.

"This past week, voters decided who the next president of the United States would be. And the feelings about this decision run the gamut of human emotion: excitement and relief and validation, and shock, disappointment, and grief. In many ways, this election has felt like the ultimate fight between “us” and “them.” Both sides convinced that their candidate would bring in a new era for “their people.” And so this past week, all the scriptures and messages that have been preached in this sanctuary this past fall have been ringing in my ears—Do Unto Others; remember the power of kindness and that we have common ground in Jesus. But I have to admit, I've struggled. Ever since the results came out, I've been asking God, “What do I preach on Sunday?”

On All Saints Sunday, United Methodists around the world publicly remember and honor those who have passed away. All Saints Sunday honors the impact each life has on another.

Abundant Life: Justice and Love by BrecksvilleUMC

Abundant Life Embraces Compassion by BrecksvilleUMC

Today we begin our annual stewardship campaign, and with it, a new worship series. Our stewardship campaign is a time we carve out each year to intentionally talk about the ministry of BUMC and ask you to prayerfully consider how you will support our church community in the coming year. It's also a great time to think about what it means to “be the Church,” and hold ourselves accountable to that work. This year, our campaign is entitled, Abundant Life, and it's anchored in John 10:10, where Jesus says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” We'll think about what abundance actually is, and how we are called to live abundantly as a family of faith.

We conclude our Kindness Campaign with a meditation on Finding Common Ground, with guest speaker Rev. Cara Stultz Costello

God's words are not hidden from us. God's will for us has not been kept a secret. God has told us what is good and all that is required of us: To do justice. To live kindness. And to walk humbly with our God. – Micah 6:8

We are in the second week of our sermon series, “Do Unto Others,” campaigning for kindness. It's the middle of September and we are already deep into election season here in the US. And now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of how we are called to live in the world as followers of Jesus. Last week, Pastor Bruce Hitchcock talked about how in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shares the Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do to you… this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” That is the basis for how we treat people—we recognize all that God has given us, and then because of that, we treat others with the same love, compassion, grace, and understanding with which we have been treated—which also sums up the way we want others to treat us. Today, I want to remind us that this Golden Rule is necessary and important even when—especially when—we're talking politics.

We begin a new worship series called The Kindness Campaign. What would happen if we each chose to live The Golden Rule: Do unto others...? We see division and polarization in our country, communities and even inside the walls of our own churches. It's easy to wonder if we will ever go beyond agreeing to disagree, yet Jesus shows us a better way. Jesus taught us that we should treat others as we want to be treated. This is commonly known as The Golden Rule, and holds the power to bring people together again. We are excited to launch the campaign in our community, and hope you will join the movement!

Today we conclude our worship series “Uncommon Wisdom.” In a culture that tells us we should do whatever we can to get ahead—even if it means lying, stealing, and manipulation—we have been looking at the seemingly uncommon wisdom of the book of Proverbs. In this book of scripture, we find 100s of short sayings that show us a God-centered path to the good life. Over the past five weeks, we have looked at several of these sayings: Better the poor person who lives with integrity than the rich one who distorts right and wrong. The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected. 2 When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. 22 A beautiful woman who rejects good sense is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. to see what morsel of God's wisdom they have to share. This week, we conclude our series with the poem, “The Woman of Valor” or how it's more commonly understood, “The Woman of Noble Character.”

Today we continue our worship series “Uncommon Wisdom.” Current cultural wisdom tells us that we should do whatever we can to get ahead—if we want it, we should figure out a way to get it. But that is not the way God would have us act. So in this series, we are looking at the seemingly uncommon wisdom of Proverbs, which shows us a God-centered, path to the good life. Proverbs is a collection of 100s of short sayings that apply wisdom and fear of the Lord—awe and reverence towards God—to any topic you can imagine—friendship, marriage, generosity, work, money, forgiveness… the list goes on. It's a book for every person in every season of life. Each week during this series, we are taking a look at one or two proverbs to see what morsel of God's wisdom they have to share. This week, our wisdom is: Better the poor person who lives with integrity than the rich one who distorts right and wrong.

In ancient cities, a strong tower was a central place where people could run to when an enemy's army was attacking or they were encountering some sort of danger. It's where they went for safety and protection. That's what the name of the Lord is for the righteous—the wise: they run to God first, knowing that it's God's very character to protect and care for us. We know that because we see this truth again and again throughout scripture.

Guest speaker Matt Mellott delivers some uncommon wisdom, including a tale about cheese in a hotel mattress.

Rev. Peg Welch, our pastor's mother-in-love, shares some uncommon wisdom with a meditation on Proverbs 12: 15-16

Today we are in the second week of our worship series “Uncommon Wisdom.” Our society's current strategies for success appear to be exploitation, violence, and smear campaigns. But I'm confident we can all agree that this is not the way God would have it. So in this series, we are looking at the seemingly uncommon wisdom of Proverbs, which shows us another, God-centered, path to the good life. Every day we are faced with the same decision those first humans had in the Garden of Eden: how do we gain the wisdom to discern between good and evil? Do we do what seems good to us—what we desire in the moment or seems to benefit us most? Or do we look to God, the One who knows the long-game, and how all things fit together? It seems like an easy answer, but it's much more difficult in the moment. That's where the book of Proverbs comes in. It's a collection of 100s of short sayings that apply wisdom and fear of the Lord—awe and reverence towards God—to any topic you can imagine—friendship, marriage, generosity, work, money, forgiveness… the list goes on. It's a book for every person in every season of life. And so each week, we will take a look at one or two proverbs and see what morsel of God's wisdom they have to share.

Today we begin a new worship series titled “Uncommon Wisdom.” In a society whose only real success strategies appear to be exploitation, violence, and smear campaigns, we are going to look at the seemingly uncommon wisdom of Proverbs, which shows us another path to the good life. Every decision we make impacts not just ourselves, but others. Some decisions are small and cumulative, but none are made in a vacuum. We try to think about all the consequences our decisions might have—projecting out and imagining all the scenarios, but we just can't—life is too complex. So the question we're left to wonder is, “How do we know the right thing to do at any given moment? What is the wise thing that will lead to life? That's where the book of Proverbs comes in. It's a book that's for every person in every season of life, guiding us to living wisely and well in God's good world.

Today we are in the last week of our worship series, “I trust in God…” It's based off our Vacation Bible School theme for this year, that followed a new camp counselor through his nervous-excitement of his first few days of camp. Each day at VBS, the kids learn about a person in scripture who took Psalm 56:3 and put it into action: “when I'm afraid, I put my trust in you.” And throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This is a lesson we each need, no matter our age—that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. Throughout this series, we have learned that We can trust God… to go with us, to lead the way, to share God's wisdom with us, and to give us peace. This week, we are reminded that “we can trust in God to spark joy.”

Today we are in week 4 of our worship series, “I trust in God…” It's based on our Vacation Bible School theme for this year. Each day at VBS, the kids learn about a person in scripture who took Psalm 56:3 and put it into action: “when I'm afraid, I put my trust in you.” They faced their fears and went on to do great things with God. And throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This is a lesson we each need, no matter our age—that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. We began the series learning that we can trust God to go with us—wherever life takes us, God's presence is with us. Then, we were reminded that we can trust in God to lead the way, even when life doesn't make sense. Last week, we learned that we can trust in God to share God's wisdom with us. This week, we remind ourselves that we can trust God to give us peace.

Today we continue in our worship series, “I trust in God…” It's based off our Vacation Bible School theme for this year, that follows a new camp counselor (who just so happens to be a firefly) through his nervous-excitement of his first few days of camp. Each day at VBS, the kids learn about ordinary people in scripture who trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. And throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This isn't just a lesson for children, though. We each need this reminder—that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. We began the series being reminded that we can trust God to go with us—wherever life takes us, God's presence is with us. Last week, we learned that we can trust in God to lead the way, even when life doesn't make sense. This week, we learn that we can trust in God… to share wisdom.

We continue in our worship series, “I trust in God…” based on our Vacation Bible School theme for this year, that follows a new camp counselor (who just so happens to be a firefly) through his nervous-excitement of his first few days of camp. Kids will spend each day at camp hearing about ordinary people in both the Old and New Testament who trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. Throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This isn't just a lesson for children, though. We each need this reminder—that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. Last week, we were reminded that we can trust God to go with us—wherever life takes us, God will always remind us of God's presence with us. This week, we understand that we can trust in God… to lead the way.

Today we begin a new worship series that's simply called, “I trust in God…” It's based on our Vacation Bible School theme for this year, that follows a new camp counselor (who just so happens to be a firefly) through his nervous-excitement of his first few days of camp. They spend each day at VBS, hearing about ordinary people in both the Old and New Testament who trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. And throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This isn't just a lesson for children, though. We each need this reminder—no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. There's something meaningful about repeating that affirmation, “I trust in God…” “I trust in God…” “I trust in God…” This week, we're reminded that we can trust in God… to go with us.

Today we conclude our short series, “Faith In Action,” where we're looking at 3 different ways we can live our faith in the world. The United Methodist Church began as a movement dedicated to “scriptural holiness,” to live not just saying we're Christian, but living it out in our actions—a life dedicated to loving God and loving our neighbor. Our faith is not simply what we believe in our own hearts and minds, but it is something that moves us to get involved with people; try to change broken systems; and we get our hands dirty, working to make the world better. This is work we're all called to do in different ways, given our unique personality, strengths, and God-given gifts. We've talked about how putting our faith in action can look like caring for God's creation and making sure everyone has a place in God's church. Today, we have Jonathan Gray, from Trials for Hope to share how his faith has inspired him to help others in God-sized ways in greater Cleveland. Trials for Hope is a non-profit that focuses on delivering dignity and hope to those in need through wholesome food, personal care items, and warmth to those in Greater Cleveland.

Today we continue with our short series, “Faith In Action,” where we're looking at 3 different ways we can live our faith in the world. The United Methodist Church began as a movement dedicated to “scriptural holiness,” to live not just saying we're Christian, but living it out in our actions—a life dedicated to loving God and loving our neighbor. Our faith is not simply what we believe in our own hearts and minds, but it is something that moves us to get involved with people; try to change broken systems; and we get our hands dirty, working to make the world better. This is work we're all called to do in different ways, given our unique personality, strengths, and God-given gifts. Last week, Melanie shared how her faith was transformed this past year when she went to a training called EarthKeepers. Through that training, she was able to understand how God is calling her to personally live out God's command to love God and love neighbor. Today, we want to name why declaring we are a reconciling congregation is an act of faith.

The United Methodist Church began as a movement dedicated to “scriptural holiness,” to live a life dedicated to loving God and loving our neighbor. Our faith is not simply what we believe in our own hearts and minds, but it is something that moves us to get involved with people; try to change broken systems; and we get our hands dirty, working to make the world better. In this series, we're going to look at 3 different ways we can live our faith in the world. Today, Melanie is going to share how her faith was transformed this past year, when she went to a training called EarthKeepers. Melanie is our Director of Communications & Connections here at BUMC. She's been working with our church community for over 15 years, and in that time, she's grown in a multitude of ways. She has a passion for God's creation and creating a welcoming environment for all. Today's she leaping out of her comfort zone and bringing God's message for us. So let us pray for God to speak through her.

Each gospel has a main theme when telling the story of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. In the gospel of John, the theme is choice— we have the choice whether to receive God's love or not. To acknowledge Jesus as God enfleshed. We also have a choice whether to live out that unconditional, extravagant love in the world like God— “for God so loved the world…” What would it be like if we chose to live that love?

Today we continue our worship series, “Climate + Faith.” Our goal in this series is to look past partisan politics to recognize why valuing and caring for God's creation is fundamentally an issue of faith. We all breathe the same air, drink the same water, and enjoy the same forests and lakes and rivers and creatures. We all suffer in extreme weather, social instability, and mass migration. A livable world is not a politically partisan goal. It's a human goal. And at its core, it's a spiritual goal. If we look back, in virtually every transformative movement in human history, people of faith have been at the center of the action. We've been the catalysts… laborers… visionaries. And now, as we confront what is perhaps the greatest challenge in human history, God is calling us to step up once more—to live into our original calling of being responsible for all of God's creation.

Following Jesus involves the sometimes difficult and painful process of opening up—transforming from being turned inward in self-absorption to being turned outward in love and service. It doesn't mean sacrificing to the detriment of ourselves, but it means putting ourselves with others—not thinking of ourselves as apart from, but connected with others and our whole world.