West End UMC Podcast Audio Podcast

Divine Economy of Abundance – As we have been doing for a few weeks, we are following the Fourth Gospel, and our scripture passage for today is the story of the wedding feast where Mary prompts her son, Jesus, to change water into wine when the wine supply has run out. The Rev. Seulbin Lee, our pastoral intern, delivers the sermon today. She is a native of Korea and begins by sharing a memory from her childhood of the people who lived in the neighborhood of her grandmother. Their frequent greeting to people was, “Have you eaten your meal?” This method of checking in with people reflects a sharing of resources, making sure others are fed. In the Fourth Gospel, this story of turning water into wine is the first of the stories of Jesus's work, and it is clearly a miracle. But he is prompted by his mother, showing concern for the others in the situation and a sharing of resources. She hears the needs of others and exercises hope and imagination, a clear model for us.

Grace upon Grace – Today's scripture is the first eighteen verses of the Fourth Gospel, familiar as, “In the beginning was the word, . . .” This week was the return to earth of Artemis 2 with the four astronauts who circled the moon, and our bulletin cover has an image of the earth taken from that flight. It is a cosmic perspective of humankind, much as the perspective of the first image in John wherein love was there in the beginning. From that universal perspective of love, the gospel zooms to humanity in the form of Jesus. Nobody has actually seen God except through Jesus, and the gospel records many acts of Jesus that reveal grace and love through God, and in the next weeks we will explore those illustrations in the Fourth Gospel. Much as one of the astronauts on the Artemis mission commented on the experience of the love of God and of each other on that mission, the writer of the Fourth Gospel experienced the love of God and expressed that.

Resurrection Re-membered – Today is Easter Sunday. Through Lent we have been reading the stories in the Gospel of Luke leading up to Holy Week and now Easter. In those stories we have noted a number of times when people, even those close to Jesus, had become discouraged and failed him, as, for example, Peter and Judas, but others as well. In her sermon Carol recounts a time when she was on a walk and some people coming toward her told her as she walked farther to look up and see an owl in a tree. She did and saw a beautiful owl and may not have seen it if she hadn't been told. Today's story from Luke is about the women who go to the tomb intending to pay their respects, grieve, and embalm the body. Instead, there is no body, and two beings appear and challenge them to remember what Jesus had told them – that he would one day die and then be raised. The women, upon leaving the empty tomb, immediately go to the disciples and others to report. Their report helps the disciples remember and re-member, that is to gather and spread the word and the love. At times for various reasons we face the despair those women faced, and we're so weighed down we forget. But we are called to remember the words of Jesus and his resurrection, and, as a result of that, as the body of Christ to re-member, and as a church to spread the word and the love.

Jesus, the Love at the Heart of Everything – Today is Good Friday when we remember the crucifixion of Jesus and his hours on the cross. The Good Friday Meditation is given by the Rev. Will McLean, our Pastor of Spiritual Formation, and the scripture is the account of the crucifixion and hours on the cross as recorded in Luke 23. Will begins by noting how unsettling it is to be in this service with the story of the crucifixion, no flowers, no paraments on the table, altar or pulpit or lectern. He also points out that we as individuals have unsettling experiences. In addition, Jesus is suffering crucifixion, the ultimate disgrace and punishment in that era. But we note that from the cross Jesus utters those words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then he assures one of the convicted criminals being crucified with him that today that criminal will be with him in paradise. And, finally, he offers, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” These offer, in this unsettling time, love of forgiveness, invitation, and trust, all of which are a good foundation of grace. The church Jesus thus established extends our arms to the world in the knowledge that we can trust our deepest selves to God's love.

Take a moment today on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week to ground yourself in scripture and prayer as we navigate the last week of Jesus' life here on earth to prepare for Easter Sunday.

Sobremesa – This is the Maundy Thursday service in remembrance of the Last Supper. The scripture is the account of that event in the Fourth Gospel where Jesus washes the feet of the disciples gathered for supper. The Communion Meditation is given by the Rev. Aimee Baxter, our Pastor of Young Adults. She explains that from her experiences traveling to Brazil and Guatemala, there is much to enjoy, including flowers, food, and people. But she focuses on “sobremesa,” which is a custom of people at meals lingering and bonding rather than simply eating, and that is a very calming experience. So in this Last Supper, although there are tense moments, as when Jesus knows and says that one of them will betray him. Yet, he washes their feet, using that as an example of how they, too, should serve each other and others. This meal brings Jesus and the disciples together, and Jesus knows how important that is. We, too, can experience the sobremesa in our taking communion together in this service.

A Disappointing Response – Today is the fifth Sunday of Lent, and through these 40 days we move toward the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and Easter. The scripture from Luke for today is a scene where Jesus is brought before Pilate, then before Herod. In each case, Jesus does not really respond to their questions. Our Pastor of Spiritual Formation, the Rev. Will McLeane, delivers the sermon and gives examples of Biblical figures, such as Moses and Daniel, who stand up to authority, but here is Jesus who does not. Will also likens this non-responsive Jesus to the scenes and training of the sit-in demonstrations where protesters were trained not to respond to the taunts of those around them. In some situations, the non-response of Jesus can be, for us, disappointing, as we would rather he correct those who are taunting him, but it is instructive for us, giving us faith that in our own confrontational experiences, God is with us as God was with Jesus. This can liberate us from our cycles of anger and revenge and transform us from our expectations.

Peter's Denial – Today is the third Sunday of Lent, and through these 40 days we move toward the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and Easter. The scripture for today from Luke is the familiar story of Peter denying any knowledge of or association with Jesus. Carol cites something many of us recall from our youth, watching Road Runner cartoons with the bird constantly trying to escape Wile E. Coyote. At times, the bird runs off a cliff and at some point looks down to realize there's no ground beneath him and he falls. She then cites a book, Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz, who uses that Road Runner image, likening it to when we realize we're wrong, and a pit grows in our stomach. It begs the question of when we've felt like we were forgiven. Here is Peter, denying three times knowing Jesus, but then, amazingly, being forgiven by Jesus. We say we believe in forgiveness by God, but we must acknowledge that in our own lives in order to live as God has designed us to be.

Communion Meditation – Today is the second Sunday of Lent, and it is also Youth Sunday. The scripture is from Paul's letter to the Romans, and it wrestles with one's works compared to one's faith. Three youth (Sam Wilson, Robert Harrell, and Peter Bigelow) deliver the Meditation, and each cites his history with our church and with various experiences in his years growing up here. Their message is that we are all loved by God, and that Paul challenges us to step back from time to time and examine our faith, realizing and feeling God's love for us. Because God loves us, we can trust in God.

The Trial Begins – Today is the first Sunday of Lent, and through these 40 days we move toward the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and Easter. The scripture for today is from Luke and is a scene after the last Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples, and he has gone to the Mount of Olives to pray. Knowing what was to come (trial, conviction, crucifixion), he was in fear, and he prayed that it be lifted from him, but also that God's will be done. That he was fearful demonstrated his humanity. In the scene, after his prayer, an angel appears to him to strengthen him. Carol wonders if the angel doesn't represent the Holy Spirit. After this, Jesus warns his disciples to prepare for what is coming. We, too, in times of stress and pressure need to follow the directions of Jesus and remember that the third day will come.

Their Faith – Today we continue moving through the New Testament having begun with the gospel of Mark, and today's story is one of crowds gathering to hear Jesus inside and outside a home. Some friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus to be healed, but the crowd is so massive they can't get into the building, so they remove the roof and lower the paralytic. Rev. Carol Cavin-Dillon relates some personal stories and says that any of us might be paralyzed at some point due to a physical issue or to some emotional or grief issue. She compares this story to other stories of Jesus healing people, where Jesus cites the faith of the one who is to be healed. Here, however, it is the faith of the friends who persist in getting the man to Jesus rather than the faith of the paralytic. She also explores the Greek word here translated “heal” which is, in other places, translated “make whole” or even “save.” This underscores the meaning of the congregation of a church, or of friends, whose role in someone's healing is a depth of faith when the person who needs healing is in great need.

Seeing as Healing – Today we continue moving through the New Testament with a scene from the gospel of Mark wherein Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho and a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, called out to him loudly and repeatedly and told Jesus that he wanted Jesus to let him see again. Jesus healed him, restoring his eyesight. Delivering the sermon today is Rea Green, a ministry intern at our church. Rea is blind, which give her much insight into the story of Bartimaeus. She says that the story demonstrates showing someone for who they really are. In similar stories of healing the blind in other gospels, the blind person is not named. When Bartimaeus calls out, we don't know how long it has been since he has been seen, and people around him try to quiet him. Jesus, however, asks him what he needs, and, seeing him for who he is, restores his vision. The lesson is that Jesus sees us for who we are and responds according to our needs. We are all beloved children of God.

Jesus the Healer – This week Nashville suffered a devastating ice storm, and several other congregations whose churches are without power have joined us for this one service, our monthly communion service. The Children's Moment is delivered by Tyler Merritt, a storyteller, author, and actor, who did a presentation in our theatre before this service. As we work through the New Testament, today's scripture is the story from Mark of Jesus healing a leper. Carol begins by citing many crises of the weather this week, and how many of us have been in great stress and have felt isolated. The leper in Jesus' day was isolated because of his disease, and Jewish law prohibited him from being with others. When he cries out repeatedly to Jesus, the people around try to quiet him, but Jesus, hearing him, asks what he wants. Of course, he wants to be healed, and Jesus, moved with pity and deep compassion, does heal him, actually touching him in the process. From this we can learn that whatever isolates us, Jesus looks on us with compassion.

A Foundation of Grace – Due to a severe winter storm, church services were cancelled for Sunday, and this service was recorded Thursday evening so that it could be streamed on Sunday. We continue moving through the Gospel of Matthew, and the scripture is the last portion of the Sermon on the Mount wherein Jesus cautions those hearing him that they will not all end up with him, and he compares their directions to someone building a house on a rock versus someone building a house on sand. Rev. Will McLeane, our Pastor of Spiritual Formation, delivers the sermon and begins by describing his experience with a math teacher who was not at all satisfied with a correct answer to a problem but was most interested in how the problem was solved. Will says that for Jesus, too, the answer alone is not satisfactory, but the foundation on which the answer is built is crucial, and that foundation is grace. Will offers the example of John Wesley, our founder of Methodism, whose mission from England to the Georgia colony failed, and he later learned that he had offered the answer without the foundation of grace. Will tells us that if our life is currently shaky, we should look for transformation by building on the foundation of grace.

Let Us Pray – Today we continue moving through the Gospel of Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount with the very familiar passage in which Jesus teaches the people to pray and from which we have “The Lord's Prayer.” Carol begins by citing a minister, Bishop Robert Spain, who heavily influenced her through her youth and mentored her in her own ministry. However, he once shocked her by saying from the pulpit that he did not have the prayer life he wished he had. Since then she has realized that most of us are beginners in learning to pray, and for us to examine what Jesus taught can be of help. When Jesus said not to pray in public, in essence it is to say that prayer is not a performance for those around us or for God – God loves us and hears our prayers without our having to attract God's attention, and God knows our hearts. Saying “Thy will be done” can enlist us and shape how we act and live. Every pronoun in the prayer is plural, connecting us with others. “Give us this day our daily bread” can enlist us to help feed the hungry. There is much to learn from this passage about praying.

Going on to Perfection – Today through specific liturgy and acts we remember and reaffirm our own baptisms. We also continue with scripture from Matthew as we work through the New Testament in the coming months. In today's passage Jesus says that he has come to fulfill, rather than to abolish, the law and the prophets. He challenges his listeners to love their enemies and ends by telling them to “be perfect.” Carol begins her sermon by citing theologian Karl Barth who told people to carry the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, quite a difficult thing for us to do in today's world. It is difficult to love our enemies, but we know that God loves everyone, and, encouraged by Jesus, we must strive to love everyone, too. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, talked of going on to perfection, and in embracing our baptism we, too, can strive to follow God's lead to love everyone and thus to walk toward perfection.

Beginning with Blessing – Today is Epiphany Sunday, the day we traditionally celebrate the story of the birth of the messiah being revealed to the magi. But, as we've begun our trip through the New Testament, our scripture for today is from Matthew and is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus delivered to the crowds. This first part is the very familiar “Beatitudes,” such as “Blessed are the meek, . . .” and Carol explains that some English translations have “happy” instead of “blessed,” because the Greek of the text is a translation from the original Aramaic or Hebrew Jesus would have spoken. Our context is that in the past few days we have all used the expression, “Happy New Year!” and Carol asks us to consider what happiness means to us: comfort, prosperity, health, etc. But in these Beatitudes, Jesus challenges that idea by giving happiness/blessedness to the poor, meek, lowly, and in this sense the perspective of God is revealed. Jesus not only gives that comfort and possibility, he recruits those who listen and believe to support such happiness.

Awakening in Our Dreams – Today is the first Sunday after our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Delivering the sermon is Chris Dean, and it is based on the story in Matthew 2 of an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take Mary and Jesus and go to Egypt because of the threat of Herod. Then, further in that passage, an angel appears to Joseph in another dream, telling him to take Mary and the child back to Israel because Herod had died. These dreams of Joseph follow that first dream in which an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take the pregnant Mary as his wife, that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In his analysis, Chris gives some background for reading the Bible “like a child,” and then he relates Joseph's dreams in some measure to dreams most of us have had. He points out that the accounts of Joseph's dreams in the gospel are not detailed and elaborate, and perhaps the only crucial part is that God is present and communicating through those dreams. Even when Joseph, Mary, and the child are in danger, God demonstrates the divine presence in those dreams, and that is something we should take with us. Whatever is bothering us at any point, we need to remember that God is with us.

Today's Advent Podcast is led by Chris Dean and Sheyla Soriano, two members of West End's Spiritual Formation team. ...

Redirecting Obedience – Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, and the third Advent candle symbolizes love. The Rev. Will McLeane, our Pastor of Spiritual Formation is delivering the sermon, and the text from Matthew about the revelation to Joseph that his pregnant fiancé, Mary would bear a son conceived by the Holy Spirit. Rev. Will points out that this is certainly the season for decisions, such as what gift to get for whom, how to spend our seasonal time, but also, for some of us, there are serious decisions such as whether to take a different direction in our vocation. If we feel distressed with decision-making Joseph must have been stressed, having a fiancé who is pregnant, but not by him. The legal requirement in that time was divorce, but in a dream Joseph is told that the father is the Holy Spirit and the baby to be born is to be called Jesus. So Joseph and Mary make the decision to follow God's guidance. We need to recognize where, in our own lives, we resist God's call and understand that obedience to God can be freeing. The result of Joseph's decision is “Emmanuel,” “God with us!”

Today's Advent Podcast is led by Kay Gray and Allen Patton, two members of West End UMC's “Seasoned Seniors,” an Older Adult fellowship and connection group. ...

Today's Advent Podcast is led by Mackenzie Rice and Lu Johns-De La Garza, two undergraduate students at Vanderbilt and participants in Vanderbilt Wesley. ...

All in the Family – Today is the second Sunday of Advent, and, as the first Sunday of the month, it is also Communion Sunday. We are not only in Advent, awaiting the birth of the Christ child, but we are also beginning a study of the New Testament, and today's reading is from the first verses of the first Gospel, Matthew, verses that give the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham, as the writer of the first Gospel is addressing Jews. In our time, many people explore their ancestry with various methods of tracing their origins. But, as with the ancestors of Jesus listed in these verses, a lot of people find some messy episodes in their ancestry. Carol points out several such episodes in Jesus's ancestry, and that underscores his humanity. Nevertheless, as the birth of Jesus is evidenced as divine in the first Gospel, we find that we are no longer bound by any shortcomings in our lineage but are free to follow Jesus.

The Day Is Coming – Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Christian season of waiting. Carol asks us to ponder what we, personally, are waiting for. She gives some examples of things people are waiting for, both as individuals and as groups, and says that waiting can be difficult. And we now not only await the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but we also await the second coming of Jesus. We have recently spent a series of Sundays with Jeremiah's words before Israel's impending exile and then enduring that Babylonian exile, today's scripture is from Malachi to the post-exilic Israelites who were waiting for God's control to resume and for their return to normalcy. Malachi's words of deep hope from God, the last words in our Old Testament, promise a return of God's justice and point to a day when God is coming. Throughout Advent we will await the birth of the Christ child, and then beyond Advent we will turn to the Gospels to look at the life of Jesus as the model for God's return as leader on earth.

Investing in Hope – Today is “Reign of Christ Sunday” when we acknowledge and celebrate the centrality of God and Jesus as the overarching focus of our faith. Also today we are ending our series of readings and sermons based on the Book of Jeremiah. Today's passage from Jeremiah is quite odd and surprising. Jerusalem is about to be conquered by the Babylonians, and they know that's coming because of the Babylonian troops that are amassed close to the city. Jeremiah is in custody, placed there by King Josiah because of Jeremiah's frequent and urgent criticisms of the king and the people. But in this passage, Jeremiah is instructed by God to buy a plot of farmland in Anathoth, just outside Jerusalem, and he does so in a very public manner. That action goes against all reason because it is clear that inevitably and soon Jerusalem will be conquered and burned. Yet through this purchase Jeremiah and God make a statement that one day God will restore the people and the kingdom, and thus hope is not lost at all. We, too, are encouraged to have hope in God and in the Reign of Christ no matter our circumstance. And we are encouraged to share that hope with others.

Bloom Where You Are Planted – Today is “College Sunday” when we celebrate the college students worshipping among us. As part of that, college students are taking part in much of the service, and Daniel Cantrell, a graduate student at Belmont University, is preaching. We have been in a series of Sundays during which we are exploring the Book of Jeremiah, and in today's passage, the Lord, through Jeremiah, assures the Israelites in Babylonian captivity that they will return from exile and God will attend to their calls. In his message to us, Daniel cites some periods of his own life when he had lost community and was, in some measure, in exile. We, too, experience exile when we lose community, but in surrendering to God's control, we can return from exile into community under God. No matter our age or our condition, God is not through working through us, and God can turn our exile into purpose if we are willing.

Even in Exile – In an exchange of preachers, today the Rev. Sam McGlothlin, the senior pastor at Belle Meade United Methodist Church, is preaching for us, while Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon is preaching there. We have been in a series of Sundays during which we are exploring the Book of Jeremiah, and to prepare us for today's passage, Rev. McGlothlin reviewed the Book of Jeremiah we have explored to this point, his being called as a young person by God to remind God's people of their relationship with God in the past and to urge them to give up the things that have caused them to stray. Now, however, they are in exile in Babylon, and today's passage is a message to those in exile that they need to seek and enable the welfare of others, including their captors, in that foreign land. Rev. McGlothlin interweaves family stories to illustrate that sometimes one's frustration and anger can prevent our reaching out to others, and perhaps there were some in Babylonian captivity who could reach out, but others could not. We, too, are called to reach out and minister to others, even if we are frustrated by our own situation. This passage in Jeremiah demonstrates that even in exile they and we can nurture others and live in God's grace.

Living by Heart – Today is All Saints Sunday, an annual celebration of the lives of those who have gone before us, whether they be in the faith, in the history of our church, among our own families and friends, but, especially, honoring the lives of those West End UMC members who have died since last year's All Saints Sunday. Their names are printed on the bulletin covers, and, as part of the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ's Church, their names are read aloud and a candle is lit honoring each one. It is also a communion service, and the liturgy is largely from Thomas Cranmer, written nearly 500 years ago, and used through the history of the Methodist Church. Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon, in delivering the Communion Meditation, reminds us of the eternal love of God, felt by those before us through the centuries. We have been in a series of Sundays during which we are exploring the Book of Jeremiah, and in today's scripture, God is holding out a new covenant for the people of Israel if they will return to him. Carol reminds us of Jeremiah's place in the history of Israel, when he was reminding the people that God is ever seeking them, yearning, as God does today, for relationship with God's people, and we can see that in those who have gone before us, and we, too, can respond to God's eternal love.

A walking (or sitting) meditation that you can use to pray and give God thanks for your pet

The Potter's Hands – We are in a series of Sundays during which we are exploring the Book of Jeremiah, and in today's scripture, God tells Jeremiah to go to a potter's house where he witnesses the potter re-working a clay vessel whose clay had spoiled. God uses this to illustrate to Jeremiah God's intent to re-work Israel, possibly destroying it if Israel doesn't listen to his word and turn from its evil ways. God had initially brought these people out of Egypt and to the Promised Land, living as a community in the kingdom of God. But in the intervening time they had turned to their own rulers, set up kings, and the people had split into Judah and the Northern Kingdom. God wants them to return to being a beloved community with God at the center and nobody left out. What might Jeremiah call us to be and do in our day? Are we not to be the church with everyone having a place at the table? Are we not called to be kind and generous to everyone? Jesus said that when we do these things to the least of these, we do them to him.

First, the Bad News – We are in a series of Sundays during which we are exploring the Book of Jeremiah. Last week the scripture and sermon were about the call of Jeremiah to be a prophet when he was but a child. This week the reading is from a section in Jeremiah 2 wherein God's word delivered by Jeremiah denounces the idolatry and faithlessness of God's people, thus giving the bad news before giving the good news. This section is very much the language of litigation in which God, through Jeremiah, first lays out what God had done for the people through history and then accuses them of abandoning God. These words are first delivered to people in power: priests, kings, and other leaders. But Jeremiah's words challenge us to evaluate our own allegiances, whether we focus on ideologies or on ourselves more than on God. Although these words are harsh and challenging, there is always good news in that God has not abandoned the people but is urging them to turn around. Likewise, God is ever hoping we will turn to God, and Jeremiah delivers such words of accusation and hope. The future depends on our accepting God's desire for us to turn.

Stop Making Excuses – Today we welcome Toi King, lead pastor at Clark Memorial UMC, as our guest preacher. We are beginning a series on the prophet, Jeremiah, and today's scripture is the first part of the book wherein Jeremiah receives a call from God. Rev. King begins by asking if we've made excuses when someone asks us to do something we don't want to do, or when someone asks us to do something we don't feel like we can do. The call of Jeremiah is like that as Jeremiah offers some excuses. Rev. King gives us some historical setting for Jeremiah as the kingdom had been split into Israel and Judah, their kings had, through some years, become evil, and many of the people had either rejected or ignored God. God selects Jeremiah to preach God's word to these two nations that are about to fall as nations with Jerusalem destroyed and many people taken to Babylon in captivity. Being a prophet, especially in that era, was not an easy job. Rev. King cites her own call to ministry, the excuses she posed when God called her, but the end product is that she is here, leading a congregation. All of us are called by God, and, much as God did with Jeremiah and Toi, God assures us of God's presence and aid in everything we are called to do. We are called to be the Jeremiahs in our generation.

Jesus Beyond the Border – Today is World Communion Sunday, and the scripture is the story in Luke of Jesus traveling, and, on his way, healing ten lepers, only one of whom returns to praise God and thank Jesus, and that fellow was a Samaritan. Carol told of an experience she had some years ago visiting a children's hospital in Israel where staff members were from various countries and the patients, children, were from various places as well. But together the atmosphere at the hospital was inclusive and focused on healing. In Jesus' time, Samaritans and Jews did not get along, but in this specific story, Jesus was inclusive of the ten lepers, no matter their origins. At the end of the healing he instructs them to go see a priest to get clearance that they are healed. Most do, focused on getting back to the lives they led before coming down with leprosy. But the one who turned back to Jesus came not only to thank him but to become a follower. It is an example for us on World Communion Sunday, following the example of Jesus and the leper to reach out to everyone and include them.

Lost and Found – Today's scripture involves the familiar parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, but of critical importance is the setting for them. Jesus is having dinner with tax collectors and “sinners,” but the Pharisees and scribes were not happy that he was gathering with such people. The parables challenge their objections and demonstrate God's willingness to seek out any who are lost and rejoice greatly when they return to the fold. In laying this out for us, Carol gives an example of our Methodist ancestor, John Wesley, who, in an era when it was not at all proper to preach anywhere but in a church building, went to the mines and preached to the miners, who, having been on the outskirts of society, were drawn in by God's invitation through Wesley's preaching. This evolved into Wesley's later setting up weekly meetings of such people, the ancestors of our Sunday school gatherings. This message is important for each of us if/when we are feeling lost. God is active in seeking us out, and if and when we return to the fold, there is great rejoicing. NOTE: There was a microphone issue during the scripture reading.

Today's scripture is a scene from Luke wherein Jesus tells his disciples a story about a rich man and another man named Lazarus who is covered in sores and frequently lies on the steps of the rich man's house, hoping for food scraps. But the rich man pays no attention to Lazarus, failing to see him as a human sibling. Jesus frequently in parables and in the beatitudes, for example, calls on people to love and care for others, calling on us to mind the gap between ourselves and others. In our current day and time, doing so can be a great challenge, but we are all members of God's family, challenged to embrace those whom we might not have considered before.

A Shrewd Investment – Today's scripture is a scene from Luke wherein Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a rich man who finds out that his manager has been squandering his property and confronts that manager, This parable can evoke questions and can be confusing because the manager, to save himself, does some things we might have expected from someone who is conniving and not honest. It can be puzzling that Jesus would have told this example of the rich and dishonest to his listeners who were likely not wealthy. The manager is clearly looking out for himself, and perhaps Jesus is encouraging his followers to be creative and clever in the economy of God, where, in Luke's gospel, there is an emphasis that the last shall be first. Is Jesus encouraging us to cancel debts and exhibit forgiveness and grace creatively where people who have been pushed out are, by our creativity and cleverness, pulled in and embraced? Carol offers some real-life examples of people who used shrewdness to advance faith and further God's grace.

Scripture Reflections – Today is Children's Sabbath, and children are leading many parts of the service, including the sermon. Emilia Fazio and Caroline Thompson deliver the sermon consisting of reflections on the very familiar Parable of the Mustard Seed in Luke 13. Small things can make big differences, so they encourage us to do kind deeds every day that can grow into amazing things. One example given was Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish activist who made great strides in raising awareness of climate change across the world.

From Big Fan to True Disciple – Today's scripture is a scene from Luke where Jesus is addressing the crowds and challenges them in a number of ways, some of which seem very harsh. Carol begins by talking about Taylor Swift and the hordes of her fans. This story in Luke has Jesus surrounded by hordes of people, fans, who travel with Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke there are concentric circles of people with Jesus, the closest of which is his group of disciples. This story distinguishes what it means to be a disciple as opposed to being a fan of Jesus, and the question for us is whether we are fans or disciples. Carol refers to a sermon of John Wesley called, “Almost Christian.” This challenge by Jesus in Luke for people to be disciples can seem very challenging for us. In the story, Jesus doesn't reject or condemn those who aren't disciples but is inviting them to become disciples. This comparison is also hyperbole, telling them/us that to become a disciple we have to be all-in and live a life of full commitment. When Jesus says, “If you do not hate” family, he likely does not mean for you turn your life against your family, but letting the love of Christ be your guide is crucial. On another of the points in the words of Jesus, the question is how we manage our possessions and regard them. For us, the question is whether we're a fan or a disciple. Jesus does not reject those who aren't disciples, but he encourages them, and us, to commit to move toward discipleship.

Lifted – Today's scripture is a story about Jesus healing a crippled woman, a story that is found only in the Gospel of Luke. There is little detail about the scene in the text, so Carol asks us to imagine what it must have involved. According to the writer of the gospel, Jesus frequently taught in the synagogue, and this crippled woman came in late on this day. Some probably knew her and were used to this. In that time, many believed that someone crippled was suffering that condition because of some sin. Jesus, however, had compassion, reached out and touched her, thus healing her. For the first time in eighteen years, the woman rose up to look into the eyes of Jesus. She was now free, rejoicing, and praising God. A lesson in this is that God wants to liberate us from anything that is binding us. But in the story the leader of the synagogue then rose up to hijack the whole scene because this was done on the Sabbath, blaming the woman for coming to be healed on the Sabbath, which represents the condemnation that some religious leaders offer. Jesus confronted that leader with a harsh response, a message that God offers freedom and love to those who find themselves bound, bound by physical limits, depression, whatever. We, as individuals and as a church, are invited by this to be a people of grace such that anyone feels welcomed and knows they are accepted and loved.

For the Sake of the Joy – Today's scripture is from the letter to the Hebrews, and the Rev. Will McLeane, our Pastor of Spiritual Formation, is preaching. He begins by asking us to recall times when we were in the midst of something and suddenly wondered why we are doing what we're doing, and what's the end of all of it? The writer of Hebrews is addressing a community that is experiencing that kind of questioning, perhaps because of their questions about following Jesus. The letter has many references to figures of faith in the Hebrew scriptures as examples in the face of difficulty, such as Abraham who was summoned to leave his home, land, and people and travel to a place he did not know. Will gave some personal examples of such, as he had felt the pressure of being the lead runner in a 4x800-meter relay. Another example was that of a cyclist at the head of a peloton in a bicycle race, that leader not only dealing with the headwinds, but the cyclist's aerodynamics actually pulling those behind along. In this sense, Jesus, as our example, pulls us through. Jesus overcame the cross and will carry us through life and into the joy of the saints. The first two verses of Hebrews 12 offer that challenge to “lay aside every weight” and persevere in the race, looking to Jesus who endured the cross and is our leader, calling us to care for others, study scripture, gather for worship, and experience the fulness of Christ's joy.

Exhaling Hallelujah – In our last Sunday of our summer look at psalms, today we are considering Psalm 150, the last psalm in the Book of Psalms. The word, “hallelujah,” derives from the Hebrew, a blend of two words that mean “Praise YAH! This final psalm in the Book of Psalms is a crescendo of praise for God. Carol first briefly reviews some of the psalms we've studied this summer, the range of situations and emotions they address, and today with this final psalm we are at the culminating call to praise. Psalms and this psalm are also very much in the middle of the scriptures, a highlight and focus for all of the scriptures. What does it mean to praise the Lord? Perhaps it is offering our whole selves toward God. Praise is not transactional, offering God praise for something in return, rather we are called to offer ourselves in praise to our Creator. Besides God, there is nothing or no one worthy of our praise, and we praise God for God's steadfast love and faithfulness to us, even at times when we're in the midst of grief or longing. The psalm says there is no place where we cannot praise God, even if we're not in the sanctuary. It also calls on all of creation to praise God. Our very breath can be praise, exhaling “Hallelujah” with every breath.

Fully Known – In our summer look at psalms, today we are considering Psalm 139. Carol points out that there are many people around our church in apartments, condominiums, hotels, hospitals, and dorms, and she cites research that shows that individuals are often lonely. As a church, how do we deal with that, not only the loneliness in those people, but also the loneliness of those in our congregation? Psalm 139, attributed to David, expresses awareness that God knows the psalmist intimately and has known the psalmist, even before his birth. This is comforting, but the psalm also expresses knowledge that God is always watching, and that can be uncomfortable. Trying to hide our doubts and things we would rather God doesn't know can be damaging, but realizing that God does know our innermost thoughts can also be cleansing. The last part of the psalm expresses the psalmist's hatred for certain people and things, and since God knows everything about the psalmist, perhaps it is best to confess such feelings and come clean. The psalmist ends by asking God to keep searching him. This is a gift of witness we can offer to the lonely, loving each other, holding each other accountable, never forgetting that each of us is completely known and loved by God.

The Power of Stillness – In our summer look at psalms, today we are considering Psalm 46. Rev. Carol Cavin-Dillon begins with a look at the hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul,” an arrangement of which was sung early in the service by Rebecca and Kyle Collier, and which Carol's extended family sang three times during their annual reunion and camp meeting last week. The hymn's author, Horatio Spafford, wrote it in 1873 after unimaginable losses of his son to scarlet fever, and then losses of his wife and four daughters in a shipwreck. The hymn and situation for its writing is very much demonstrative of Psalm 46 where the psalmist expresses that God is a very present help in trouble. The psalm describes both natural disasters and human issues such as wars, and in the midst of such troubles it encourages us that God is ever present and is our refuge. The psalm cautions us to be still and know God's power and presence. Carol gives us some examples, both Biblical and in our lives, of how crucial and important stillness can be. Stillness may not be an end in itself, but it may be a means to know God's presence and realize that God's love will always hold us.

A Psalm for Our Worst Days – In our summer look at psalms, today we are considering Psalm 22, and tenor, Scott Brons, chants the reading of the psalm with the congregation singing a response, and the Rev. Stacey Harwell-Dye, our Pastor of Mercy and Justice Ministries, delivers the sermon. Sometimes the words of scripture are desperate, expressed by someone being utterly alone, misunderstood, surrounded by enemies, and this psalm is a prime example. According to two of the Gospels, lines from this psalm were quoted by Jesus from the cross, which makes it very familiar for us. Stacey preached a sermon on Psalm 22 a year ago in her prison ministry to prisoners who may be feeling more pain than most of us. In this psalm the psalmist expresses: Where is God's care when I need it most? I have a problem with those around me. I am experiencing impending death. It is clear how this would have been on the mind of Jesus on the cross. And it's also clear that this psalm expresses one's feelings in the midst of the flood in Texas, or in many other situations in our day. But the psalm ends with a statement of faith that declares nobody is forgotten or beneath the concern or care of God. The psalm is good news for the lowly, the afflicted, the poor. Even death does not have the final say. God is always with us, even through pain and death.

The God Who Sees – In our summer look at psalms, today we are considering Psalm 94, and we read it as a call-and-response reading with the congregation. In some ways it is a shocking psalm, crying out for God's judgment on the wicked, those who oppress God's people, but it is certainly appropriate for us to read for Justice Sunday. Carol begins her sermon by considering the separation of church and state, citing times in history when church support for a particular king or group was injurious, when people of faith want to be in power. But there have also been significant times when the church has held leaders accountable and have advocated for the oppressed. Throughout the Bible, beginning with the Ten Commandments, we are called on to care for the widow and the orphan. Jesus was the prime example, spending time with those who were outcasts. Psalm 94 cries out to God because the leaders of the people are unjust and there are many who are suffering. We are called to look at our society through the lens of God's heart. The writer of Psalm 94 turns toward God's justice. What might we do as a church together to forward God's desire for justice, love, and hope?

The One (and Only One) We Worship – In our summer look at psalms, today we are focusing on the very familiar Psalm 100. It is a short psalm that is all about worship. Carol describes Sundays for most of us, parts of our worship, then asks why we go through all the trouble to get ready and come to Sunday worship. It is God who gives us life, who accepts us, who loves us, and our response is that God is worthy of our devotion. There are many people and things we can worship, but only God is worthy of our worship, and the psalmist gives some examples of how we can worship, entering with thanksgiving and praise. But sometimes we come into worship with anger, frustration, confusion from things in our lives such as the deaths of the children in the Texas floods this week. But the psalmist tells us to come into the presence of God with praise and singing, and doing so can be healing. As we worship God, we, ourselves, can become more in God's fold and behave more in God's spirit.

On the Road with God – In our summer look at psalms, today we are focusing on Psalm 121. Instead of reading this psalm in the scripture section of our service it is being sung with a sung response from the congregation, reminding us that the psalms were very likely originally sung. This past week was our annual Vacation Bible School for elementary school children, and that is a significant part of the worship service today. The theme for VBS was “Road Trip,” and one of the songs, which they sang today in the Children's Moment, was “On the Road with God.” The sermon begins by noting that much of scripture reflects that theme of journeying. Psalm 121 is in a section of “Psalms of Ascent” in the midst of the Book of Psalms, highlighting psalms that may well have been sung as part of traveling to Jerusalem. Psalm 121 is a blessing for a traveler. The word, “keep” (or “keeper”) referring to God appears six times in this psalm. God as our keeper does not mean we are protected from illness or job loss or such things, but it does mean that God is with us no matter what happens to us. We are not alone. We can see it not only in our own lives but in the lives of those around us. Going forward, what does it mean for us that God is with us? It means that we can step out on our journey with boldness and without fear, joining the throng as individuals joined the throng traveling to Jerusalem.

The One True Shepherd – In our summer look at psalms, today's scripture is the very familiar 23rd Psalm. Senior Minister, the Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon begins by talking about the familiarity of this psalm as it has landed in the midst of a time of great conflict. The psalms run the gamut of emotions with some full of praise and joy and others expressing despair. While she leads us through the psalm in her sermon, she invites us to explore our own feelings as we explore it, too. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” is a declaration that reminds us that nobody leads us except “the Lord,” and because of that we lack nothing. The next part of the psalm describes what the Lord provides for us. We are charged with working for justice and the furtherance of God's plan, but we are also invited to re-charge through rest and also through worship together. All are invited to God's table, including those who might be “enemies.” The psalm ends with the assurance that we are not pursued by enemies but by the goodness and lovingkindness of God and the declaration that we will live with the Lord forever.

Trusting Thirst – Today is Trinity Sunday, and, in our summer look at psalms, today's is Psalm 42. The Rev. Will McLeane, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, delivers the sermon. This psalm is full of emotion, pain, and longing as a thirst for God. Thirst is something that connects us to all living beings, and Psalm 42 is based on the desperate thirst for God. Will begins with an article he recently read on how hydration is critical to the players in the French Open tennis tournament. This particular psalm through the centuries has expressed desperation and longing for God. Even the last words of Jesus express such a situation. We often, in times of desperation, reach out to things like food, drink, drugs, but the psalmist reaches out to God. Psalms often say it like it is, and this one remembers how it once was, how it should be, but says that it is not that way now, and it appeals to God to restore things. The generosity of God is the bedrock of faith. Rev. Will gives several current examples of desperation where those suffering are also exemplifying their faith, and his central example is that of Mother Teresa. Even if we can't imagine God's blessing in the midst of our troubles, our courage in faith can bless those around us.

One in the Spirit – Today is Pentecost Sunday, and, in addition to our Summer of Psalms reading from Psalm 133, we hear the Pentecost story from the Book of Acts when, after the crucifixion and resurrection, believers are gathered and, miraculously, see and feel the flames of the Holy Spirit. In her sermon, Carol describes sitting in her office early in the week and hearing an odd sound, then realizing it was a bird at the window, attempting to get in. Not recognizing the type of bird, she consulted her phone app and was struck by the beauty and diversity of the breeds of birds, their features, and their songs. We live in God's creation where the variety of lands, plants, animals, and people is demonstrative of divine creativity and design. In the Pentecost story, one of the features is that people are gathered from many lands and languages, and yet, in the Spirit, they can hear and understand those other tongues. God's mercy and love extend to every culture and land, and God's wish is that we all live together in unity. Psalm 133 is a “Psalm of Ascents,” one of the songs the people sang when going to Jerusalem for festivals, and it emphasizes living together in unity. Today, our world needs to experience the unity of love. (NOTE: The church is in the process of upgrading the lighting and sound systems in the sanctuary, and the quality of the sound for today's service was affected greatly by the upgrades not yet being completed.)

The Wisdom of Trees – This morning we travel our Summer of Psalms by reading Psalm 1. The Communion Meditation is delivered by our Senior Minister, the Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon. She notes that there are references to trees throughout the Bible. The Genesis story of the Garden of Eden has stories involving several trees, and in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is also a tree of life. Carol lists some other familiar stories of trees in the Bible, and here, in the first Psalm, is an example of a tree as a very positive image for us. As pointed out in the psalm, she examines the characteristics of righteousness versus wickedness, as we do not often classify ourselves in either extreme, but maybe the images aren't extreme. The image of a tree whose roots are deep is a clear example for us, keeping practices of justice and righteousness at the forefront of our lives so we cannot be moved. Trees with deep roots at a stream as depicted in Psalm 1 never stop growing, and that, too, is an example for us so that we, too, continue to be challenged and growing, standing our ground in the deep soil of God's ways. If we are thus grounded, we, too, may bear fruit to feed the world.