Hummelstown UCC Podcast

John 9 What actions, practices, or prayers help you turn away from status-seeking and grabbing for power? What actions embody the humility of a child?

Mark 6:32-44 Ephesians 3:20-21“Now to those who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantlyfar more than all we can ask or imagine, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus toall generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Where do you see examples of God’s still, small voice moving amongst your community, perhaps multiplying “the smallest offerings” into abundance?

Luke 7:36-50 Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me somethingto drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave meclothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer, ‘when was it that we saw you hungry and gave youfood or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And w...

John 2:1-11 Matthew 13:31-32“Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustardseed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, butwhen it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds ofthe air come and make nests in its branches.”When have you witnessed something flourishing unexpectedly? What stories...

Luke 14:15-24 the good news is… all are invited. This lent, we are grounding ourselves in the good news of Jesus’ teachings. Over thenext 7 weeks, our objective is not to simply examine some of the core tenets of Jesus’ministry, but to truly embody them in our daily lives. This text for ash Wednesday wasselected primarily to focus on invitation and Jesus’ emphasis on radical inclusion; inthis para...

Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9 Desmond Tutu “God places us in the world as fellow workers- agents of transfiguration. We workwith God so that injustice is transfigured into justice. So there will be morecompassion and caring. That there will be more laughter and joy. That there will bemore togetherness in God’s world.”

Exodus 1:15-21 #15 from “Thirty Poems of Courage”By Tina Datsko de SánchezMusic is my courage, for my soul is only a wooden flutesounded by the breath of God. Dancing is my courage, for these legs and arms are a windmilltwirled by the playful gusts of God.

Luke 19:1-10 Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko de SánchezIt is no surprise we feel more courageous in the company of friends. The truth of our being can only be seen when we are united togetherPlugged into the Friend, we become a net of light illuminating the world

Genesis 33:1-11 Winston Churchill “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sitdown and listen.”

DANIEL 6:1-23; Acts 16:16-34 #1 Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko SánchezIt is not your strength,it will never be your strength,that gives you courage. It will only be your abilityto lean on the Friend,to trust the arm that will never let you go.

Psalm 34: 1-18; Matthew 3: 13-17: The Baptism of Jesus Hearts Afire: The Courage to Say Yes What does it mean for us to live courageously as God’s people in the midst of the  daily grind of life? How do we claim our courage with an abiding hope as we  worship through such a time as this? The latin root “cor” reminds us that the word  courage means “to speak from one’s heart.” Courage is a matter o...

Matthew 2:1–15 Leader: Beloved of God, Epiphany is the season of revealing— the holy momentwhen what is hidden becomes known. We light these candles to proclaim the truthwe know— to make visible the God’s Presence already among us. Four travelerscome forward: three stargazers and a shepherd. Each carries a taper to light fromthe Christ Candle— each bears a gift that God desires of us: Justice, Joy...

Matthew 3:1-12; Malachi 3:1-6 In the second week of Advent, we turn our hearts toward peace—not a fragile quiet, but the deep, steady peace God plants within us and calls us to share with the world. In this episode, we explore what it means to be people of peace in turbulent times: peace that heals, peace that resists injustice, peace that welcomes every neighbor just as they are. Grounded in the...

Mark 13:24-37; Isaiah 2:1-5 Vigilant Hope As we enter the first week of Advent, we lean into vigilant hope—the kind of hope that keeps watch, pays attention, and believes that God is doing a new thing even when the world feels weary. In this episode, we explore how hope is not passive waiting but active, courageous expectancy. Rooted in the inclusive love of the United Church of Christ, we reflect...

Psalm 100; Philippians 4:4-9; Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Building Community... What too will you use?

Ruth 1: 14-22; Acts 10: 34-47 “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best islove correcting everything that stands against love.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Job 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:9-18 “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most inthe world.” Philip Pullman

Psalm 149: Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31 Today we are celebrating All Saints Day. We recognize that we have saints in ourown lives who have formed our faith in some way and who have passed on from thislife. So on All Saints Day, we celebrate, honor, and remember these forebearers ofthe faith. Today in worship we will read aloud the names of the saints in ourc...

1 Samuel 1:1-18; Mark 5:21-43 “Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pureheart.” -José N. Harris

Genesis 2:4-15; John 1:35-51 Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. -Brené Brown

1 Chronicles 29:10, 13, 14b-17; Ephesians 2:19-22; Matthew 7:24-27 One: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion ofthe Holy Spirit be with you all. Many: And also with you.

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Amos 6: 1-2, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Luke 16:19-31: The Rich Man and Lazarus Psalm 146, The Message VersionHallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I’ll praise God, singing songs to myGod as long as I live. Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing oflife, of salvation life. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, theirprojec...

Psalm 113: God the Helper of the Needy; Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13 "Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend ahand." -Edward Everett Hale

Psalm 51:1-12; Luke 14:25-33 “The community member stared at the bill the Afghan family had just shown her,aghast. She had no idea how they would pay this, no idea how she might be ableto help them. She’d been involved with the immigrant community around her foryears, welcoming families, connecting them with resources, being invited into theirhomes for tea – so much tea. But this season felt diffe...

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-21 “Some people came to (Kolkata), and before leaving, they begged me: ‘Tell ussomething that will help us to live our lives better.’ And I said, ‘Smile at one another;smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other-it doesn’t matter who it is-and that will help you to grow up in greater love for eachother.’ And...