Church of the Messiah UMC

The beginning of the Bible is a carefully crafted story about God creating and ordering the whole cosmos. The first three chapters of Genesis reveal why God creates, what the creation is for, how the creation got off track, and about God’s graceful rescue in the face of rebellion. Understanding the beginning is essential for understanding the entire biblical story. Let’s grow together in our under...

You may have heard the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” several times over the past few weeks. Whenever I hear it I think of Bing Crosby crooning “Do you see what I see … a star, a star, dancing in the night ...” While this tune has become a Christmas classic, it was written in 1962 by Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As we come this Sunday to celeb...

Have you ever planted a seed? The soil must be prepared, fertilized, watered. The seed placed at just the right depth. Then, the waiting while the seed germinates in secret. One day – hello there! – the seed sprouts and a plant begins to grow and thrive. The rituals in our lives are like seeds. Seeds planted by God, seeds planted by the church, seeds planted by our families, even seeds we’ve plant...

“No vacancies,” the sign on the inn reads. And though Jesus comes into the world in a crowded, unexpected place, God makes room. God is always making room in crowded, unexpected places. That’s what Jesus’ birth story is about – God making room for great joy to break in beyond our boundaries, for awe to push past the limits of our expectations for welcome to be extended in unlikely places to unlike...

Following the birth of his son, Zechariah sings a song of praise for God’s protection and promise. After Elizabeth proclaims God’s blessing upon Mary, Mary sings a song of hope in God’s liberating freedom. As we prepare for Christ’s birth, may we sing songs of hope, justice, and joy. We'll hear God’s word of hope and joy proclaimed through our music this week, as the Messiah Chancel Choir and spec...

Have you noticed? Children see the world differently. For a child, a ladybug is a miracle. A pine tree is a wonder. Water isn’t for hydration but for joyous exploration! As adults, we too often forget this language of awe and wonder. When we forget, we distance ourselves from God. Joy is the antidote to the weariness of our world. We find joy, and hope, and peace in the experience of awe and wonde...

We see in the story of Mary and Elizabeth that joy often expands in connection and community. When we can't rejoice, we can carry one another’s joy. This is what Elizabeth and Mary do for one another – as Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s door, the child Elizabeth carries leaps for joy, and she is filled with the Holy Spirt. She can’t help but rejoice, and her joy is contagious. This Sunday, let’s explo...

There's power in naming a thing – a truth, a feeling, a dream. There's power, as we begin the season of Advent, in naming the weariness we carry around with us. Strained relationships, global insecurity, flagging health, loss of direction, pervasive violence ... you name it, it contributes to our weariness. Maybe we've resigned ourselves to the idea that "this is just how things are." This Sunday,...

There's a lot to be said about the good old days - the way things used to be. It's easy to remember, and to long to go back to how it was when we were kids, when life was easier. When we follow Jesus, remembering is for one purpose - to be reminded of who God was and will always be, so that we're encouraged for our future. This Sunday, as we continue thinking together about leaving life Better Tha...

November! This time of year, our thoughts turn to family gatherings, holiday obligations, end-of-year deadlines, next year’s opportunities, time changes, shorter days, longer nights, and more. I hope you’ll step away from all that for a few moments this weekend to join us in worship as we celebrate All Saints Day. On All Saint’s Day, we take time to remember those who have passed on and to celebra...

Life is a marathon, not a sprint – or so the saying goes. Or what if life was a relay race, with each person playing their part on the team for an overall win? A team of different gifts unified for a common goal. So may be the church - unified around Jesus, using the different gifts he gives us through the Spirit. Let’s talk about the tough and beautiful stuff that comes with difference and how to...

Jesus tells a story in the gospels, a story about a person who plants a seed. It’s a tiny seed, from the mustard plant. The person plants the seed with intention and care, and the seed grows. It grows until it becomes a great tree, and becomes home to all kinds of creatures. What started as a tiny seed became a garden-shaping plant. This is what God’s good news does, Jesus says – it reshapes whate...

“Love the sinner, hate the sin” - it’s something we say when we come across someone doing something that’s probably ‘wrong’, coupled with the understanding that we should love them no matter what. Too often, it’s a phrase that minimizes personal responsibility amid harm while doing nothing to find solutions for harmful behavior. God speaks to us through Luke 6 with a different take on sin and sinn...

“Everything happens for a reason” - it’s something we say when a season of life feels hard, or when something happens in our lives and world that we didn’t ask for or plan. Just like a kid who wants a Band-Aid for every hurt, we have a Band-Aid phrase that we apply to feel better when things are rough. God speaks to us through Romans 8 with a different take on where we see God when tough things ha...

The Bible is the story of God and God’s people. God gives God’s word to us as a gift, for inspiration, for teaching, and for correction, so that everyone who follows Jesus might become more like God. Over the years, though, we’ve read meanings, ideas and even phrases into the Bible that simply aren't there. This means we can misunderstand and misinterpret life “truths,” and call them “biblical”. U...