Hyde Park United Methodist

One of Ecclesiastes recurring themes is that we do not control the future, and all we have is the power to savor the present moment. The invitation to “eat, drink, and be merry” is not tantamount to gluttony, but is a reminder to relish the here and now. There is wisdom to that kind of mindfulness, even though it is elusive to apply. And in the end, Ecclesiastes affirms a truth that is underscored...

This week on Beyond the Sermon, Michael Dougherty sits down with Sally Campbell-Evans to explore the book of Ecclesiastes and the surprising truth that joy and suffering can coexist. They discuss finding God in the middle of life’s hardest moments, why “everything happens for a reason” doesn’t always help, and how simple practices like prayer, gratitude, and sharing life with others can help us no...

For all its perceptions as being too nihilistic and depressing, Ecclesiastes can actually be liberating. It frees us from a kind of “toxic positivity” that would have us believe that everything is okay, and that everything is going to be alright. That may often be the case, but it is the journey – full of highs and lows, ups and downs – that is a realistic experience in life. Like the rest of wisd...

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat Hotho and Pastor Magrey deVega explore the surprising hope hidden in Ecclesiastes. They discuss how life can hold grief and hope, endings and beginnings, all at once, and how paying attention to our own experiences can help us find wisdom in the complexity of life. Magrey also shares the story behind his upcoming book, "A Time for Wisdom: Finding Hope...

In the end, Proverbs provides a full collection of maxims, many of which can be directly applied to our lives. The result is wisdom that is both understood and embodied, so that we become living lessons that others can learn from. Reflection questions: 1. What's a short saying you live by right now? What happened that made you need it? 2. Proverbs 22:6 says a child raised the right way won&ap...

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat Hotho is joined by his wife, Reverend Emily Hotho, to explore Proverbs 31 and what it means to live with wisdom in our everyday lives. Together, they unpack the idea of a “woman of valor,” challenge the pressure to live up to impossible expectations, and reflect on how faithfulness in the small things can make a meaningful difference. They also share the s...

The book of Proverbs is filled with easily portable and memorable ideas. At first glance, they might seem too trite to be helpful, much like we take fortune cookies with a grain of salt. But collectively, they point to how the ancient Israelites saw the world, and how we can be faithful in asking hard questions about life. Is there really a cause-and-effect relationship between our actions and the...

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat and Pastor Magrey deVega put the Book of Proverbs to the test with a little “Proverbs Roulette.” They randomly select passages and try to make sense of what these ancient sayings can teach us about honesty, relationships, suffering, our words, and everyday life. Along the way, they unpack some unexpected proverbs, surprising interpretations, and a few mome...

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat sits down with Pastor Magrey deVega to unpack the second half of Job and the questions it raises about suffering, God’s power, free will, and what it means to trust a bigger picture we can’t always see. They also explore why wisdom often comes with time and experience, and how the wisdom literature invites us to step back and see the human story from a wid...

Job suffers and serves as a spokesperson for all humanity. He interrogates God, an act which itself can be a hopeful reminder that God encourages and allows that kind of intimate relationship. The result, in a way, is that Job puts God on “trial,” asking God for justification for all the harshness of life. And then in chapter 28, there is a “verdict” of sorts: the only source for wisdom to help na...

The sufferings of Job are legendary, but the hardest part of his story to comprehend is the source and conditions of that suffering. Does God really conduct such bargaining with suffering? That kind of level playing field between good and evil is certainly problematic, but it gives us insight into the way our ancient spiritual ancestors viewed the world at the time. How do we wrestle with question...

This week Mat and Magrey kick off A Time For Wisdom by diving into the book of Job and what happens when the answers we've relied on no longer make sense. They talk about faith, doubt, unfairness, and the possibility that questioning what we believe can actually make room for something deeper and more expansive. Along the way, they explore why these ancient wisdom texts still speak so directl...

This week Mat and Magrey wrap up Well Rounded by talking about money, work, rest, and what it really means to give. From John Wesley’s approach to stewardship to Paul’s call to generosity, they explore why giving isn’t about getting something back — it’s about recognizing what we’ve been given and choosing how we use it. Because generosity isn’t just about money. It’s about the way we give our tim...

Structured similarly to the Three Simple Rules, Wesley had three simple rules regarding money: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. It echoes his famous maxim, “Do all the good “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” Wesley saw money for i...

In the final week of Well Rounded, Decker sits down with Pastor Magrey deVega to unpack John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. Their conversation explores how daily practices can become part of who we are, why we have more agency than we sometimes realize, and how small choices can add value to the people and world around us. Along the way, they talk abou...

One of the most famous Wesleyan formulations is his “Three Simple Rules,” which are easy to remember but challenging to apply in every aspect of life: Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God (or, more formally, observe all the ordinances and commands of God.) In many ways, this is an extension of the teachings of Jesus, both in the Great Commandment and Golden Rule, as well as the Rule of S...

This week Mat and Magrey talk about what happens when faith and science seem to collide—and why they don't have to. Drawing from Magrey’s own experience of having his fundamentalist understanding of faith challenged by science, they explore the danger of certainty, the value of curiosity, and how both faith and science can invite us into a deeper sense of wonder. They also talk about how soci...

Given that reason is a part of our Wesleyan Quadrilateral, it should be no surprise to hear that Wesley believed that science and faith could be in productive dialogue with each other. He posited numerous ideas about science and was keenly interested in the writings of natural philosophers of his time. For us as United Methodists, we should remember that science is not incompatible with our faith,...

This week Mat sits down with Justin LaRosa for a deeply personal conversation about faith, health, and our bodies. Justin had already planned this sermon on caring for the body when he was diagnosed with cancer, giving his words about health and vulnerability a meaning he could never have anticipated. They talk about what it means to care for our bodies, listen to what they’re telling us, and hold...

John Wesley wrote a book called Primitive Physick, or an Easy and Natural method of Curing Most Diseases. It included his cures for 40 different ailments. While parts of it are devoid of modern medical wisdom, it does reinforce ideas that we know to be true: the importance of a healthy diet, exercise, and maintenance of good daily rhythms.    Reflection Questions: 1. Paul reframes the question fro...

In week one of Well Rounded, Mat sits down with Sally Campbell-Evans to talk about what it means to keep growing in faith—and what that growth looks like when we're raising the next generation. Drawing from Proverbs and John Wesley’s understanding of discipleship, they explore how following God engages both our heads and our hearts, why we never truly graduate from learning, and how raising f...

In his sermon “On Family Religion,” Wesley said this about the education of children: “Instruct them early in the morning. Speak to them plainly. Observe the few ideas they have and graft what you say upon them. Teach them frequently. Persevere.” He likely learned these principles from the way his mother Susannah instructed him and his siblings, and it translated into a lifelong commitment to impr...

This week Mat and Magrey wrap up the Holy Struggle series by exploring Jacob's famous wrestling match and the life-changing name he receives afterward. Together they discuss why struggle is a normal part of faith, how our deepest growth often begins beneath the surface, and what it means to wrestle with questions of identity, purpose, and God. They also reflect on the surprising role of the s...

Hosea 12:1-4 gives us insight into this famous story of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob not only fought with the angel; he also wept as he entreated God. This gives us permission to feel our emotions, even amid the toughest, most existential struggles we have with our faith. But we should always maintain a readiness to “return to God, with loyalty, justice, and hope.” For all his trickster manipul...

This week Sally Campbell-Evans joins Magrey Devega for a special episode of Beyond the Sermon as they unpack one of the Bible's strangest family stories. Together they explore the surprising lesson hidden within Jacob, Leah, and Rachel—that every person carries both strengths and flaws, and real love learns to embrace both. They also reflect on Leah's unexpected redemption, what it means...