Hyde Park United Methodist

The wilderness and desert are two of the most common natural landscapes in the Bible. Psalm 107 captures how the desert can be a place of loneliness, stress, and anxiety, which are common experiences for us today. But just as every biblical figure who entered the wilderness discovered, the desert is also a place to experience God’s presence in a new and profound way. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Refl...

Just as there are mountaintops in life, so there are valleys. The most famous reference to a valley in the Bible is in Psalm 23, where it depicts the long shadow of grief and loss. This service invites us to name our grief and loss, and points us toward healthy ways to process that grief and find hope. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. What valleys are you experiencing right now?...

Psalms 120-134 are often referred to as the “Psalms of Ascent,” which would have been uttered as the Israelites ascended the Temple Mount to experience the presence of God. The Bible is filled with “mountaintop moments,” when people experienced God personally and intimately. This service invites us to ask when we have had such moments in our lives, whether on a literal mountain or not. HydeParkUMC...

In Mark’s Easter gospel, the power of the resurrection through Christ can redeem the lingering guilt and shame of our yesterdays, the real time struggle and suffering of our present days, and the fear and anxiety of our tomorrows. God’s resurrection power is timeless, resilient, and always with us. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. What boulder-type burdens are you carrying today?...

 The story of Holy Week begins with shouts of Hosanna, but by week’s end, those shouts become cries to murder Jesus. Holy Week is an invitation for us to locate ourselves in the story, and ask, as the old hymn says, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/Easter Reflection Questions: 1. For what reasons are you praying “Hosanna” today?   2. How might...

Jesus compared his imminent death on the cross to the burial of a seed, which is necessary in order for it to spring to new life. Likewise, once we are willing to have Jesus put to death the sin in our lives, we can be raised to new life in Christ. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. What is the most challenging aspect of these  words of Jesus  for you personally?   2. Who has model...

This all-too-familiar story from John 3 captures the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night. It is in the midst of their conversation about being born again that Jesus says the iconic words of John 3:16. Just as Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark, out of fear of his reputation and a sense of self-preservation, Jesus comes to meet us and shine the light of love and fo...

The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) all place the turning of the tables in the Temple in the middle of Holy Week, after the triumphal entry in Jerusalem. John places the story much, much earlier, right at the outset of the ministry of Jesus. By doing this, John makes the overturning of the tables a preamble to all of Jesus’ miracles and teachings, as if to suggest that overturning our l...

The ministry of Jesus was full of reversals. Rather than feed our ego-driven, self-centered tendencies to focus on our own needs, he called us to lose ourselves, serve others, and give our lives for others. These reversals invert contemporary wisdom and right-size our lives for God. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions 1. How are you alike and unlike the life of Peter in the gospels?  2....

The story of the temptation of Jesus offers us a guide for how to deal with the temptations in our lives, and shift our orientation away from ourselves and toward the benefit of other people. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions 1. What lessons did you learn as a child regarding handling your emotions in a healthy way? 2. What emotions do you most struggle with channeling in a positive w...

In Mark’s gospel, the Transfiguration serves as the halfway point in the story of Jesus. It is a marked shift away from the miracles and teachings of Jesus to the journey of Jesus to the cross. Likewise, we need to make a similar shift in our discipleship, away from merely benefiting from Jesus and toward surrender to Jesus and the cross. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. Can you...

Perhaps the greatest cause of our loneliness and disconnectedness is the tense political and social climate. What if there was a way to bridge differences and have civil conversations about tough issues? What would that look like and could we model that new way of being? HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps 15 Practical Guidelines from Romans 12:9–21 1.Our love for each other will be genuine.  2.We will hate...

Being in a lasting, caring friendship is a true gift. Healthy friendships encourage us when we are down, tell us hard truths when we are reluctant to hear it, and help us be our best selves. HydeparkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. In what ways has your number of friends or closeness of friendships changed over the last several years?   2. Who are your close friends? How can you be a bet...

Even though families are comprised of a variety of types and dynamics, we were all born into one, and we know the kinds of strains, misgivings, and stress that families can bring us. This service will explore biblical insights in strengthening our marriages, our parenting, and our relationships with other family members. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. What is the best thing abo...

Baptism is the entry rite into Christian community. Our vows remind us that we are called to be part of the church, which Christ has opened to all people. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. What is your favorite memory of a baptism?   2. What do you think God is doing in a baptism?   3. What difference does baptism make for you, in how you think, act, and relate to others?

In Genesis, we discover that God’s creation of the first human being was incomplete until the creation of companionship. We are intrinsically wired to be in connection with other people. God said it was not good for us to be alone; in fact, we are not. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. Who is the person (or the people) in your life that make you feel ‘known’?   2. What is one thin...

Just as Anna and Simeon received the baby Jesus and gained new hope for the future, we are to take the gift of Christmas and carry it with us all year round.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. How long do you tend to keep your Christmas decorations up in your house?   2. What memories do you have this past Christmas of different generations coming together?   3. How will you be a...

We are all familiar with the Nativity story. We know of Mary and Joseph, of the shepherds and the angels. But what about the setting? The stable and the manager? We take a closer look at the setting of the Christmas story and what implications it has on our lives. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions 1. What are your favorite images and scenes in the Christmas story?   2. How will you ma...

Advent is a time of anticipating joy, exemplified in the Magnificat of Mary. Her soul rejoiced at the prospect of the arrival of justice, equality, and liberation for all people. That vision should both encourage us and motivate us to offer joy to others.  HydeParkUMC.org/Christmas HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. When has fear ever blocked your sense of joy?   2. When have you e...

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, foretold by John the Baptist, who called us to “make his paths straight.” This can serve as a metaphor for peace-building and peace-making, which is at the heart of our Advent preparations. We should strive to be agents of peace, in our relationships with others.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/Christmas Reflection Questions: 1. W...

Advent is a time of watching and waiting in expectation of the inbreaking of God’s power and love to be among us. We should not lose hope, and we should remain attentive and ready to respond. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/Chirstmas Reflection Questions  - What are you waiting for, longing for, hoping for – deep in your heart – this Advent? - Where do you see signs of ‘hope’ in the worl...

Calling Jesus Lord is not just a statement we make; it is a life we choose to live. He is the pre-eminent expression of God’s full character and behavior. In him, we discover our truest purpose and meaning in life, and to him, we are called to be obedient and faithful.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of Jesus’ most famous and familiar parables. It reminds us that small acts of generosity, no matter how insignificant it seems, can be used by God to multiply into wider impact for a wide host of people.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAll HydeParkUMC.org/EOG Reflection Questions: What new insights have you learned from the parable of the mu...

Our faithful generosity is a response to the generosity of God, who calls us to be responsible caretakers of all our resources. By saving, spending, and giving faithfully, we can create a storehouse of treasure that will be a solid foundation for the future of God’s kingdom, and help us “take hold of that which is truly life.”  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAll Reflection Questi...

We have been given an inheritance by God, which is the richness of grace and salvation, passed down through the generations. On this day when we celebrate the saints who have gone before us, we give thanks for their enduring example of faithfulness and generosity, and pledge to live out their legacy in our faithful giving.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps HydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAll