Hyde Park United Methodist

A natural and important follow-up to our 125th Anniversary Celebration is a season of recommitment to grow deeper as disciples, wider in our reach to others, and united in mission to love God and love all. This five-part series reviews the five-fold membership vow that each member took to become a part of this church. Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian. It connects us to God, raises our atte...

Stories from our heritage not only tell us about our past. They remind us of who we are. Such is the story of our church’s beginning, back in 1899, when a small group chose to sing “I Love to Tell the Story” at the site of what would become our church. Their courage and witness, coupled with their choice of song, tells us something about who we are.   HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps Reflection Questions...

This week Mat sits down with former senior pastor of Hyde Park, Jim Harnish, with the topic of discovering and recognizing continuing threads of your life in the both spiritual and historical sense.  HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

The writer of Hebrews scans over the long history of men and women who lived by faith, some of it in gory detail! But then the text looks directly at us to say that God’s story will not be perfect (complete, whole) without us.  We have the beautiful stories of how God has been at work through the people of this congregation over the past 125 years, but the story will not be complete until we step...

As Hyde Park begins its celebration of 125 years, Magrey and Mat sit down to discuss what it means to have a spiritual legacy. HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

In 1899, a group of 30 people from First Methodist in Tampa crossed the Hillsborough River to begin meeting in a two-room schoolhouse at the corner of Platt and Magnolia. 125 years later, we are living into a legacy that has proclaimed the good news of Jesus and built the kingdom of God for generation. This three-part worship series celebrates the grace of God and the history of our church, and po...

This week Magrey sits down with Gary Mason to talk about the current situation with Israel-Palestine and how to find common ground in the mist of intense disagreement and conflict.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Sharing the gospel with unbelievers is essential. Paul's example in Acts 17 shows how we can bridge the gap by using familiar language and imagery to reveal God's love in Christ. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. How have you struggled with questions of meaning and purpose in your life?   2. How do your struggles help you connect with unchurched people with similar exper...

Sally and Mat sit down this week to discuss how inter-faith relationships can work and how to build those bridges. HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

One of the most common questions we ask of our faith is, “What is Christianity’s relationship with other religions?” What are we to do with the passage from John 14, in which Jesus declares that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but through him? In an age of religious pluralism and religious intolerance (even violence), how can we be charitable and loving...

This week, we have started a new sermon series discussing our Christian heritage and how we can relate to people of other faiths. Magrey and Mat sit down to talk about their own personal experiences in exploring and being raised in environments of differing faiths. HydePaKUMC.org/NextSteps

 John Wesley’s famous sermon “Catholic Spirit” provides guidance on how Christians of different perspectives and traditions can find common ground, just as Jehu and Jehonadab joined hands in the passage in 2 Kings. Despite some significant differences among Protestant denominations, we hold much more in common, and we are called to forge a dynamic and united witness to the good news of Jesus Chris...

This week, Sally and Magrey talk about the impact that was the witness of Mary Bethune in education and how all of us can be inspired from it. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator, philanthropist, and civil rights activist, whose work was deeply rooted in her Christian convictions. Bethune-Cookman University stands as an enduring reminder of her legacy, as this states only United Methodist historically black college. Her famous quote “Without faith, nothing is possible; with faith, nothing is impossible” captures her belief in the power o...

This week, Mat and Sally sit down the discuss the witness of Oscar Romero from El Salvador in the 1970s. And how Sally's own experience in El Salvador influenced her call to ministry.

Archbishop Oscar Romero was a powerful voice for freedom and liberation for the people of El Salvador, and his untimely death by an assassin’s bullet leaves behind a stirring witness to the power of non-violence in addressing systemic inequities and injustice. His work was a living embodiment of the words of Luke 4, in which Jesus spoke of setting the captives free, recovery of sight to the blind,...

Mat and Magrey have a discussion about how songs shape us, how they shaped the Bible, and how they continue to bring the biblical text alive today.

Mahalia Jackson was one of the greatest musical artists of her generation, not just for her beautiful music, but also for her inspirational witness. Her most iconic moments were in her singing of “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” based on the teaching of Jesus in Matthew, which inspired comfort and encouragement during the civil rights movement. Her encouragement for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to “tel...

Mat and Justin talk about the legacy of Howard Thurman and how we can direct our beliefs into actions for justice in the community.

Howard Thurman was one of the greatest preachers, writers, and mystics of the 20th century. His book “Jesus and the Disinherited” was a landmark work that invited us to see Jesus on the side of the oppressed, and inspired us to work through non-violent means to bring justice and social change. Every day, Thurman read Psalm 139, as a source of strength and courage, and verses 13-18 capture the inti...

Mat and Magrey dive deeper into Mother Teresa's story, paying particular attention to her own struggles with doubt, faith, and God's perceived absence. We talk about what we can learn from that today and how we can manage our own anxieties and fears. Resources: "The Questions Jesus Asked" Magrey deVega https://a.co/d/05e3zfA1 "Come Be My Light" Mother Teresa https://a...

Mother Theresa of Calcutta was the greatest charitable force in our lifetimes. She inspired us to give of ourselves humbly and obediently for the sake of the poor and needy, regardless of the cost. Hers was a living embodiment of the psalmist’s words, to “raise the poor out of dust, and the needy out of the ash heap.” Her life and witness is captured in her quote, based on Psalm 113: “Joy is praye...

Mat and Magrey sit down to discuss the impact Dietrich Bonhoeffer had on Magrey's calling to ministry and the conflict between our inner and outer selves.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant martyrs of the 20th century, whose courageous stance against the Hitler and Christian Nationalism continues to inspire us. In his famous book “The Cost of Discipleship,” he calls the church to remember that when God calls people to follow him, he “calls them to come and die.”  HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps Reflection Questions: 1. Who have been the s...

Prayer is the lifeblood of the disciple of Jesus. In his final days with the disciples, Mark told the disciples in Mark that their faith would allow them to pray with such conviction and confidence that whatever they asked for would be granted to them by God. But that belief carries an important precaution. Prayer is not a cosmic vending machine, that demands God to act on our own terms. Prayer is...