Tumwater From the Pulpit

This week, Pastor Kellen moved from the personal to the communal as we explored what the Bible teaches us about our relationship with money and possessions. This was the third of four weeks of our stewardship series. Join us for the last week this Sunday at 10:45

"...We may point at the big players with all their money and call for them to share a little more. But it can’t be an excuse for us to continue to covet our own money like we can’t give as well. If we all continue to tighten up, none of us will be able to offer that posture of giving." This week, Pastor Kellen continued our stewardship series by getting to the core of our relationship wi...

"What does it look like when all of our things are on an interest free loan from God? How does that inform the way you pray, act, and move in the world? How does that change our church to behave differently, spend differently, and organize differently?" — Pastor Kellen Join Tumwater UMC in our new stewardship series on Sunday mornings at 10:45am or right here on the podcast anytime/anywh...

"[P]art of our faith isn’t being able to stand here and say – I KNOW that things are going to be okay– Because sometimes we just can’t know. Faith is standing together, looking over the ruin, and responding to God saying – only you know the answer, and with your help, you will lead us in the right way." This Sunday, Pastor Kellen wrapped up five weeks on Eco-justice. He invited us to sta...

"God, through the words of Ezekiel, the other prophets, Jesus, & Paul in his letter to the Romans, tells a story of Hope — even in the case of a disaster. Hope, even when the empire has their boot on your neck." This week, Pastor Kellen returns to give us a powerful message on hope & nourishment.

"Glow and be spicy and find your spiritual watershed and ask God can I help to spread your love?" This week, Deb Williams gives us a wonderful message. She is a member of our congregation and leads the Food Bank Garden Ministries.

This Sunday, Tumwater UMC participated in another South Sound United Methodist Co-op pulpit swap. We were blessed to hear from Pastor Denise Roberts who joined us from Lacey St. Andrews UMC and preached on mighty cedar trees, fallen empires, and a glimpse into her own winding faith journey.

This last Sunday we rounded out our M.I.L.E. sermon series with the E: Elimination of Racism. Pastor Kellen invited us to take a step in our anti-racist journey and imagine how we might undo its hold on our lives.

"...it’s the Samaritan, the lay person, maybe even the unchurched lay person, who stops for the man in need. He doesn’t wait for a divine edict from the priest, he just knows what God calls him to do and he does it" In our third week of the M.I.L.E. series, Pastor Kellen encourages us to take control of the ministries of our church through the work of Lay Empowerment.

Pastor Kellen helped us to kick off a four week series on the M.I.L.E. Join in as we ask this week, what is the (M) Ministry that Matters?

This week, Pastor Kellen invited the congregation to ask some questions: what are we rooted in, and how does this help us reach out and offer love to the community?

"God’s potluck is open for all, no matter who you are. You are welcome unreservedly to their table" This week, we were blessed to hear from Jessie Gray, our guest preacher, who gave us a wonderful message about intersectional acceptance at God's table.

"Preachers and pastors aren’t the only ones that God calls to step out of the boat. God calls tax collectors, fisher folk, stay at home spouses, retirees, teenagers, teachers, nurses, gig workers, and entire congregations. God calls each of us. And God speaks in many ways."

This week, we examine poetry as a divine form of expressing ourselves and wresting with both God and world.

Tough words from the pulpit last Sunday! Pastor Kellen ended his series on the parables with the Rich man and Lazarus and challenged all of us to learn from this story and see our neighbors in a fuller light than we might have been before.

"That’s the beauty of this short story. Jesus will not always hand us our moral compass. Better than that, he will ask us to come alongside him to figure it out." This week, Pastor Kellen detached the parable of the "unjust" judge from the explanation our gospel writers gave us in last week's sermon.

This week we are challenged by the Parable of the Vineyard Workers. This week Pastor Kellen points to God's economy which is grounded in our universal value.

*DISCLAIMER: We are worshiping outdoors for the next few weeks while our sanctuary is under renovation. So audio quality is not as good as most weeks. Thank you for your understanding. This week, we are challenged by the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee to create space in our lives for all people to be justified, not just one group or the other.

The parable of the mustard seed marked the halfway point in our sermon series on Jesus' Parables. This week, pastor Kellen challenges us to consider how our community creates shelter and healing for all people, just as the birds find shelter under the mustard tree. Join us and listen...

This week in our Sermon Series on the Short Stories by Jesus, we were challenged by the Parable of the Merchant who sought great pearls. We are reminded that the Kingdom is not like the pearls, but in fact like the Merchant.

Today Pastor Kellen invites us to hear the story of the Good Samaritan with new ears. Through this famous story, how might we be challenged to consider who our neighbor is, and what our call is in regards to them?