Warrenton United Methodist Church

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley introduces the Defying Gravity sermon series, exploring the unseen forces that shape our lives. Using gravity as a metaphor, she describes how cultural pressures, media, possessions, and misplaced desires can pull us away from God when God is not our primary grounding force. Drawing from the story of the rich young man, she highlights how confusion between wants and...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the story of the Magi, emphasizing that their wisdom came not only from knowledge, but from discernment and obedience. Though the Magi understood prophecy and signs, their defining moment was trusting God’s warning in a dream and choosing a different path home, quietly resisting Herod’s power. Their decision protected Jesus and allowed God’s plan to unfol...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on Christmas wisdom through familiar Christmas movies, especially The Grinch , to explore the power of belief. She explains how deeply held beliefs shape behavior, relationships, and identity, using Cindy Lou and the Grinch as examples of hope and self protection. The sermon highlights how past pain can distort belief, but loving community and truth can rene...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley invites the congregation to reflect on the power of “what if” questions and how they open space for deeper faith, especially during Advent. She centers the message on Mary’s story and asks, “What if Mary said no?” While Mary’s role in salvation is unique, her experience reflects something we all share: free will, uncertainty, and the need for trust in God. Mary respo...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the theme of preparations during Advent, linking our Christmas preparations with Zechariah’s sacred duty in the temple. Chosen by lot to offer prayers for Israel’s redemption, Zechariah also brings his long-held personal prayer for a child. When the angel Gabriel appears and announces that both prayers will be answered through the birth of John, Zechariah...

Send us Fan Mail Lori Bakewell shares her personal journey of losing and rediscovering joy after a season of profound loss, family responsibilities, and emotional exhaustion. Though she continued “showing up” in life, she realized she had mistaken being “happy enough” for true joy. A difficult Christmas Eve became a turning point, leading her to seek God’s answer and reflect on joy as something de...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley teaches that God is always speaking, just as God spoke to Samuel throughout his life. Samuel’s story shows the power of listening—not just hearing—with attention, obedience, and trust. Though Samuel never saw the fulfillment of God’s long-term plan, his faithfulness helped set the stage for Jesus’ arrival. Waiting becomes meaningful when we listen, obey, and stay fai...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley teaches that “trusting in the waiting” is essential to spiritual growth. In a world used to instant answers and constant updates, waiting feels uncomfortable, even anxiety-inducing—but God uses waiting to shape our character, deepen our dependence, and align us with divine timing. Drawing from Romans 8 and the image of an apple tree that stores energy after a harsh f...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon reflected on Elijah’s story as a reminder of the power and purpose of pausing. She began by noting the simple wisdom of rest—sometimes all we need is “a nap and a snack.” Through Elijah’s exhaustion and despair, God met him not with judgment but with care, providing food, rest, and renewal before speaking in a gentle whisper. Pastor Ashley reminded us that G...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon reflected on Jesus raising Lazarus and the deep lessons it offers about grief, faith, and hope. She reminded us that even Jesus experienced profound sorrow, showing the depth of His love and His reliance on prayer. Through His example, we learn to grieve honestly, pray expectantly, and trust that God is always working for redemption. Pastor Ashley emphasized...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon, “Wounded Healer,” reminds us that while pain and grief are unavoidable parts of life, God’s faithfulness sustains us through them. Using examples from scripture and personal stories, she emphasizes that God comforts us not just to ease our pain, but to equip us to comfort others. True healing comes through partnership—with God and with one another—as we jou...

Send us Fan Mail This sermon opens a new series, “A Time to Heal,” focusing on grief as both a personal and communal experience. Pastor Ashley invites prayer that God be glorified through reflection and healing. Grief, they note, takes many forms—loss of loved ones, relationships, dreams, or stability—and affects everyone. Drawing from the story of Jesus weeping for Lazarus, the message shows that...

Send us Fan Mail Father David Lucey reflects on faith, hope, and God’s enduring presence amid loss and exile. Drawing from Jeremiah’s letter to the exiled Jews, Father David emphasizes that God’s plans are for restoration and hope, even when life feels disoriented or uncertain. Using humor about Methodist and Episcopal traditions, Father David connects ancient exile to modern experiences of displa...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley explores the meaning and purpose of the Sabbath as a divine invitation to rest, resist busyness, and restore balance. Rooted in obedience, which C.S. Lewis called “the key to all doors,” Sabbath opens the way to God’s intended goodness. Pastor Ashley reminds us that neglecting rest harms God’s creation within us and that true Sabbath is intentional, restorative, and...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon continues exploring the Ten Commandments, highlighting their depth beyond a list of “don’ts.” Last week focused on honoring God; this week turns to six commandments guiding relationships with others. These rules—honoring parents, not murdering, stealing, lying, committing adultery, or coveting—emphasize respect, integrity, and valuing life. Pastor Ashley ref...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley began a new sermon series on the Ten Commandments, focusing this week on the first three that call us to honor God. She reminded us that these commandments, given to Moses during Israel’s uncertain journey, were not rules to restrict but a covenant to guide God’s people into right relationship. The first three—no other gods, no idols, and not misusing God’s name—teac...

Send us Fan Mail Peri Bever’s sermon focused on the theme of worth —not as defined by money, status, appearance, or the opinions of others, but by God’s love and design. Using examples like a Tiffany lamp at a yard sale, a violin in an auctioneer’s hands, and even a crumpled dollar bill, she illustrated that true value is not situational but constant. Our worth doesn’t depend on shifting measures...

Send us Fan Mail Reverend Doctor Michelle Holmes Chaney reflects on Psalm 139 and the assurance that God is always present with us—past, present, and future. Using both scripture and personal stories, Dr. Holmes Chaney reminds us that although we often let distractions and obstacles block our awareness, God has never moved away from us. Just as a parent senses the presence of their child, we are i...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the meaning of “Amen,” reminding us it is not just a word of agreement or punctuation in worship, but a way of life. Rooted in the Hebrew for “truly” and “let it be,” Amen is both affirmation and action. Hebrews 13 calls us to live out our Amen through love, hospitality, compassion, and solidarity with those in need. Following Christ’s example, we embody...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on how easily people can lose direction in life, using technology, GPS, and personal stories as metaphors for spiritual guidance. She emphasizes that faith often requires a “reset” to realign with God’s will, drawing from Paul’s dramatic Damascus encounter and Ananias’s quieter act of obedience. Both reveal that God uses different experiences—loud or subtle—...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon explores the importance of living with God’s purpose. Using the film Cast Away , she illustrates how a sense of purpose sustains us through challenges. She shares Pastor Junius Dotson’s story of burnout, reminding us that passion without connection to God leads to emptiness. Through Scripture, Ashley shows how even Jesus paused from ministry to pray, “touchi...

Send us Fan Mail  Pastor Ashley reflects on how the Holy Spirit often redirects our lives, sometimes through sudden course corrections and other times through prolonged discomfort or restlessness. These moments of redirection call us to wrestle with God’s will, surrender our own plans, and align more closely with God’s values. Drawing from Galatians, she reminds us of the call to “die to self”—lay...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the power of names and nicknames, noting that while many labels are given by others and don’t fully define us, Scripture reminds us of the most important name: Beloved . Drawing from Isaiah 43 and Jesus’ baptism in Luke, she emphasizes that before any achievements, roles, or titles, God calls us “Beloved” and is pleased with us. This identity is not earne...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on Paul’s letter to the Philippians, written during his imprisonment. Despite his chains, Paul continued to proclaim Christ with joy, inspiring guards, believers, and even skeptics. His suffering became a platform for the gospel to reach places it might never have otherwise. Pastor Ashley challenges us to consider what “chains” we carry—fear, expectations, i...

Send us Fan Mail From Pentecost to Warrenton UMC today, the story of the church is one of resilience, faith, and Spirit-led community. Just as the first believers faced fear, waiting, and opposition, our church has endured wars, pandemics, and change—yet continues to thrive. The early church modeled four essentials: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. These practices remain the found...