Washington Street UMC Sermon Podcast

In our final week of this focus on the hymns of Rev. Charles Tindley, our guest preacher, Rev. Pia Diggs, looks at the hymn, "Beams of Heaven as I Go." The beams of heaven are witnessed in God offering structure and stability in our lives, akin to the physical beams that support the church building. And the beams of heaven, God's radiance shining down, offer us light to our path and the vision of...

In the hymn "Nothing Between," by Rev. Charles A. Tindley, the lyrics invite us to consider a life of faith where nothing - read that again, NOTHING - stands between us and the love of God in Jesus Christ. What would life look like if nothing (i.e. money, privilege, immigration status, race, gender identity, etc.) stood between us and God's love? What would life look like if nothing (i.e. prejudic...

Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. James Daniely (Roberts Memorial UMC) As a child in S.C., I remember Hurricane Gracie . The sky was very dark, the wind howled, trees could be heard breaking, and the rain was torrential. Those things combined to make me very frightened. I was alone at the house, or so I think, but a neighbor knew this and came across the street to check on me. Her words to me were " Be not...

Tindley's hymns offer similar petitions to the Psalms. The scriptures not only invite our voicing of frustration and lament to God, in the Psalms, we are given the words to use! Whether praying in anger toward a friend, a heart of hate toward the other, or the need for food and housing, we can be assured, we can lay our concerns before the Lord and "Leave it There."

Pastors James Daniely (Roberts Memorial UMC) and Thomas James (WSUMC) join together in the pulpit to look at the invitation of the song "We Shall Overcome." What are we being asked to overcome? By looking at the history of our churches, and the invitation of God's Word in 1 John 5, we see the call to overcome our unbelief. For true faith not only invites a greater witness of God's love in relation...

In his hymn "Stand by Me," the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Tinley offers a reminder of the promise and invitation to God that through the hardest times of life, God will be there to be by our side. As referenced with Paul and Silas, even when the hardship comes from the brute force of nationalism using unjust incarceration because of the work of salvation in the community, God will be by our side. In the...

Jesus’ first miracle in Cana of Galilee is one of his most well known. But the changing of water into wine is not just some cool parlor trick. Like many of God’s life giving moments, the wedding guests don’t even acknowledge the glory of God in their midst. Perhaps we some more good wine so that we might appreciate the beauty of God’s glory revealed in Christ.

Sometimes it feels like we still find it hard to make space for this child’s birth. We are so caught up in the political undertakings of our day that we just don’t have room for the proclamation of one who declares worth among the most vulnerable and unwanted of society. But as Mary proclaims, and the shepherds testify, the good news of Jesus Christ is not for any particular fraction of the commun...

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will hear the story of Bathsheba. It can a triggering story, especially for those who have shared Bathsheba's pain. But Bathsheba's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus is a reminder of the promise of Christ, who comes to shed light on the brokenness of humanity's grasp at power. And it's a reminder that sin does not have the final say for who we are in God's lov...

On this Third Sunday of Advent, we are learning from and about Ruth, who is the third woman named in Jesus' family tree (Matthew 1:1-17). Ruth the Moabite is a powerful reminder that God's love is expansive, inviting and including in the story of Christ any and all who seek the well-being and shalom of the community. One need not even change their cultural or ethnic identity to be part of God's fa...

This Advent season, we are learning about the five women named in Jesus' family tree in Matthew 1:1-17. The second woman is Rahab, mother of Boaz. A Canaanite living in the city of Jericho, Rahab is often remembered for her illicit business. However, her trust and belief in the power of God, along with her dedication to her community, are a witness to her presence in Jesus' genealogy. Her story is...

There are just five women named in the family tree of Jesus, found in Matthew 1:1-17. The first woman named is Tamar, whose story is told in Genesis 38. Though she is a Canaanite, a Gentile, and twice a widow, Tamar's pursuit of justice and righteousness welcomes us into the Advent season, as we consider the need for the birth of Christ and God's redeeming work in the world.

As we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we should take pause to ask, what are we celebrating? Are we celebrating the king we want Jesus to be, or the king Jesus declares himself to be? Are we looking for a Christ with imperial aspirations, or the Christ who refuses the powers of the world? It is right to celebrate, but we should celebrate Christ for the truth he declares in himself.

Our guest preacher this morning is the Rev. Dr. Veronice Miles, who serves Wesley Theological Seminary as the Mary Elizabeth McGehee Joyce Associate Professor of Preaching. She brings a faithful message on the song of the people in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, offering a challenging and invitational word on how we might best understand the song in our own call to faith.

All Saints Day is not just about remember the names of our loved ones lost, it is also about remembering what they've given us. The witness of those who have come before us lives on in our faithful witness, which in turn leads the next generation.

Rev. Dr. James G. Daniely is the guest preacher this Sunday, as WSUMC joins in worship with Roberts Memorial UMC. Pulling from the book of Ruth, Rev. Daniely asks us to consider what faithfulness looks like today with Ruth's statement to Naomi at the forefront of our relationships. "Your people shall be my people" offers a proclamation of God's expansive love and calls us to greater relationship w...

It is not your identity that determines your faith. It is not your qualifiers that determine whether or not you are capable of receiving the promise of new life. God's love in its full divinity is greater than the shallowness and brokenness of our humanity.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son had squandered all he had and was welcomed back by the father. It's a great promise of God's love for all who have sinned and lost. But the story isn't just about a younger son, it's about a father who had two sons. The older son's interaction invites us to see the greater love of God in the work of reconciliation.

Have you ever been in the same place as Job? Have you ever felt like the world was against you? Have you ever been tired, weary of the world, and felt exhausted in a cloud of darkness? It's not always easy, but the story of Job invites us to find the "yes, and ..." of darkness.

What are we do to with the law? Entrap Jesus into heresy? That's what the Pharisees tried to do, and they used divorce as the area of law to attempt such a task. Perhaps we should consider more deeply the intent of Mark 10:2-12, and rethink our own use of church law today.

Yes, we will not always understand the almighty work of God’s love in the world – we may not even always agree with it … and … God still invites you and me to pursue this call of discipleship, to learn and to grow, to expand and to embrace, to be redeemed and reconciled, that God’s created humanity might share in the eternal joy of God’s love for all of creation.

Guest Preacher: Shani Mcilwain. Sometimes death is a reminder that we can't stay comfortable. We must die daily to flesh, and wake up new each and every morning, receiving the daily grace and mercy of God. You don't have to rely on yesterday's grace - you can afford to step out and do something new, something radical, something different because you belong to a Savior who has made that possible.

The first step to living into the "yes, and..." invitation is to say yes. We can't add on the "and" until we've acknowledge what is. And yet, saying "yes" is insufficient for God, and it shouldn't be sufficient for us as God's people.

Over the past year, we've all formed some new habits. Whether that's working from home, or joining in worship from your pajamas, habits define a lot of behaviors. Sometimes, we don't even know that our habits exist, and it's not always easy for someone else to point out habits that we don't like to claim.