Messages from Douglas UCC

Recall the feelings you had when a loved one died. Jesus’ disciples expected a savior, spent three years learning with him, and then his body was missing. What are your questions about the Easter story?

Roman soldiers parade through Jerusalem on majestic steeds. In another neighborhood, Jesus asks his disciples to fetch him a donkey. Pastor Dan shares thoughts on the importance of mundane donkey-fetching tasks.

​We live in a death-denying culture. We don’t like to think about it, talk about it, or acknowledge its inevitability. Lazarus was raised from the dead, so there is hope? Pastor Jody suggests that there might be a message worth hearing in this story.

Some days it’s hard for us to see the miraculous. The gospel says Jesus performed 37 miracles. After Jesus healed a blind man, religious leaders reacted with a ‘no!’ and mercilessly interrogated the man. Pastor Dan tells us the rest of the story.

In a world more divided than ever, what can bring us together? While seeking water, Jesus crossed the most divisive barriers of his day -- patriarchy and sectarianism -- by talking with a Samaritan woman. Pastor Jody talks about water and remarkable women.

John 3:16 may be the most famous verse in the Bible. It even appears at sporting events and on car bumpers. Some say it means we must believe Jesus is God’s son or die an eternal death. Pastor Dan talks about a more inclusive, less penal understanding.

We may choose to say YES to new habits, but saying NO is also a way to take control. Pastor Jody borrows from Bob Dylan and suggests saying NO to things that don’t align with our values. It can give us opportunities that lead to greater intention and focus.

Did the transfiguration literally happen, or is the story asking something of us? Pastor Dan shares the stories of transfigured people he has known.

​In today’s Gospel. Jesus continues the discussion of what it means to be blessed. He says we’re at our best when we are salt and light, for example. Pastor Jody asks what might be keeping us from spreading flavor and illumination in our lives.

Most of us know some of the eight Beatitudes. Maybe others were left unrecorded. Pastor Dan shares a blessing for each week of the year. Here’s one: Good for you when you can take criticism without throwing a hissy fit.

Competitive skating involves skill, strength, and creativity. Skaters must train constantly for years. As with most things, discipline is required to reach professional status. Pastor Jody asks what kind of discipline is needed to follow the way of Jesus.

This month, we honor Martin Luther King. He and evangelist Billy Graham knew and respected one another. Pastor Dan discusses how different their messages were, with Martin preaching about social justice and Billy preaching about how to get to heaven.

This week, we learn about John baptizing Jesus. For most Protestants, baptism is one of two sacraments. Some baptize infants, but others wait a while. Baptism or christening can be done by immersion or sprinkling. Pastor Dan talks about the implications.

Christmas cards are typically serene, angelic, and magical. Pastor Jody explains that the real story begins with a family being called to another city to pay taxes to a despot, and ends with the family fleeing for their lives.

Christmas is over, and we’re thinking about settling back into our old routines. Pastor Dan suggests that, just as the three wise ones were warned to go home by another way, maybe there are routines we might want to change.

Joseph is an unlikely character, compelled into a drama with a revolutionary baby, shepherds, angels, and outsiders bringing kingly gifts. He was a rule-breaker, protector, dreamer, silent hero, and more. Pastor Jody asks what Joseph’s journey can teach us.

Protestants don’t know quite what to do with the Virgin Mary: worship her? Call upon her in times of need? From the Gospel of Luke, we know that Mary was anything but a weak young woman. Pastor Dan shares inspiration from Mary’s ‘Magnificat’ prayer.

After the Annunciation, Mary began waiting and preparing. Today, during Advent, we are also waiting: for justice to come, for a thriving world, and more. Pastor Jody asks what one does while waiting and preparing.

The November 20, 2025, service was canceled due to inclement weather.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for what we have. Pastor Dan suggests that we should also give thanks for our losses, deprivations, and setbacks. What might it mean to give thanks for our scars?

Pastor Jody shares recent experiences with three places in Greece - Athens, the monasteries at Meteora, and the fortified town of Monemvasia - where residents are deeply connected to their past.

In Mathew 22, Jesus is asked about heaven. Jim DeVries spent 40 years as a hospital and hospice chaplain. He gives an upbeat message about what we know and ways to make the transition to ‘what’s next’ easier.

Saints are not just people with Vatican-approved miracles. Linda Knieriemen talks about ‘balcony people,’ the everyday folks who encourage us to be peace-loving, justice-seeking, love-bestowing humans.

Winston Churchill said, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ But being generous doesn’t make us healthier or protect us from calamities. Pastor Dan considers why we might want to be givers.

We cannot fall out of grace with God, and that fact compels us to live our best lives. Pastor Jody asks us to consider God’s generous gift of unconditional love and grace.