West End Umc Video Podcast Audio Podcast

This is the third and final in a series of sermons using the sixth chapter of John to explore parts of our own communion service – the blessing, breaking, and the giving of bread – to explore the bread of life. Maggie Jarrell, preaching today, confesses that she has always loved bread and has recently learned to make it. That Jesus says he is the “bread of life” means so much more than simply something to fill our stomachs. It is an amazing gift to us, not something to be earned, but something that changes our lives dramatically. The communion prayer we use tells it all: “You have given yourself to us, Lord. Now we give ourselves to others.” We respond by loving others as God first loved us. What will we do in response to the bread of life we’ve been given?

In a series of sermons we are using the sixth chapter of John to explore parts of our own communion service – the blessing, breaking, and the giving of bread – to explore the bread of life, and in today’s reading, Jesus tells his audience that he is “the bread of life.” In last week’s text, Jesus feeds the 5,000, giving them what they need and want. But in today’s text, he basically declines to give them bread and instead redirects their thinking about sustenance and who he is and who is the source of their lives. It is much like when a parent says “No,” to a child out of love. Jesus invites the people into a deep relationship.

The reading for today is the feeding of the five thousand from the Gospel of John, the only one of the miracle stories that appears in all four Gospels. We are using this sixth chapter of John for a sermon series to explore parts of our own communion service – the blessing, breaking, and the giving of bread – to explore the bread of life. Today we’re considering the blessing of the people. In John, the throngs have come seeking healing, and Jesus, although he knows the answer, asks the disciples how they’re going to feed all these people. The answer is that a little boy has a small lunch, and Jesus blesses the lunch before having the disciples distribute it until all the people are filled, and there is much left over. It testifies to God being a God of abundance and God’s desire for everyone to have enough.

Today is the seventh and final Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. Today’s reading is from Revelation 21 and 22, a glimpse into a vision for the new Jerusalem. Why would a vision of Paradise be a city rather than a beach setting, for example? God is a God of community, and the vision is one of Jerusalem made new – God dwelling with the people, with all of the people, with all nations coming into the city, a city characterized by abundance, safety, and healing. God calls us to live out the values of the New Jerusalem in the here and now, and therein lies our calling as a church.

Today is the sixth Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. Today’s reading is the first part of the letter to the Ephesians where the writer addresses an early congregation, telling them they are known for their faith and love. The writer goes on to offer prayer for the congregation that they may be given a spirit and revelation through the eyes of their hearts. What does this mean for our cleaning off our glasses and mirrors that we can love others and love ourselves as God loves us?

Today is the fifth Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. Today’s reading is the familiar “You are the light of the world” section from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. The question for us is how we shine the loving light of Christ in the world. In context, Jesus is speaking to common folks, people who aren’t leaders, and it is astonishing that those are the people Jesus is challenging to be the light of the world. No person is ungifted, unqualified to be the light. In Greek, the “you” in “You are the light of the world” is plural, implying that we can do much together as a unified community of faith. As a fireworks display is made up of a variety of colors and displays, as a community of different people we can be the light together.

Today is the fourth Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. Preaching today is Thomas Kim, a UM elder in the Northern Illinois Conference and Director of Korean and Asian News at United Methodist Communications. The reading is the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke, wherein the root question is, “Who is my neighbor?” Rev. Kim gives modern examples of situations when loving one’s neighbor did not happen. Love is a verb. What matters is action: “Go and do likewise.”

Today is the third Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. The reading for today is from Isaiah’s word of hope and good news to the people in exile. It is a very appropriate reading for Juneteenth, a remembrance of the day in 1865 when the last of the slaves got the good news that they had been freed. These moments when God breaks through are important for our faith. We have much work to do, though, as demonstrated by so much racial strife since, but the celebration and the journey toward liberation are critical as we know God is with us in the struggle, too.

Today is the second Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. In today’s reading, as Moses returns to the people from being with God on Mt. Sinai, his face is shining so that it frightened the people and he had to cover his face to be near them. In a sense, Moses becomes a lightning rod for God’s communication to the people, very much illustrated in today’s bulletin cover. Rev. Brandon recites the birth and life of Moses, leading to this point in the life and calling of Moses. The shining face of Moses can remind us of certain people we’ve met in our lives who have shone the light of God to others. Maybe each of us has an immortal diamond, originating from God, longing to shine forth.

Today is the first Sunday for our summer sermon series, “Rise and Shine,” examining a number of passages that offer light as an image of God’s presence and grace. We are thrilled to be coming out of the pandemic, people in the pews again, and in this emerging the first few verses of the Genesis 1 creation story, when out of the darkness God creates light, is something we can understand. But the story also shows the spirit of God brooding over the darkness even before creating light, telling us that even in the darkness, the creating God is present. What does the phrase, “Let there be light,” say to us about God? How do we become partners in this creation?

Today is Trinity Sunday and today’s reading is the first part of John 3, including that most-memorized verse, John 3:16, “God so loved the world . . .” The context of the verse is a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee, Nicodemus, who has come under the cover of darkness to speak with Jesus. It’s a confusing talk about being born again. We are often, like Nicodemus, confused about the concept of being born again, but maybe it is a description of one’s faith journey, of putting aside certain things and embracing a newer understanding, and of this happening again and again. God continues to stretch us and challenge us, and we are always becoming someone new.

Today is Pentecost when we celebrate the Holy Spirit descending on the believers in Jerusalem and the birth of the church. The text lists a number of different people gathered in Rome that day, all of whom were telling the same story of God’s work in the world, but in many languages. The church was born among a wide variety of cultures. During the pandemic we have tried to reflect that variety through our bulletin covers that have expressed a variety of cultures, skin tones, settings. Our own individual faith experiences are also experienced by Christians in many lands, cultures, and languages. Today we celebrate the multiple cultures and settings around the world for this birthday party for the church.

Today is Ascension Day when we celebrate the post-resurrection ascension of Jesus into heaven, which is, in a sense, the final act of Easter. It’s a day of celebration, but perhaps the disciples felt like they were lost again – perhaps they were angry, confused, lost, and afraid. The reading for today is a scene that was actually before the crucifixion, but here Jesus is passing his peace to his disciples. In a sense, it’s their inheritance. What does inheriting peace mean for us? It comes with the promise of a relationship with an advocate, the Spirit, so Jesus is not leaving them (and us) alone. The gift of peace also opens us up for relationship with each other.

This is the final of a series of three sermons on texts from 1 John, all titled “Love Letter,” which is the focus of that ancient letter. In worship are we talking to God or about God? Of course, the design of the service, beginning with the Prayer of Confession, is that we join together to focus on God. Perhaps we think of the sermon as talking about God rather than to God, but the hope is that the sermon draws us into conversation with God. The author of 1 John reminds us that our response to God’s love for us is to love one another – it isn’t just a one-on-one relationship between a person and God, but it draws us into love of all of God’s people and God’s creation.

This is the second of a series of three sermons on texts from 1 John, all titled “Love Letter,” which is the focus of that ancient letter. In today’s reading the author emphasizes that Jesus came not only through water but through blood. This may have been an argument against early gnostics who believed that Jesus was not fully human. The writer emphasizes that Jesus was, indeed, fully human and in this way Jesus, and thus God, truly understands the human condition. This is also demonstrated in the act of communion, and also in the act of donating blood – giving life and sharing that life with others.

This is the first of a series of three sermons on texts from 1 John, all titled “Love Letter,” which is the focus of that ancient letter that seems to have been written to a faith community that has begun to be confused with various teachers teaching “truths” that draw them in different directions. The author reminds them that at the center of faith is love – love God, love your neighbor – and that is at the heart of truth. Love is not a saying but action, exemplified by Jesus who laid down his life, his power, his innocence. With that as an example, how do we love others? What does love ask of me in this moment?

This is our annual Youth Sunday when the church’s youth serve in every capacity for the worship service. The Children’s Moment is led by R.J. Gilliland, and the speakers for the sermon are Mary Frances Harrell and Riley Verner. There has been much in the last year that has been confusing, much as our post-resurrection story from Luke shows how confused the disciples were at seeing Jesus after he was crucified and buried. Experiences at West End through the years of growing up have dealt a foundation for faith. What steps of sharing love have helped through this year? What happens when one’s faith fails? Mary Frances and Riley share their insights.

After this year we can more easily identify with the fear of the disciples as they gathered behind locked doors. And we can identify with Thomas, who simply won’t believe unless he can experience the risen Jesus himself. Beyond this, why would a risen Jesus still bear the wounds? Why is he not completely healed? However, this can tell us that not only do we live with our own wounds, but God knows our wounds, too. In the joy of Easter’s resurrection, we still remember Good Friday. Sometimes we lock ourselves in the room in an attempt to stay away from our fears, but no locked door can keep Jesus out. As a result we are sent out into the world.

The gospel of John has Mary Magdalene as the first to see the empty tomb. This woman who initially had been fully healed by Jesus is now in deep grief after the realization that her hope and salvation, Jesus, has died and is now gone. In the depth of her grief, she hears the man she assumes to be the gardener say her name, and she suddenly experiences the resurrection. We, too, have experienced grief, and when we are asked whom we are seeking, we can hear our name being called by the risen Christ. Jesus tells her not to hold on, implying that things are not the same and asking her, and us, to follow. The last thing Jesus tells her, and us, is to go and tell.

This Good Friday we know it has been a season of losses and grief for a year with the pandemic, weather, racism. In many ways we wonder if we can’t just get over this day and get on with Easter. But we actually need to acknowledge and make space for grief. On this day we are called to walk toward the cross with all of our sorrow, guilt, shame, and human emotions, the day when we lay it all bare. God meets us in deep, complicated, messy places. In John’s telling, the women are at the foot of the cross, experiencing all the anguish, demonstrating the power of bearing witness. Out of this comes love, even hung on a cross.