Sinopsis
Messages presented by Senior Pastor Michael Williams and other speakers during worship at West End UMC in Nashville, TN
Episodios
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Go and Do Likewise
27/06/2021 Duración: 24minToday 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.”
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Lift Up Your Eyes
20/06/2021 Duración: 18minToday 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.
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Shine On, You Amazing Diamond
13/06/2021 Duración: 24minToday 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.
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Let There Be Light
06/06/2021 Duración: 16minToday 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?
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Being Born Again and Again
30/05/2021 Duración: 20minToday 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.
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One Story, Many Languages
23/05/2021 Duración: 16minToday 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.
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Left Behind
16/05/2021 Duración: 22minToday 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.
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Love Letter, Part 3
09/05/2021 Duración: 17minThis 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.
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Love Letter, Part 2
02/05/2021 Duración: 14minThis 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.
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Love Letter, Part 1
25/04/2021 Duración: 19minThis 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?
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Open Hearts Open Minds
18/04/2021 Duración: 26minThis 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.
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Locked Doors and Wounded Bodies
11/04/2021 Duración: 24minAfter 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.
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From Grief to Joy
04/04/2021 Duración: 18minThe 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.
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Love Remains
02/04/2021 Duración: 19minThis 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.
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Vulnerable Love
01/04/2021 Duración: 21minIn this Maundy Thursday service we remember the washing of the feet and the last supper as told through the Gospel of John. One of the primary characters is Peter. Often in the gospel stories Peter jumps in with acts and words without thinking things through. In her Meditation Katie explores what Peter might have thought through that foot washing scene. Jesus was teaching vulnerability, and Peter’s pride was standing in the way. What if we let ourselves be vulnerable before we really need to be vulnerable?
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Lenten Meditation - Week 6 - Maundy Thursday
01/04/2021 Duración: 22minOn Maundy Thursday we hear the story of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. In this Pause for Prayer with Pastor Carol, enter into this moment as Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. May you feel the loving presence of Christ with you today.
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Choosing a Savior
28/03/2021 Duración: 17minFollowing our Lenten theme, Re:set, today’s particular focus is Re:member, and the text for this Palm Sunday is the story of the trial of Jesus and the choice presented to the people of setting Jesus or Barabbas free. It is a painful story because it is at this moment that Jesus, an innocent man, is condemned to death. Power is vested in Pilate, the religious leaders, and, in this case, the crowd. Jesus actually has the real power, but he says nothing and thus chooses Barabbas, just as Pilate, the chief priests, and the crowd have all chosen Barabbas. In that instance, Jesus chose to be with us in our vulnerabilities.
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Lenten Meditation - Week 5 - Listen
24/03/2021 Duración: 25minYou're invited to take a few moments and hear, ponder, reflect on, and pray through the account of Jesus and Barabbas standing before Pilate. As we prepare to hear this story in worship on Sunday, place yourself in the crowd and listen for God's guidance in the Pause for Prayer.
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Unbinding and Letting Go
21/03/2021 Duración: 17minFollowing our Lenten theme, Re:set, today’s particular focus is Re:vive, and the text for the day is the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the seventh and final sign/miracle in John. Although it is clear that Jesus knows from the beginning that he will raise Lazarus from the dead, nevertheless, he is moved to grieve with the family and friends of the deceased. That Jesus tells the people to unbind Lazarus from the burial cloths when he emerges tells us that we, too, are bidden to unbind people. It is liberating work, the work of the Gospel, and the work of our congregation. It also means that whatever binds us, God is working to set us free.
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Lenten Meditation - Week 4 - Character
17/03/2021 Duración: 24minIn our Pause for Prayer today, we will be walking through the story of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus. Exploring the story through the character of Lazarus, we will hear Jesus invitation to new life.