Open Table United Methodist Church

Faith is not a matter of certainty but rather the conviction to step into an uncertain future. But we spend a lot of time and energy trying to build a certain future - so how do we operate in faith?

When Jesus tells us the parable of the man who built new barns to store his blessing, he is not just talking about the dangers of greed but also about the suffering that misused power brings to the world...

For generations the Biblical text about Sodom & Gomorrah has been used to exclude, divide, and hurt...but was that the intention of this story? No. There is so much more there that we need to see...let's take a look.

Paul gives a grand vision to the early church about who Jesus is and the future we we need - but how does that change our lives here today?

When Jesus sends the 72 out into the world - what message is he giving them to announce? And how can we go out into the world as messengers of peace? And what in the wold does Jesus mean when he says he saw Satan falling?

How can the church empower the world to feel valuable about itself instead of making the world feel lousy about itself? The fruits of the Spirit have something to say about this...

We sometimes get stuck in our own stories and habits, which end up weighing us down instead of paving our paths. Elijah was in a similar situation, defining himself with a narrative that needed to change. What do we need to un-learn in order to swim freely in God's goodness? As individuals, but also as the church?

As we celebrate Pentecost we celebrate the inbreaking of the Spirit to break down any barrier that is creating division and pain among humans. How can the church today be this sort of Spirit-filled church?

Fear has permeated our culture and is dramatically affecting how we interact with each other as a society. How does Jesus' prayer teach us to love instead of fear? And why does that matter?

Bread. Debt. Forgiveness. How do these three go together and how does this prayer help to shape the sort of people we will be?

As humans we tend to gravitate towards tribalism, towards boundaries and borders and towards exclusion. But exclusion only always produces tears. The call of Jesus is to love. But what does love have to do with frontiers? Let's see...

How is empathy different from sympathy? And what does the character of God's motherhood tell us about how we can show the world love?

Our culture is driven by self-interest but do we get the full picture of how our future and our neighbor's future is tied to our own self-interest? And how does this relate to resurrection?

Author and LGBTQ+ advocate Justin Lee delivers a message about legalism, right & wrong, and the Legends of Zelda!

On this Easter Sunday - can we believe that God can still roll stones away?

When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem he is announcing his kingship in a fully different way than the world had ever seen. What does this mean for us today?

In the movement of Jesus, there is room for everyone - even those we don't like and who don't like us. This makes church hard, but it may just be a key to our liberation.

God calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation but what does that mean for us today in our extremely divided world?

What is love in the Bible? You cannot love your neighbor while supporting or accepting systems that crush, exploit, and dehumanize them. This lent, how is Jesus leading us to let go of our toxic views of the world and embrace his love?