From The Pulpit of DUMC

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#270. Rev. David Hockett - March 24, 2024 Mar 25, 2024

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In the story of our faith, Jesus - King of the Jews, Savior of the world, God in the flesh - enters the holy city of Jerusalem in humility. He comes riding not on a war horse, not in a king’s chariot, not carrying a sword, but in humility on the back of a beast of burden. There is no ticker-tape parade, no marching band, no “Hail to the Chief”, no “God save the king”, no flowers thrown, no dignitaries greeting him. There are only the poor crowds lining the street with their coats, crying, “Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord.” Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and our journey with Jesus through the tragedy of the cross to the hope of Easter. Join us on Sunday as we hear again the familiar story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as its found in Mark 1:1-11.

#269. Rev. David Hockett - March 17, 2024 Mar 18, 2024

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In a recent gathering of pastors, Adam Hamilton noted, that there is the world as it is, and the world as it should be. The world as it should be is what we often refer to as the Kingdom of God. We see the world as it should be in Jesus. That is, in the way Jesus lived, welcomed, forgave, shared meals and table fellowship, healed, fed, and loved everyone, everywhere, we see what the world as it should be looks like. Last Sunday, I shared with our confirmands that part of what it means to be disciples of Christ and members of the Church, is that we join God in the mission of healing and transforming the world so that it looks more like God’s hope and dream for the world. We bring our gifts and passion alongside others to live out God’s better way of being human and make the world more as it should be. On Sunday, we’ll hear the story of Lazarus, reflect on the life of St. Patrick, and celebrate with our confirmands as they come to profess their faith and lean more fully into God’s hope and dream for their lives and the life of the world.

#268. Rev. Jim Humphries - March 10, 2024 Mar 11, 2024

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As we conclude our book and sermon series this Sunday on Adam Hamilton's "Unafraid", we'll explore events that happen to us all: aging, illness, and death. While some of the fears that grip us in life are often unwarranted, it is beyond doubt that each of us will, in fact, become sick, get older, and die. So how do we cope with our fears that accompany these certainties of life? The Bible, and Jesus in particular, offer words of encouragement and hope to help us overcome our fears and worries. Read Part Five of Unafraid, and John 14: 25-27 to prepare for worship this Sunday.

#267. Rev. David Hockett - March 7, 2024 Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

If time allowed, we could work our way around the Sanctuary on any given Sunday and hear stories about how life can be overwhelming, leaving us worried and afraid. Apocalyptic tragedy and devastating loss, welcome and unwelcome change, concern over finances and the future, and fear of what we might miss if we make decision or take one path over another, can all leave us overwhelmed, worried, and afraid. And this is normal. As Hamilton notes, it’s normal and healthy to fear certain things and to be worried at times. The problem is when the worry or fear takes hold of us and controls us, leaving us paralyzed or stuck (p. 145). As a remedy to paralyzing worry, Jesus invites us to pursue God’s Kingdom. That is, he doesn’t dismiss our concerns and worries as insignificant, rather, he reminds us of God’s love and care for us and invites us to pursue God who loves and cares for us. Therein lies the pathway, not around the things that lead to worry and fear, but through them, with Christ as our friend and guide.

#266. Rev. Dianne Lawhorn - February 25, 2024 Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

This Sunday, we continue in our Church-Wide Study "Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times" by Adam Hamilton. We'll be looking at Part 3: Failure, Disappointing Others, Insignificance, and Loneliness. We will learn from Psalm 139 about what it means to discover our identity within our relationship with God. This relationship should be primary in our lives. It should be the place where we find purpose and worth. It is through companionship with God that we discover ourselves to be accepted, valued, and loved.

#265. Rev. David Hockett - February 18, 2024 Feb 20, 2024

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DUMC is hosting a Church-Wide Study through March 10 on the book "Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times" by Adam Hamilton. This Sunday’s sermon relates to Part Two in the book: Crime, Race, Terrorism, and Politics.

#264. Rev. David Hockett - February 11, 2024 Feb 12, 2024

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On Sunday, we begin our congregation-wide book study and a 5-part sermon series using Adam Hamilton’s Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times. Fear is pervasive. It undermines relationships, makes us suspicious of others, is the root of much conflict and war, and is counter to the Gospel’s command to love. On Sunday, we’ll reflect on Isaiah’s encouragement to Israel to counter fear by trusting God. Isaiah writes, “Do not fear, for I am with you…”. (Isaiah 41:8-10) More than 140 times the Bible encourages us, “Do not be afraid.” God’s desire is that we not be captive to fear but free to love and therein lies our hope. So join us for this important conversation by reading along and listening to the sermons. We’ll see you on Sunday.

#263. Rev. David Hockett - February 4, 2024 Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s reading from Mark (1:29-39), Mark tells us that Jesus is in the region around the Galilee traveling from synagogue to synagogue teaching and healing, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. When the crowd began to die down, while it was still night, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded place to pray. Simon and the others went looking for him, and when they found him, they said, “Everybody’s looking for you.” It’s a beautiful scene. Everybody was looking for Jesus – to have their bodies healed, their minds cleared, their worries and fears calmed, their sins forgiven, their hopes fulfilled, looking for Jesus to give them peace, a chance to begin again, to experience new life. Jesus’ life was one of balance. He went away for prayer and communion with God, and he served those in need. We are called to the same balance. When we find it, that sacred equilibrium, we become good news for all who may be looking for Jesus.

#262. Rev. David Hockett - January 28, 2024 Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

This week, we gather to celebrate the dedication of DUMC’s new facilities. These beautiful spaces represent a significant investment in DUMC’s future and are an expression of our commitment to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and the world. We are grateful for all who helped make this day possible and look forward to seeing you on Sunday for one combined service at 10:00 a.m.

#261. Rev. Jim Humphries - January 21, 2024 Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

This Sunday, we will hear a familiar scripture passage, when Jesus calls his first disciples and says: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people." Jesus says this to four men (Simon, Andrew, James and John) who all happen to be fishermen for a living. I wonder what metaphor Jesus might have used had his first disciples been shepherds, rather than fishermen - perhaps "follow me, and I will make you feed my sheep." Our scripture story moves us to think what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and perhaps rethink how we utilize our time, energy, resources, and even our vocation to be faithful in Jesus' call to "follow me." Read Mark 1: 14-20 to prepare for Sunday worship.

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