Hyde Park United Methodist

Latest Episodes:

Hard to Believe, Part 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 9, 2024 Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

The early church theologian Anselm defined God as “a being than which nothing greater can be conceived.” This central premise led to the classic “omni” qualities of God: Omnipresence (God is everywhere), omnipotence (God is all powerful), and omnipresent (God is all knowing). These qualities have occasionally been problematic for us due to the presence of suffering and evil in the world. By reframing these qualities and incorporating God’s “omnibenevolence” (God’s all-lovingness), we can discover who God is in a deeper, more uplifting way.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Who are people who have embodied a quality of God for you?
2. Which attribute of God do you have the hardest time understanding or accepting?
3. When have you experienced the omnibenevolence of God?

Hard to Believe, Part 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 2, 2024 Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

The dual nature of Jesus is central to Christian belief. We believe Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine. It is as difficult to understand this concept empirically (1+1=1) as it is to believe in the trinity (1+1+1=1). But claiming the full humanity and divinity of Jesus allows us to have a full relationship with God, who through Christ is both greater than us and is deeply connected to us.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you tend to have a “high” or “low” image of Jesus?
2. What significance does the full divinity and humanity of Jesus have for you?
3. How will you deepen your love and appreciation for Jesus this week?

Hard to Believe, Part 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 26, 2024 May 27, 2024

Show notes

The doctrine of the trinity is one of the most essential tenets of the Christian faith. It is also the hardest to explain and understand rationally. By claiming our belief in the triune God, we not only allow for the mystery of God’s nature and activity; we also discover how to fully live a trinitarian life, the way God intends.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps.com
Reflection Questions:
1. What are the hardest questions about the faith that you wrestle with?
2. What is your favorite image of the trinity?
3. How will you live a trinitarian life this week?

Pentecost Sunday // Logan Kijanski // May 19, 2024 May 20, 2024

Show notes

The arrival of the Holy Spirit not only birthed the church. It also inaugurated a new way of experiencing the power and presence of God, which is the very same way we can experience God today: invisible, but active, and very real.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 6 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // May 12, 2024 May 13, 2024

Show notes

Walking was the most common form of transport in both the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman World. Roads were important facets of the landscape; they enhanced travel, promoted safety and commerce, and improved connections between communities. Many biblical references use the image of a road or path as a metaphor for the faithful life. Discipleship is about taking the journey, one step at a time.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What landscape are you currently in?
2. What does setting God’s ordinances before you look like in your life?
3. How can you choose faithfulness this week?

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 5 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // May 5, 2024 May 06, 2024

Show notes

Rivers and streams in the Bible symbolize places of refreshment and nourishment. Elijah was fed by a brook. Jesus was baptized in the river. The Israelites found hope when God parted the Jordan for them so they could enter the Promised Land. Psalm 1 describes the law of God, which enables a person to be planted like a tree in water. We all need times of encouragement that can come from meeting God at the river.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Among the 1000s of decisions you make everyday, can you think of a time where you felt really close to God, certain that you were on the right path with God, and felt deeply connected to the Holy. What was that like?
2. In what ways are you choosing to delight in the God’s instructions?
3. How might God be inviting you to change your thinking, your meditating, and/or the path you’re walking on, so as to bring renewal and refreshment to your life?

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 4 // Mat Hotho // April 28, 2024 Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

The heavens declare the glory of God, says the Psalmist. Often throughout the Bible, the skies symbolized the promise and hope of God. The skies contained a rainbow that signified an end to the flood. The pillar of fire and cloud in the sky led the Israelites through the exodus. And in 1 Kings, Elijah instructed his servant to look into the skies for a sign of the end of the drought. That cloud, the size of a human hand, was enough to remind people that God’s promise and provision were imminent.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1) Which of the three parts of Psalm 19 do you most resonate with—nature, scripture, or personal reflection?
2) What are ways you have found scripture, particularly the Old Testament, to be life-giving?
3) Where do you need balance in your life today?

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 21, 2024 Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

The wilderness and desert are two of the most common natural landscapes in the Bible. Psalm 107 captures how the desert can be a place of loneliness, stress, and anxiety, which are common experiences for us today. But just as every biblical figure who entered the wilderness discovered, the desert is also a place to experience God’s presence in a new and profound way.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What are your most vivid memories of being in a desert?
2. Which of the four metaphors in Psalm 107 best describes what you are struggling with?
3. Do you believe that God loves you? What difference does that make for you?

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 14, 2024 Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

Just as there are mountaintops in life, so there are valleys. The most famous reference to a valley in the Bible is in Psalm 23, where it depicts the long shadow of grief and loss. This service invites us to name our grief and loss, and points us toward healthy ways to process that grief and find hope.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What valleys are you experiencing right now?
2. How will you shift from talking about God to connecting personally with God?
3. How will you remember that God is with you?

Life's Highs & Lows, Part 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 7, 2024 Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Psalms 120-134 are often referred to as the “Psalms of Ascent,” which would have been uttered as the Israelites ascended the Temple Mount to experience the presence of God. The Bible is filled with “mountaintop moments,” when people experienced God personally and intimately. This service invites us to ask when we have had such moments in our lives, whether on a literal mountain or not.
HydeParkUMC/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What are your most memorable “mountain top” moments?
2. How does an “uphill climb” and a “downhill descent” help you focus on God and slow your pace?
3. How will you let God help you keep your highs from getting too high, and your lows from getting too low?

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