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Get Up!
While we may not be able to raise the dead as Jesus and Peter did, the witness and testimony of those who have gone on before us lives on in the people they loved and cared for, and in the acts of love they carried out for others. As we follow their example and walk in the way of love and compassion, we keep their legacy alive.
Who Are You Lord?
Donna had always dreamed of being a doctor. But her experiences working in a children’s hospital caused her to question the existence of God. But the questions the children posed to her brought her back…
We are Witnesses
Often we think of witnesses as people who have rock-solid faith, who never doubt or question God.
But in actuality the best witnesses for Jesus are often those people who have wrestled with doubts and despair, and came out the other side.
All Things New
Christ’s resurrection points to the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God is creating a new heaven and a new earth.
The Lord Needs It
4.10.22 Palm Sunday homily on Luke 19:28-40 by Pastor Galen How many of you believe that the Lord needs us?…
Filled with the Fragrance
When I hear the story of Mary pouring out her expensive perfume on Jesus’s feet, my initial inclination is to side with Judas on this one – all I can think about is how much money that perfume cost, and how all of that money could have been used to care for the poor. But the truth is that acts of worship and devotion and caring for the poor are not mutually exclusive.
Lost and Found
The religious people of Jesus’s day were grumbling and complaining because he spent so much time with people who were outside the walls of the church – people of his day who were considered “sinners.” So he told them this story…
Under the Wings
Those of us with no experience raising barnyard animals often think of chickens as timid and cowardly. When someone is referred to as a “chicken” it’s not usually a compliment! But when Jesus describes his attitude towards the city of Jerusalem as that of a mother hen, he is evoking one of the most powerful images of God’s love and protection found throughout Scripture.
Glow in the Dark
As followers of Christ, we are to “glow in the dark.” As we spend time in the presence of Jesus, we will begin to look more and more like Christ, and reflect more of God’s glory to those around us.
Hold Firmly
Imagine that you’re having lunch with a few friends at Frazier’s on the Avenue or coffee and a quiet conversation at Common Ground Café, and suddenly the door bursts open and a stranger rushes in with an excited look on his face, exclaiming, “Good news! You’ll never guess what it is! I have the greatest news you could ever imagine!” What do you think the news might be?
The Greatest of These
If you could choose to have any superpower in the world, what would you choose? In 1 Cor. 13 the apostle Paul says that even if you had all the superpowers in the world, they would be meaningless without one very important thing.
You Are the Body
We need to work together in unity, using our various gifts in synergy with one another, if we are to be a healthy and whole organism.
You’ve Got a Gift
Questions naturally arise when we talk about spiritual gifts. What’s my gift? Do I already have one? If so, how do I know what it is? And if I don’t have one, how do I get one?
Well Pleased
From a young age, we pick up on when our parents or guardians are pleased with us. For example, my mother was more pleased with me when I did the dishes or took out the trash, and less pleased with me when she would find me staying up late playing Gameboy under my covers!
Carry the Light
As children of God we are called to carry Christ’s light wherever we go, and in whatever we do. That means that even our seeming ordinary, everyday activities are infused with meaning and purpose as we participate in God’s work in the world.
Unto Us A Child Is Born
Many of us who didn’t grow up around sheep probably tend to think of sheep as these warm, cuddly, soft animals that are always clean and smell great. If we could, we’d just to just hold a nice cuddly little lamb in our arms…
Revolution of Love
Mary’s song in Luke 1 shows us that Mary was not content with the status quo. And she must have passed that along to her son, who did indeed start a revolution – although it was a revolution of love, not of hate. A revolution of compassion, rather than vengeance.
The Joy of Coming Home
Coming home is a joyous occasion when we know we’ll be loved and accepted. But what do we do if and when we’ve wronged the people who love us?
People of Peace
December 5th 2021 homily on Luke 3:1-6 by Rachel Snack I cannot believe how quickly December got here and how…
Time to Go Home
Christmas is not just about remembering an event that took place 2,000 years ago – it provides a picture of what is to come. Recounting the story of Christ’s birth fills us with hope and expectation for Christ’s return, when God’s kingdom will come in all its fullness.
Everyone Who Belongs
Christ’s rule and reign produces change and transformation, not with violence and force in the way that the nations of this world exert their authority, but rather through the transformative power of love.
Not One Stone
November 14th, 2021 homily on Mark 13:1-8 by Pastor Galen The Greatest Party that Never Happened This past week I…
Everything She Had
Although her gift was miniscule in comparison to the donations by the much wealthier people who made a big show of putting large sums of money into the offering plates, Jesus said that a poor widow “has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.” (Mark 12:43).
Every Tear
The visions in Isaiah and Revelation of God wiping away every tear from our eyes look forward to that future day when Christ will return and we will be gathered together with our friends and loved ones and those who have gone on before us.
My Eyes See You
The book of Job ends with a picture perfect fairytale ending. And yet Job’s experience of tragedy and loss had a transformative impact on his understanding of God and the world.
Out of the Whirlwind
October 17th 2021 homily on Job 38 by Pastor Galen Bruce Almighty The 2003 comedy film Bruce Almighty featured Jim…
Bitter Complaints
Ten years after Mother Teresa passed away, the world was shocked to discover that for the last 50 years of her life, Mother Teresa had struggled with doubts, and feeling as though God were distant from her.
Through It All
In the 1972 classic children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Alexander knew from the moment he woke up that it was going to be a bad day…
The Power of Prayer
September 26, 2021 homily on James 5:13-20 by Pastor Galen More than a Pat Answer Christians are often known, for…
A Harvest of Righteousness
September 19, 2021 homily on Psalm 1; James 3:13 – 4:8a by Pastor Galen “And a harvest of righteousness is…
Taming the Tongue
9.12.21 homily on James 3:1-12 by Pastor Galen When I was learning how to drive a car, I remember thinking…
A Good Name
Pastor Galen talks about the significant of names, how donuts helped salvage his reputation, and how Jesus can give all of us a new reputation/identity.
Every Good Gift
August 29th 2021 homily on James 1:17-27 by Pastor Galen Zook Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming…
Armored
August 22nd 2021 homily on Ephesians 6:10-20 by Pastor Galen Zook This past week I was up in the Pocono…
Getting in Sync
August 1st 2021 homily on Ephesians 4:1-16 by Pastor Galen Synchronized Diving Like many of you, our family has been…
Abundant Love
For the Christians living in Ephesus who had been deprived of the knowledge of God’s love for so long, Paul’s greatest desire was that they would be filled to overflowing with the knowledge of God’s abundant love.
He Is Our Peace
Through Christ, God has come near to us. Christ broke through the wall that separated us from God, and in doing so, he broke down the walls that separate us from one another as well. That doesn’t mean that our physical differences disappear, but it does mean that our differences do not exclude us from God’s love, and should not divide us from one another.
Setting Our Hope
One of my favorite things in school was to be chosen by the teacher to run a special errand or to be given a special responsibility, like taking a note to the principal’s office, or showing a new student around the school…
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Hampden United Methodist Church 