Randy, Debbie, and Isaac continue to talk about the Transfiguration.
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
About the Authors
Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
A prayer for wholeness and healing…
This week we'll be exploring Matthew 17:1-9.
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
Our Scripture for the coming week comes from Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 17, verses 1-9:
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Why do you think Jesus told them not to tell anyone until "the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”?
If you missed this post from a few weeks ago, it's worth the visit to find out how we partner with these two great ministries in town.
See what God is doing through the work of the UMC in this children's village in Liberia.
Randy, Debbie, and Isaac talk about the unique and expanding role of located space and memory in worship.
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
About the Authors
Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
A video prayer for the morning…
This week we'll be exploring Psalm 84, verses 1-12:
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
Our Scripture for the coming week comes from Psalm 84, verses 1-12:
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
What does it mean to dwell?
This past Sunday, Randy preached a sermon using Micah 6:1-8 as his text. He asked, “What does God want from us?” That question was this generation’s version of the question being asked by the people of Israel in the Micah passage. What does God ‘require’ of us? That answer is very simple: “....to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
As a homework assignment, we were asked to practice mercy as we sought opportunities to care for and about others. Randy suggested that we give you some ideas in this article….not just for this week, but for every week. Of course in addition to the ideas listed below, you might read through former articles in this series to get ideas. For some of this, mercy comes very easily and we see opportunities everywhere we look. For others of us, we have to be very intentional about seeking out these opportunities and even more intentional about following through with actually fulfilling those acts. Either way, God calls us to love mercy…..not because we ‘have to’, but because we are people of God with the heart of God.
So…here we go. Feel free to add to this list and if you’ve experienced mercy from others in ways not listed here, please pass those stories along to me and/or others.
Let’s do the obvious ones first:
There are so many more ideas…hopefully this gave you enough to whet your appetite. If we would follow the words of the prophet Micah to act justly, love mercy and to walk kindly with our God, how might our world be blessed?
About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC
In light of Micah 6:8 this week (to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God), Rowan Williams addresses how this looks toward our neighbor:
To assume the right to judge, or to assume that you have arrived at a settled spiritual maturity that entitles you to prescribe confidently at a distance for another’s sickness, is in fact to leave others without the therapy they need for their souls; it is to cut them off from God, to leave them in their spiritual slavery — while reinforcing your own slavery.
Williams, Rowan. Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another (Kindle Locations 431-434). New Seeds. Kindle Edition.
Read more about Liberia's new president (who also happens to usher at his local United Methodist Church).
Randy, Debbie, and Isaac talk about some of the background of Israel's prophets in the time of Micah.
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
About the Authors
Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
Below is a prayer from the UMC Discipleship Ministry page:
A 21st Century Worship Resource for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A
by Carolyn W. Dandridge, Discipleship Ministries
Give us, o Lord, an eye for injustice.
For it is only when are able to recognize injustice and feel its awful sting that we will be moved to make things right.
Give us, o Lord, a tender heart.
Sometimes we are too hard-hearted to recognize when we have been uncaring, unfeeling, or unkind.
Grant us, o Lord the ability to view life from the dust.
All our lives we have been taught to make others proud, to be proud of ourselves, to hold our heads high -- all the while missing the virtues of being poor in spirit.
Teach us dear Lord, to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with you. Amen.
This week we'll be exploring Micah 6:1-8 and Matthew 22:23-24.
From Micah:
Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;
let the hills hear what you have to say.
“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.
“My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
also Aaron and Miriam.
My people, remember
what Balak king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
From Matthew:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
Our Scripture for the coming week comes from Micah 6:1-8 and Matthew 22:23-24:
From Micah:
Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;
let the hills hear what you have to say.
“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.
“My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
also Aaron and Miriam.
My people, remember
what Balak king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
From Matthew:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
What does acting justly and loving mercy look like?
Our God is so amazing…..I’m sure you already know that, but let me give you another illustration of God’s hand at work.
Calvary’s Outreach team has identified several ministries to support in three categories: Local, National, and International. (A summary of those are in last week’s Who Is My Neighbor.) These ministries were brought to our attention by you…..the body of Christ at Calvary.
We have two international ministries about which Calvary is passionate: Buliisa and Haiti. We also have many local ministries with whom Calvary folks have a special place in their hearts.
The missing piece was national ministry…..something outside of our immediate area, but still in the US. Workcamp is one of those ministries….our youth sponsor that trip yearly and many adults and youth reach out to others in a particular region. However, we wanted to partner with a ministry that was close enough that all ages could participate and anyone could easily drive there in a day. I knew about Red Bird Mission, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and the important services they provide the people in that area. We began financially supporting that ministry and wanted to fulfill our commitment to not just give money to ministries, but to also give of our time in volunteering. We had not yet found anyone to run with this because they were already committed to other outreach ministries. Until…
Sandy and Gary Dickson read about Red Bird Mission in a Who Is Your Neighbor article and the fire in their hearts was immediately lit. God worked in them and within 6 weeks, they were on their way to Kentucky with the following items that were needed:
NEW:
5 sheet sets
5 blankets
3 fleece throws
1 throw pillow
2 crocheted baby blankets
3 crocheted scarves
1 pair gloves
USED:
10 sheet sets
2 flat sheets
8 assorted pillow cases
3 bed quilts (1 was handmade)
1 fleece throw
1 bag of stocking caps, gloves, scarf)
1 bag of small stuffed toys
6 pair nearly new shoes
1 pair men’s work boots
Thanks to a quick turnaround from all of you, the Dicksons had a full load of items that the staff at Red Bird had identified as immediate needs. Thank you church! And thank you all for listening to God’s call on your life. We never know when God will nudge us and say, “Look….over there. That’s your neighbor.”
(Read more about this ministry at www.rbmission.org)
About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC
See how a local UMC in Texas is loving their neighbors through a unique hospitality (but ancient) model of church. More here.
I sat down with the Shakes last fall to talk about Financial Peace University. There are opportunities this Spring to have the same great experience. Check out the options here.
