28 APR 2024 · There are only three General Rules for Methodists. The rules lead us in our mission as the Church. Even beyond our stated mission at WSUMC, the United Methodist Church also has a leading mission: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.

21 APR 2024 · The third General Rule is "Attend the Ordinances of God." The ordinances of God were those things that Wesley identified as being required of God's people, including works of piety and works of mercy. What does this look like our modern society?

14 APR 2024 · The second of the General Rules is "Do Good." Sometimes the "good" that we are do seems obvious, but at other times, it can be tricky. What does doing "good" look like in our community - in our lives?

7 APR 2024 · The first of the General Rules is "Do no Harm." Sounds easy, right? Perhaps not. This isn't a passive avoidance of intentionally doing harm to another person. This means declaring solidarity with people from all walks of life, and being intentional about the way we live in community with those whose way of life differs from our own.

24 MAR 2024 · On Palm Sunday, we remember that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not a risk-free, palm party. It was a protest parade—a protest against those in power, a parade to prepare the way for a different kind of king. And this was all happening with plots to kill Lazarus (and Jesus) building in the background. We’re reminded that the crowds were brave to show up that day, and that Jesus drew on courage to face his journey to the cross. The root of courage is “cour,” meaning “heart.” Courage is deep within us; drawing on courage is both internal and external. We often find it when we most need it, when everything else has been stripped away.

17 MAR 2024 · We desire for God to write on our hearts so that God’s law can re-shape and re-form us from the inside out. Reformation is a journey of letting the old fall away for something new to emerge, of returning to God’s words over and over, of being drawn into the heart of God. This is the process of justification and sanctification; transformation must be internal and communal.

10 MAR 2024 · After inviting Nicodemus to be born anew, Jesus tells him in John 3 that God so loved the world that God sent his son to restore it. Therefore, when we read John 3:16, we remember that Jesus is speaking in metaphor and poetry. Ultimately, love is where God begins and ends. This love, like grace, is a gift we do nothing to deserve. Again and again, love is our refrain. Before we act, think, or believe, can love be first for us too?

3 MAR 2024 · According to John, Jesus begins his ministry by showing more than telling. In the temple, Jesus disrupts and overturns the systems of corruption and profiteering taking place, but ultimately points us to the promise of restoration. Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) that God’s wisdom is more expansive than we can imagine. We are shown the way, even if God’s way feels foolish, counter-cultural, disruptive, or uncomfortable.

1 MAR 2024 · According to Mark, on the first day of the week, the women rise with the sun and buy spices to anoint Jesus’ body. They are shocked to find the tomb empty, and leave in fear and terror. Mark’s resurrection story is less triumphant than the other Gospel testimonies (as scholars believe the remainder of Mark’s gospel was a later addition). In Mark’s version, we are reminded that Easter comes to us, again and again, even if we don’t know what to make of God’s resurrection ways. Again and again, the sun rises. And some days, that is enough.

25 FEB 2024 · Like the disciples, we are often stuck in the pattern of messing up over and over again. We cling to power, we climb the ladder, we memorialize and commercialize Christ’s teachings rather than embodying them. However, we can’t be trapped by shame, guilt, ignorance, or inaction. Humility is required for transformation. Again and again, we are called to listen— to God and to others.