Jesus fulfilled the Torah and the Prophets by teaching how they express God’s will, as well as by living out God’s will in his own life. By doing so, he became an enemy of both the religious Jewish establishment and the Roman Empire. Today’s passage describes the difference between doing the RIGHT thing
The first message I shared very early in my ministry was for the Chatham United Methodist Women. I still remember it vividly. At that point in the earliest days of my career I often felt lost and overwhelmed. I was just starting my Masters degree program at Drew Theological School,
Let us set the stage for today’s scripture reading: Mark 1 verse 1 begins with the words “The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah….” These words were eventually written and read, and through the months and years
I have to laugh when I read that Jesus said, “this is a new commandment.” This is NOT a new commandment! It is the very epicenter of Love One Another. Both the Old and the New Testaments refer to how we should treat others. As a Jewish boy, we believe that Jesus went to worship with his parents
As we read through today’s scripture passage we cannot help but ask “who was Melchizadek?” Let me share briefly what I have concluded in my exploration of this fellow named Melchizedek. The Hebrew Bible, aka the Old Testament, contains the first mention of Melchizedek in Genesis 14, followed by a mention in Psalm 110.
In reflecting on today’s scripture, I went back to the beginning of 1 Peter. The letter of encouragement is addressed to persecuted Jewish Gentile believers, “God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora, who live in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithinia” (1 Peter 1:1) They are God’s chosen people living as strangers in their current context.
Today’s reading begins with, “ 5 Come, house of Jacob, walk by the Lord’s light” and it jumped out at me immediately upon my first reading. I have been reflecting on “walk by the Lord’s light” for almost two weeks and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. Have you sung or heard the song “Marching in the Light of God”?
Reading scripture is an interesting exercise because frequently the language distracts the reader and clouds the message, leading one to re-read it and say “huh?” It is helpful to read the assigned passage in multiple translations to better understand what the written word is trying to say.
Whenever we read Colossians, we read it through the lens of time. Scholars now agree that this document was written and edited by a follower or followers of Paul years after his imprisonment and death. The letter was likely written to the church in Colossae (a city in Phrygia, Asia Minor) to address false teachings
The first time I read Psalm 6 in preparation for writing this devotion I wanted to reach into my Bible and smack the Psalmist for crying and carrying on like he was. I wanted to say to him “Just stop crying! Apologize, say you are sorry, and get on with acting like you are really SORRY!
As I reflect on this Psalm it occurs to me that God and the people of God are in the activities of this world together and always have been. We cannot accomplish anything without the inspiration of God, and God cannot accomplish anything until God’s people get on board to make it happen.
The Letter of James begins chapter 1, verse 1 by greeting the “Twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” It addresses both the first followers of Jesus as well as those Jews of the first century who found themselves outside of Palestine. This passage also resonates with those of us in the twenty-first century.
Together we can turn the nation’s largest weekend of football into the largest weekend of giving. Youth group members will be collecting monetary donations at each service this Sunday and will then send the donation to the Turning Point United Methodist Food Pantry in Trenton. Your generosity will be very much appreciated. The link below will take you to our PushPay system. You can select “Give One Time” then use the Fund Selector to choose “Souper Bowl of Caring.”
PEDAL for PROMISE – SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019: Medford United Methodist is fielding a team for the Urban Promise fundraiser “Pedal for Promise.” This year the ride begins and ends at Valenzano Winery in Shamong. You can register to ride, make a donation to the team or register as a spectator to enjoy the party and cheer on our team.
Go to urbanpromiseusa.org/pedal for more information about the event, to donate, or to register as an individual. OR you can go directly to the TEAM MEDFORD UMC page at www.crowdrise.com/team-medford-umc.
Questions or need help? Speak with Pastor Kathleen, Wayne Richards, or Heidi and Mike Polhemus
