e-Soundings

Heaven on Earth - An official United Methodist view

"The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are but two phrases for the same thing. They mean, not barely a future happy state, in heaven, but a state to be enjoyed on earth...." John Wesley Read more →

The Overlooked Meta-story of Handel’s Messiah

The Christmas staple  of the Messiah is spectacular! The "Halleluiah Chorus" alone is often the sentimental "showstopper" in many Christmas concerts. But aside from its beauty and reference to the Christ-child, it's real intention and message is to link Christmas to Easter, (which is the reason for Christmas after all!). Read more →

Why doesn’t the “Easter High” last? ...................Maybe we can change that?

“Every morning is Easter Morning” (by Avery & Marsh) is a song that proclaims the gospel like no other. It's sings out the reality that Easter is now every day. Death is no more. This is the Good News that... Read more →

Easter Changes Everything!... .......or does it?

Easter proclaims the most transformative event in the history of the world.  Billions of lives have been changed because of its truth and power.   Yet today, 2,000 years after the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, it’s treated like another secular holiday.  For most people it’s devoid of the power expected the most important “Holy Day” of the year! What if.......during LENT:   We took a small step to turn Lent into the profound preparation for the gateway of Easter it was meant to be. Read more →

Christmas: Candle lighting in the daylight?

What if we approached Christmas not as a memory to cherish, but a moment to take changing our lives seriously? We put a lot of hopes and dreams on our single candle.  We often see ourselves warding off a windy darkness with a flickering flame.  We cast ourselves as heroes of our own story, making our way with courage in a world of woe. But two thousand years of Christ says otherwise. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” -John 1:5 Read more →

Are you Sidestepping the Apocalypse? (...for a "nice" Jesus?)

Do you shy away from the passages that talk of destruction and death, wars and rumors of war, of stone falling away from stone and walls destroyed, of earthquakes and famine? Every year in November, we end the Lectionary year... Read more →

Easter is Vanishing...

This Easter, I listened to many preachers and worshipping congregations proclaim “He is Risen!"  I heard leaders pleading for enthusiasm, and people weakly responding.  They sung familiar words such as: “Love’s redeeming work is DONE!”, ...”made like him, LIKE  HIM WE RISE.”,  “Easter People, raise your voices, SOUNDS OF HEAVEN in earth should ring...”, and “ALL CREATION IS REBORN!” But they all rang hollow as we all returned to our daily struggle hours and days later. What the Easter hymns were proclaiming was a total, radical transformation not just of us, but of all creation!  Read more →

What is the "Gospel", the "Good News" of Jesus Christ?

We're self-centered enough to think that if only we're good enough we'll be in love and with our loved ones forever. But we know deep down that no matter how hard we try, we're never really good enough. We all... Read more →

Of Marriage Covenant Renewal, Lent and Easter

On Feb. 8, we invited our married couples to come forward and renew their wedding vows. Our chancel was filled with couples holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes and repeating their vows to “have and to hold…for better, for... Read more →

Devotions for Holy Week

Here are some resources to help you deepen your Holy Week experience. Please take some time to explore them and let them soak into your heart. Read more →