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Side by Side – In today’s reading from Mark, two of the disciples of Jesus ask to sit at his right and left when Jesus enters his glory. The Rev. Aimee Baxter, our Pastor of Young Adults, delivers the sermon today. She says that the motivation for James and John to ask this is not clear – do they want to be close to Jesus, or is it a power grab? In any case, Jesus realizes they just don’t get it – being at the front has nothing to do with prestige and everything to do with humility. The other disciples are angry at the two, perhaps because they, too, want to be first, but Jesus presses a reorientation in which there is nobody at the top. And even though “the last shall be first,” it is a matter of servitude and of a posture of side by side where everyone dances together. Jesus says he came not to be served but to serve, and community as the goal can better be achieved by humility and service.

In today’s familiar scripture passage from Mark, a rich young ruler comes to ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, and, first, Jesus cites a number of the commandments, all of which have to do with relationships. The young man says that he has kept all the commandments. Then “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” and told him he must sell everything he owns and give to the poor, which was disturbing to the young man because he had a lot of possessions. The disciples, led by Peter, pursue the same question – who can be saved? Jesus says it is extremely difficult (the analogy of the impossibility of a camel moving through the eye of the needle) for those who have many possessions, but the lesson is that God’s gift is community rather than possessions. In our lives we often need to remember that to move out of the isolation of possession and consumption and into the life of community is the foundation of love.

Common Ground – Today is World Communion Sunday. Rev. Stacey Harwell-Dye, our Pastor of Mercy and Justice Ministries, delivers the Communion Meditation, based on the Genesis 2 creation story where God creates the first human from the dirt of the earth. She reminds us that although so many things tend to divide us (politics, ball teams, etc.), humans are identical through our DNA, and we share much of our DNA identity with animals and, actually, with soil. Tom Turnbull, a West End member and potter, created the communion vessels we are using today, and when asked told Stacey that the clay potters use is timeless and common all over the world. All of this speaks to the common nature of God’s creation with humans united with each other and with nature. This sets the context for taking communion at the Lord’s table united with others all over the world. In respect for World Communion Sunday, the scripture lesson from Genesis 2:4-7, 18-22 today is read in Korean by Seulbin Lee.

Today we continue with the Epistle of James, written to a congregation that the writer feels has strayed. Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn, our Congregational Care Intern, is preaching today and begins with her experience working at Alive Hospice this summer and her perspective on faith in the face of dying, citing a patient who, in tears, said he hoped God knew of his love for God. She reminds us that from the cross even Jesus cried out with a feeling of having been forsaken by God. Faith is complicated, but in our being tied together we are each well when the other is well, and our faith can be built and sustained on a constant relationship in prayer with God. The writer of James calls us to such consistent relationship with God, not just calling on God in times of need. And the writer of James repeatedly emphasizes the crucial importance of prayer to sustain the relationships with each other and with God.

Children’s Sabbath – Today we focus on children as we read a familiar passage from Mark 9 where the disciples have argued who among them is the greatest, and Jesus uses a child as a lesson to say that in order to be first, one must be last, putting on the mantle of a servant or a child. For our services today, children’s choirs are featured, Bibles are handed out to children, and children serve as liturgists, readers, and preachers. The two services feature different children’s choirs and different children as liturgists, giving us a glimpse at how many children attend our church.

Children’s Sabbath – Today we focus on children as we read a familiar passage from Mark 9 where the disciples have argued who among them is the greatest, and Jesus uses a child as a lesson to say that in order to be first, one must be last, putting on the mantle of a servant or a child. For our services today, children’s choirs are featured, Bibles are handed out to children, and children serve as liturgists, readers, and preachers. The two services feature different children’s choirs and different children as liturgists, giving us a glimpse at how many children attend our church.

Today we continue with the Epistle of James, written to a congregation that the writer feels has strayed. In today’s reading from chapter 3, using some analogies the writer cautions against the harmful words one can utter – a small rudder can change the course of a great ship. Rev. Will McLeane relates an account of John Lewis, about to speak in anger in the midst of the civil rights movement, who was cautioned by Martin Luther King, Jr., and another friend who both challenged Lewis to change to non-violent rhetoric, which he did, and very effectively so. The writer of James muses about words of blessing and of cursing from the same mouth. Words can transform, and the words of Jesus are the prime example. God’s blessing of creation, and especially of the creation of humans should indicate that the first language of God’s people is blessing. We should reflect on the question of whom God is calling us to bless, and is it not all others who are created in God’s image?

Good Company – Today we begin a series from the Epistle of James, which was written to an early congregation who have, according to the author, lost their way. The author cites them for accepting and welcoming people like themselves, but ignoring the poor who are unlike them. Historically, the church to whom the epistle was directed was a diaspora congregation, living where they were tempted to cater to the powerful and wealthy. But the writer refers them to the beatitudes, blessing those who are not blessed by society’s standards, cautioning them that Jesus is with those poor among them, and to keep company with them is to keep company with Jesus. Such criticism can be directed at many of us, too, as we tend to welcome those who are like us, who are powerful, while we are tempted not to welcome those who are unlike us and poor. This is a challenge to our faith and works in Nashville, where a recent study showed that 74% of the countries of the world are represented by students in Nashville’s public sch

Today is communion Sunday, and Thornton Muncher, a Vanderbilt Divinity School student and our summer intern, is delivering the Communion Meditation, based on a passage from Mark 7, an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees when they question him about the behavior of his disciples relative to the law. Thornton has studied and worked for reconciliation between Christians and Jews. Historically, Christians have often attempted to bury the Judaism of Jesus, believing that Christianity has replaced Judaism, and, through history, this passage from Mark has often been used to criticize Jewish practices. But we believe that God calls us to reconciliation, to love our neighbors. Much as the Pharisees held tradition as important, we Methodists know that one of John Wesley’s four corners of faith is “tradition.” Although there are theological differences between Christian denominations, Christian faith should unite us rather than divide us, and Jesus’ words in the passage from Mark tells us that it is what come

This is the final in a three-weeks series of focus on the Sabbath and rest as Senior Minister, Carol Cavin-Dillon, preaches her last sermons before her three-months sabbatical. Today she begins by reviewing that series on rest. Today’s passage from Matthew is the familiar scene wherein the disciples, being hungry, pick grain on the Sabbath and are confronted by some Pharisees. Jesus responds with some examples from scriptures in an attempt to reorient their understanding of the Divine, and today the sermon focuses on Jesus and honoring the Sabbath. In saying, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath,” Jesus is saying that humans aren’t slaves to the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for humans. Jesus, in effect, is the Sabbath, and this is a call for us to release ourselves from heavy burdens that inhibit us and to come to Jesus for rest. We need to walk with Jesus in an open and attentive way for renewal and reorientation.

The theme for these three weeks is and has been “Rest” and the significance of the Sabbath, part of the initiative for which is that the Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon, Senior Minister, will be on a three-months period of rest and renewal beginning in September. Today she asks us to consider the factors that might prevent our resting. In today’s scripture, the voice of Pharaoh resisting the request of Moses and Aaron to let the Hebrews go into the desert to worship their God may well tell us something about the things that prevent our own rest and worship. Pharaoh tries to prevent the separation of the people from their work: are we defined by our work, our achievements, or are we cast in the image of God who, on the seventh day, rested? The practice of the Sabbath reminds us that our value is our being loved by God rather than our accomplishments. Pharaoh accuses the Hebrews of being lazy. Are we afraid of appearing to be lazy? God invites us to rest in God. Pharaoh doubles down on their tasks, and we k

The theme for the next three weeks is “Rest.” There are times when for each of us rest is difficult, when we have trouble sleeping and/or relaxing because we’re tense or worried. There is scientific and medical evidence that sleep is essential and beneficial, but even without such scientific evidence we know from the first Genesis creation story that our having been created in God’s image means that God’s resting is imbedded in humanity. The first creation story could have ended at the end of the sixth day, when all had been created and deemed “good,” but there follows another day when God rested. In the list of Ten Commandments in Exodus, keeping the Sabbath, the fourth commandment, is central and commands us not only to rest, but to be attentive to God. That commandment is lengthy and also commands that we allow all those around us to rest. Further instruction is to practice Sabbath every seven years, allowing the land to rest. We live in a time when there are many jobs for which people work on Sunda

The Bread of Life – Last Sunday our scripture reading was the Fourth Gospel’s version of the feeding of the 5000, and this week’s reading follows that one. The miraculous feeding of the crowd satisfied their hunger, but now the crowd has followed him and Jesus realizes they have come to him now to ask for more bread. In this text, without actually saying “no” to the crowd, Jesus refuses their request, and this is an example that saying “no” can be the most loving thing to do. He declines to give them bread and teaches them the significance of “the bread of life” as a relationship of God with the people. Perhaps this text can hold up a mirror to us: are we missing out on “the bread of life” because we’re so caught up with seeking our own comforts and convenience, our own bread? Are we open to a living relationship with God, even if it takes us out of our comfort zone?

Continuing in the Fourth Gospel for our scripture, today’s reading is the familiar story of the feeding of the 5000, and this account emphasizes how miraculous it was. The writer of this gospel says, at the end, that he has written the accounts of seven signs of Jesus so that the reader may believe. In this story of the feeding of the 5000, we are to learn something of the character of God, and also something of our own character. In the narrative, the questions Jesus asks several disciples are something of a test for them, and they cannot imagine that there will be enough resources for that crowd. The role of the little boy who has the little bit of food is significant, a sign of innocence and generosity. This is a sign of a God of superabundance who can provide all we need and all everyone needs. This is our God. And even if we think what we can offer is too little, under God it is well enough.

In the Beginning – Today’s scripture is the familiar passage opening the Fourth Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word . . .” With those words we are celebrating Christmas in July to focus on the meaning of the birth of Jesus, the mystery of the incarnation. For Christmas proper we always rehearse the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of the baby from Luke. But in this prologue to the Fourth Gospel, there’s no “how” with Mary and Joseph, but more a “why” for the incarnation of God into the world. This account is high and lofty in its Christology – God who was, is, and always will be, and in the beginning was the Word and that Word became flesh among us. Although the traditional stories in Luke and Matthew are valuable and treasured, this prologue in John assures us that God has always been and is always with us. It is this God, who has always been, and who has created everything, who is always with us. We are assured that the light is never overcome by darkness, and this is our hope and our way.

Today’s scripture is from 2 Samuel in which David and his troops transport the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Preaching is Rev. Shannon Baxter, our Pastor of Congregational Connection, and he describes his family’s experiences with Nintendo Wii and how it helped with their joy and celebrating via dancing. In the text for today, at the end of upheaval and struggle between nations, King David dances as the Ark is reclaimed and transported. In this, David is not only celebrating, but he is demonstrating his faith before his people. To some in the crowd, his dancing is vulgar and shameful, but the spirit is animated within David, and this can inform our own faith and worship. First, worship can happen any place and at any time. The presence of God and the shape of our hearts define worship more than the form. David’s act directs the people toward God rather than toward himself. Worship not only changes us, but it changes our relationship with God and with others.

As we continue to read from the Gospel of Mark, today’s reading offers an opportunity to talk about the development of his followers from disciples to apostles. The word, “disciple,” means one who learns, and we have seen many instances of followers learning from Jesus. In this passage Jesus is sending out the twelve apostles, two by two, and “apostle” means one who is sent. We are ourselves, of course, disciples and apostles, called continually to be in a posture of learning and then to be sent out as equipped by Jesus to do ministry. Today in the service of communion, we experience the discipleship, and then, as the service ends, we, as apostles, are sent out to share the good news and to minister to others. Then next week we will come together again to sit with Jesus as disciples and then, again, to be sent out as apostles.

As we continue to read from the Gospel of Mark, today’s reading includes two stories of Jesus healing, both somewhat unusual and different from each other. The gospel writer integrates them, setting one inside the other. A synagogue leader comes to Jesus, desperate, because his daughter is at the point of death. In the midst of that, a woman who has been hemorrhaging for years reaches out in the crowd and touches the garment of Jesus. The synagogue leader is well established, but the hemorrhaging woman is poor and desolate. The synagogue leader sets aside his status to approach Jesus. In contrast, the hemorrhaging woman, unclean in her condition, does not approach Jesus face-on, but reaches out to touch his garment. Jesus, not repelled by her condition, now addresses the rejected and unclean woman, as “daughter.” We can imagine a dinner in the house of the synagogue leader some years later after Jesus has been crucified and news is circulating that he has been raised from the dead, and these two “dau

The scripture for today from Mark is the familiar story when the disciples and Jesus are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, and a storm hits. In this gospel, the disciples frequently seem to be thick headed and not understanding, but in this situation, their frustration seems more justified. This is, apparently, a terrible storm, and in the midst of the disciples’ fear, Jesus is asleep. Does he not care? We can imagine the storms of our own lives when we, too, wonder whether God cares that we’re about to drown. That Jesus is asleep may be to demonstrate that in the midst of storms there is deep peace – perhaps Jesus is resting on my heart. In the story, Jesus doesn’t rebuke the disciples, he rebukes the storm. This does not mean that there won’t be storms, but that God will be with us through them, and we must not underestimate the power of God to transform those storms and to transform us within them.

From this week’s Vacation Bible School, the Children’s Moment, led by Minister of Children and Families, Maggie Jarrell, remembers and celebrates that. We have been working our way through the early parts of the Gospel of Mark, and today’s passage includes the very familiar parables of the seeds and the mustard seed. We live in an age when technology gives us constant access to news, and with that, as followers of Jesus, our hearts hurt with all the conflict and suffering. How far are we from the kin-dom of heaven on earth? How do we navigate the gap? Some of the parables of Jesus might help encourage us. Those listening to Jesus in his day were living under oppression and were living with anxiety and dread, even though they knew the words of the prophets who declared the kingdom of God. Although we might think of the kingdom of God as a great army, Jesus says, instead, it’s like the mustard seed, the tiniest of seeds. Perhaps the kin-dom is not coming in giant moves but in the smallest ways, and thos