Rob Hamilton

Several years ago, a group in our Annual Conference was engaged in outreach and listening, particularly among the African American community, to understand why there was a lack of widespread support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UMC. I was invited to host a listening session at a gathering of Black clergy and laity. Armed with my questions, legal pad, and pen, I traveled to a church on the Southside of Chicago, expecting to facilitate an open and productive discussion. I was assigned a small group, and as soon as I asked the first question, one of the lay leaders responded without hesitation. Her tone wasRead More →

Leper: Touching the Untouchable In Mark 1:40-45, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus with a desperate plea: “If you are willing, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). Leprosy in Jesus’ time wasn’t just a physical illness; it was a condition that led to social and religious ostracism. Many with leprosy were considered unclean and were forced to live apart from their communities, isolated and often forgotten – like AIDS patients in the ‘80’s. Jesus’ response is nothing short of revolutionary. Moved with compassion, he reaches out and touches the man—something no one else would dare to do. With just a word, Jesus heals him,Read More →

This February, as we celebrate the month of love, we’re diving deep into the heart of Jesus’ ministry by looking at the specific people he loved. While we may have been taught that Jesus loves everyone—and that’s absolutely true—this series will highlight some of the individuals and groups Jesus showed love to in profound and often unexpected ways. This short-blog series supplements this year in worship with Jesus at UMCG, as we explore how Jesus’ personal, transformative, and boundary-breaking love invites us to reach out to others in meaningful ways. This week’s blog focuses on the woman caught in adultery and the crowd Jesus sawRead More →

This February, as we celebrate the month of love, we’re diving deep into the heart of Jesus’ ministry by looking at the specific people he loved. While we may have been taught that Jesus loves everyone—and that’s absolutely true—this series will highlight some of the individuals and groups Jesus showed love to in profound and often unexpected ways. This short-blog series supplements this year in worship with Jesus at UMCG, as we explore how Jesus’ personal, transformative, and boundary-breaking love invites us to reach out to others in meaningful ways. This week’s blog will focus on Mary Magdalene and the Centurion’s servant. Mary Magdalene: RedeemedRead More →

This February, as we celebrate the month of love, we’re diving deep into the heart of Jesus’ ministry by looking at the specific people he loved. While we may have been taught that Jesus loves everyone—and that’s absolutely true—this series will highlight some of the individuals and groups Jesus showed love to in profound and often unexpected ways. This short blog series supplements this year in worship with Jesus at UMCG, as we explore how Jesus’ personal, transformative, and boundary-breaking love invites us to reach out to others in meaningful ways. This week’s blog will look at the woman at the well and Zacchaeus theRead More →