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Last Sunday, my family and I did something that doesn’t happen often—we took the day off. A rare and much-needed sabbath for our household. We spent it in Chicago with dear family friends visiting from out of town, soaking in some of the city’s best: Lou Malnati’s deep-dish pizza (which never disappoints) and the Museum of Science and Industry. Now, even when I’m not preaching or leading worship, I can’t seem to turn off the part of my brain that’s always thinking about faith, theology, and the church. And wouldn’t you know it—this “day off” turned into a day of sacred discovery. Two exhibits atRead More →

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For the last two months, I haven’t been able to shake one scripture from my mind: Matthew 25:31–46. I think about daily. Take a moment and read it before you finish reading this blog.   It’s the moment when Jesus speaks of the final judgment—not of individuals, but of “all the nations.” That phrase matters. This is not just a personal reckoning. It’s a collective one. Jesus describes separating the sheep from the goats not just based on individual acts, but on how communities, societies, and yes—nations—respond to the most vulnerable among them. It’s a striking passage because Jesus doesn’t leave much room for interpretation.Read More →

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Something is happening at UMCG. It’s sneaky, but it’s real. We’re growing. Not in the way many of us might instinctively measure growth—not by packed pews or standing-room-only worship services—but in the way that reflects how church engagement has changed over time. For those who have been around church for generations, regular church attendance meant nearly every Sunday—48 weeks out of the year, give or take an illness or vacation. By 2010, that expectation had quietly shifted to about 1.9 times a month, or 18 Sundays a year. Then COVID changed everything. Now, regular attendance for many is once a month, or 12 Sundays aRead More →

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Editorial Note: Pastor Heather Connor is our new Minister of Formation and Outreach and will be joining us in Geneva in June. Click here to see our welcome email from December 2024. *Words in italics are adapted from a prayer by Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed / A Sanctified Art LLC, santifiedart.org Grief has a way of stopping time. Sometimes there are no words to ease the pain, no explanations that can make sense of injustices. I feel the weight of this each time I open social media or read the latest news, but nothing compares to how real it all became the day my bestRead More →

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about that moment a lot. I’ve been hearing the phrase “I wish I could do something” over and over again. Many are feeling powerless in the face of the political climate, the disinformation campaigns, and the sheer force of selfishly wielded power. That feeling of being overwhelmed is, in many ways, by design.Read More →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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I think that some actions are not matters of opinion or open to debate, they’re simply morally wrong. Cruelty is one of them. As followers of Jesus, we are called to a standard that reflects love, compassion, and justice. And when I scour through Jesus’ teachings and actions, I see no instance where cruelty, as the Oxford Dictionary defines it— “callous indifference to or pleasure in causing pain and suffering”—is ever condoned. In fact, as far as I can tell, cruelty stands in direct opposition to the entirety of Jesus’ life and teachings… so much so that God rejects Jesus’ cruel death on Easter morning.Read More →