St. Marks United Methodist Church

Sermon – May 13, 2012: Better Together

MHaney — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:39:08 +0000

This Sunday marks the end of our sermon series, Flip This House: The United Methodist Way. We will take a look at the global nature of The United Methodist Church and the work of General Conference 2012. As it turns out, General Conference 2012 was not all that different from the first council ever convened by the church which was held in Jerusalem not long after the birth of the church – Acts 15:1-11. Back then as well as today, there is often much debate and dissension in the church. It can be hard to figure out how to agree to disagree and yet Christ calls us to unity in the essentials. Come see how the early church did it, hear how General Conference struggled to do it, and be reminded that our witness in the world is stronger when we unite and work together despite our differences. The truth is we are Better Together!

Better Together

Sermon – May 6, 2012: Inside, Outside: More Than Brickwork

MHaney — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:09:50 +0000

Continuing the series Flip This House: The United Methodist Way, we will talk about personal piety and social holiness called forth by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Mr. Wesley preached on what it means to answer Jesus’ Great Commandment in living a life that looks like the Cross. What does a holy life look like? Come and reflect on the Cruciform life and examine the authenticity of faith that is the same on the inside as it is on the outside. The sermon title is: Inside. Outside: More Than Brickwork. Hope to see you Sunday!

Inside, Outside – More Than Brickwork

Sermon – April 29, 2012: Knowing What Matters

MHaney — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:06:42 +0000

In the midst of the United Methodist Church’s General Conference, it might seem impossible for us to hold to our beliefs and remain united in mind and vision as one body. As we continue our series Flip This House: The United Methodist Way this Sunday, we will look at what we believe as United Methodists. We will see how John Wesley encouraged the early Methodist movement to approach differences in belief by Knowing What Matters. And so, let us gather as one with all of our beliefs and opinions, with all of our differences, as we explore Ephesians 4:1-6; 14-16 and worship our Lord and Savior together.

Knowing What Matters

Sermon – April 22, 2012: A Method to the Madness

MHaney — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:34:07 +0000

As a local church and individually we are members of The United Methodist Church. This is a good and joyful thing. We have lots to be proud of when it comes to claiming this name. But do you know how we got our name? Do you know why we are a people called ‘Methodists’? Come Sunday as we continue our series Flip This House: The United Methodist Way. We will take a look at the practices of the early church, Acts 2:36-47, and how our founder John Wesley, devised them A METHOD to The Madness!

A Method to the Madness

Sermon – April 15, 2012: Turn Up The Heat

MHaney — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:24:53 +0000

Do you ever look around at Christianity and feel defeated, like we are fighting a losing battle? Well, it’s no wonder it might feel that way because the church in America, including the United Methodist Church is literally dying. This isn’t a new phenomenon, however; since the very beginning of the church we have gone through cycles of growth, decline, and revival. In our new sermon series Flip this House: The Methodist Way we will consider over the next several weeks how the Methodist Church began as a revival movement to reinvigorate the Church of England, the main themes and structures that helped enliven the church, and how we might bring new life into our denomination today. Come this Sunday as we examine John’s call to reform to the lukewarm church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-16) and begin to Turn Up the Heat within our denomination.

Turn Up The Heat

Sermon – Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012: Broken for GOOD

MHaney — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:05:22 +0000

The events of Good Friday as well as the nightly news, reminds us that we live in a Humpty Dumpty kind of a world. A world that has indeed experienced a great fall. Brokenness is all around us and it can often feel as if our life, our community, and our world is broken for good. It certainly looks that way today, Good Friday, as we recall the events of Jesus’ crucifixion. But is brokenness really the end of the story? Is death all there is? Is there any hope? Well, hold on… wait for it… maybe all is not lost. Maybe all is not Broken for GOOD. Come Sunday and discover first hand what the Master of the Universe can do with brokenness when it is placed in his hands! Come see what God can do with what looks Broken for GOOD. (Matthew 28:1-10)

Broken for GOOD

Sermon – April 1, 2012: Facing Death

MHaney — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:47:25 +0000

All of us can readily admit that DEATH is universal. However, many of us are fearful of acknowledging our own death and/or the deaths of those whom we love. So we avoid talk of death. We go to exhaustive lengths and great expense to try and prolong life even when death is inevitable. But this Sunday, death is unavoidable. Our sermon series: The View on The Way to The Cross forces us to face death (Mark 15:33-39). We will witness how Jesus faces death and discover that he does so with great faith and trust in God. Facing Death is never easy, but Jesus shows us how to do it faithfully and with complete trust in God. Come Sunday and discover that even in death, with Christ, we have nothing to fear.

Facing Death

Sermon – March 25, 2012: Dying To Say

MHaney — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:34:32 +0000

The last words of author O’Henry were, “Turn up the lights. I don’t want to go home in the dark.” Beethoven said, “Friends, applaud, the comedy is over!” John Wesley, the founder of The Methodist Movement, last words were, “Best of all, God is with us.” These are just a few examples of famous last words. If you only had a few moments left to live, what would you want your last words to be? In our text for Sunday we hear the last words of 3 who have been crucified – Jesus and two criminals (Luke 23:32-43). All 3 are in immense agony and pain and yet all 3 go to great pains to speak. What they have to say must be important. It must be worth our attention. Come Sunday as we continue our series The View on The Way to The Cross and hear what Jesus is Dying to Say.

Dying To Say

Sermon – March 18, 2012: Compelled to Choose Compassion

MHaney — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:33:13 +0000

History is filled with examples of our capacity as human beings to inflict great harm and suffering on others. That said, we also have within us immense capacity for compassion. This duality is plainly evident in our two Stations of The Cross for Sunday (Mark 15:16-24). First, Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns. He is tortured and mocked by the Roman guards. Their capacity for cruelty is unrestrained. But in our second station for Sunday, we witness a compelling act of compassion by a bystander in the crowd – Simon of Cyrene. The reality is our world, as well as our community, continues to be filled with suffering and pain. The question is how will we respond to those who pass by our way? Will it be with cruelty or compassion? May we be Compelled to Choose Compassion!

Compelled to Choose Compassion

Sermon – March 11, 2012: Choosing A Messiah

MHaney — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:56:42 +0000

This Sunday the trial continues in our sermon series, The View: On The Way to The Cross. Jesus has already been questioned and condemned by the chief priests, elders, and scribes, but they have no power in themselves to crucify Jesus so they take him to Pilate, the Roman governor, to finish what they started (Mark 15:1-15). Pilate gives the crowd a choice: they can choose to release Jesus Barabbas, an insurrectionist, or Jesus who is called the Messiah. In the end, we see that though many had left everything behind and followed Jesus who is called the Messiah for several years, he was not the King they expected and fell in love with. Each day, we too have the dilemma of Choosing a Messiah; we must decide between believing in a God and Savior we create and control one that operates as we want and expect or loving and worshipping Jesus for who Jesus truly is…a Savior of constant surprises and unexpected love. Who will we choose?

Choosing A Messiah