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Jesus, A Different King of King | Beyond Crowns and Thrones: Embracing the Lordship of Christ in a World of False Power
Mark 12:38-44
November 10, 2024
The elephant and donkey in the room are this: when we consider the reign of God and the Lordship of Christ, our politics inevitably create conflicts of interest, tension, and outright discomfort. No matter who we vote for or who ultimately wins an election, that person will never—can never—live up to the expectations we place on them. They will always fall short of their promises of peace, because true and lasting peace can only come from God, not from the power of any earthly empire.
The psalmist reminds us, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” [ii] Leaders, teachers, news anchors, pundits, and even pastors will come and go. The good news for the Church, for creation, is that our hope resides not in our ability to save ourselves but in the One who notices and honors the widow.
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Runneth Over | No Condemnation, Only Freedom
“How Christ’s Love Frees Us to Live Generously”
October 27, 2024
Romans 8:1-4
Rev. Teer Hardy
No condemnation! None! Nada! Not an ounce!
For those who have heard the gospel for years, and for those familiar with wooden church pews or the consistency of the church’s liturgy, we may gloss over Paul’s declaration. But think about it for a moment: in Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ, we are not condemned. All of the mistakes, the missteps, the times we have fallen short – they are not held against us. We have heard Taylor Swift say, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem,“ but God says that what we or others say makes us the problem - our shortfalls and failures - are no problem at all.
The beautiful and strange truth of the gospel is that in Christ we are free. It is not that we have somehow earned this freedom. No, it is that we have died, our lives are now hidden with Christ.
Paul is giving us the key to living a generous life. You see, the world tells us we are what we accomplish. We are measured by what we produce, by the size of our bank accounts, by the model year of our cars, by the number of people who follow us on social media, by the accolades on our CVs. But the gospel of Jesus Christ flips all of that upside down. In Christ, we have died to that way of living. We have died to the need to prove ourselves, to accumulate and hoard.
When God the Creator looks at us, they do not see what we have accumulated or our failures and shortcomings. The Father sees the Son. And that changes everything.
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Runneth Over | More Than a Doughnut: Living a Cruciform Life
“How Everyday Acts Reflect Christ’s Overflowing Love”
October 20, 2024
Galatians 2
Rev. Teer Hardy
To live a cruciform life means our lives take the shape of the cross. Paul tells us that we have been crucified with Christ and that Christ now lives in us. This isn’t just some lofty spiritual idea or metaphor; it’s a call to live our lives mirroring the sacrificial and abundant love of Jesus. Everything we do—our giving, our vocations, our daily choices—flows from Christ, who lives and works through us.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” wrote Paul. Imagine that: Jesus living in us, shaping our hearts and actions. But what does that mean for our day-to-day lives? It means that, as followers of Christ gathered from all over the world, we no longer live for ourselves. God's grace has redefined our purpose, our very existence. It’s not just about going about our business anymore; it’s Jesus at work in and through us, especially in our generosity.
The generosity we’re called to isn’t something we have to muster on our own. It’s Christ’s generosity, grace, and love flowing through us. We don’t live for ourselves but for the one who died and was raised for us. The work we do, the resources we share, and the lives we live are opportunities for us to wear Christ, for Christ to wear us, work through us, and bless the world. As Jesus pours out His love through us, may others encounter Christ, finding hope and grace that overflows like a cup running over.
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Runneth Over | The Weight of the Plate:Responding to God’s Abundant Generosity
October 13, 2024
Ephesians 1:3-10
Rev. Teer Hardy
Stewardship is less about checking boxes or paying bills at the church. Stewardship is a recognition that God has already given us, given all of creation, the greatest gift of all. Only when we fully grasp this gift – the fullness of Jesus Christ and the grace that freely flows Him and overflows our cups – can we truly understand what it means to give. Giving is not our duty; it is our delight. When we give, we participate in God's Kingdom, joining a story that began before us and, by God's grace, extends beyond us.
The offering plate is a means of grace and invitation to participate in a pattern of grace that begins with God. When we approach stewardship and the financial support of the church in this way, we are no longer giving out of compulsion or guilt. We are giving as an act of worship, as a way of saying thank you for what we have already received because that is what the gospel is all about. We do not leave church with a list of demands. We live with the freedom that comes from the gospel. God has already done for us that we cannot do for ourselves.
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“A Meal for the Ages: Celebrating Unity Through Christ’s Table”
October 6, 2024
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Rev. Teer Hardy
Today is World Communion Sunday. Across the globe, Christians are gathering around tables just like ours, breaking bread and sharing a cup. We gather not just as a local church, not just as a congregation of The United Methodist, but as part of the great body of Jesus Christ – spanning nations, cultures, and generations. Christ's table of grace unites us across the barriers of geography and time. And, every time we come to Christ's table, we remember and proclaim that God has reconciled all things in and through Jesus Christ. This global unity in Christ is a powerful reminder of our shared faith and purpose.
When we come to this table, we proclaim that through Jesus Christ, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the insider and the outsider are one. We are one in Christ Jesus because of his faithfulness. This inclusivity of the Communion table reminds us that we are all equally valued and accepted in the eyes of Christ.
Paul's call to the church is to examine ourselves before and as we come to the table. Not so that we can be perfect but so that we come with a proper heart. It is not about being worthy of this meal; it is about recognizing that none of us are worthy, yet, all are invited.
We come to this table by grace, just as the generations that are now dust did and as generations to come will. The grace of God calls to us to look beyond ourselves, beyond our communities, beyond our nation, and to see the breadth of what God has done and is doing.
So today, we come to the table to share a meal in unity with the body of Christ from every corner of the globe. We gather knowing that this table and meal are not just a symbol of unity but rather is the place where Christ makes that unity a reality. And as we leave, we carry that unity with us to be a people who have been changed by the love and grace of Christ in everything we do.
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One of the most troubling trends in the life of the church is the notion that we are the ones doing the searching. It is as if we have convinced ourselves that God is off in a galaxy far, far away from us. But the truth is that God has always been searching for us. The truth is God has always been searching for you. We may think that we have been doing the searching and have ultimate responsibility in this relationship, but it turns out God has been searching for us the whole time. You are not just a part of the search; you are the reason for it. You are important to God.
“The Search for God: The Pursuit of God and the God Who Pursues Us”
September 15, 2024
Psalm 42
Rev. Teer Hardy
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
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“Fitting In or Standing Out: Following Jesus in a World of Expectations”
September 1, 2024
Mark 7:1-23
James 1:17-27
Rev. Teer Hardy
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
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“When Jesus Offends: Finding Life in Jesus' Hard to Swallow Teachings”
August 25, 2024
John 6:60-69
Rev. Teer Hardy
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
We read these verses from an ancient book and give you music you will not find on the radio or social media. Many call it “going to church” or something to check off the to-do list. But I want to call it something else. Let’s call it trying to see. Let’s call it practicing paying attention to the presence of the living God among us, here in Arlington, in McLean, in DC, and in our lives.
John Wesley once said, “The best of all is God is with us.” That is the truth we are trying to hold on to, the truth that can get lost in the noise and distractions of modern life. But it is a truth worth listening to, waking up for, worth living for. People, would you pay attention?
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“Something Happened”
August 18, 2024
John 6:51-61
Rev. Teer Hardy
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Jesus brings us something that is beyond our reach; beyond our understanding. He is offering us the very life of God, revealing a God we could not imagine on our own. He comes to us before we seek Him. He comes to us before we project God upon the world. And he comes to us even as we attempt to explain him away.
There is a living God who speaks and acts even while our modern world is full of ways to attempt to shut God out. God breaks through to us in God's mercy, as a means of grace. This is when the something happens.
You may feel jolted, but that's OK. It is OK to find the moment when something happens unsettling and to ask, “What am I supposed to do with this bread from heaven? Eat my flesh and live. What does this mean?”
Rather than dismiss or explain away, recognize this as a gift. Recognize this as God's grace for you.
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“Bread for the World: Embracing the Fullness of Christ”
August 11, 2024
John 6:35, 41-51
Rev. Teer Hardy
Jesus does not explain himself in terms of who he is not or high theology. Instead, he says I am bread that will sustain you. I am bread that gives you new life. I am bread for the world.
Standing before the crowd, standing before use, in the flesh is the fullness of God. If you have ever wondered what God looks like, look at the altar and the bread that sustains. If you have ever wondered how God acts or talks, look to Christ, who invites all of us to taste and see what life looks like in the fullness of God.
Anne Lamont wrote, “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.”
We want our spiritual desires and theological questions answered with certainty, but instead, Jesus offers us bread. In a simple meal of bread and wine, Jesus promises to nourish and sustain the world.
Jesus is the bread that the world desperately needs, even while He is the One we frequently turn from. And still, the invitation remains—to taste and see that the Lord is good. This invitation is a testament to the open arms of Jesus, always ready to nourish and sustain. The world will tell you that you must be for this and not that. Yet, Jesus tells us that he is bread, he is life for the world, and he is bread, he is life for you.
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“Satisfied”
July 28, 2024
John 6:1-21
Rev. Teer Hardy
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
To be satisfied is the goal of pretty much everything we do. In your professional life, if you are not satisfied with your work, you might make a move to a new employer or even a new line of work. If a vendor you are working with is not providing a service that satisfies your organization's needs, you will find a new vendor that can. We all want relationships that satisfy our needs and goals. Parents want schools that will satisfy their children's educational and developmental needs. Even in church, if a church, if a pastor does not satisfy your needs and the needs of your family, it is easy to find a church that will.
Theologian Robert Jenson wrote, “Our culture's relentless pursuit of satisfaction through material means obscures the true satisfaction that comes from being known and loved by God.”
“Satisfaction Guaranteed” is a phrase baked into our daily routines, so much so that we rarely think about it until that guarantee is unmet.
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“The Kingdom of Heaven is Near: Preparing the Way for Christ in a Troubled World”
July 14, 2024
Mark 6:14-29
You see, in the face of violence, when confronting the consequences of our sin we return to the words of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
“Repent, because the messiah has conquered our Sin and Defeated our death.”
Christ has conquered the ways we cause harm to one another, creation, and ourselves.
Christ has defeated that which separates us from God and one another.
The church is the voice in the wilderness, calling for repentance and preparing the way for Jesus. Pointing to Christ in all things because the hope we hold is that with Christ present in all things, everything is being made new. And we have hope in the truth that, no matter how powerful the forces of this world may seem, Christ has already overcome, and his kingdom is here among us.
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July 7, 2024
Mark 6:1-13
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
The cross and resurrection of Christ are not “mighty” in the eyes of the world. The cross was a public spectacle of shame and defeat. The only way to know the cross as a mighty act is to have seen the resurrection. Yet, no one sees Jesus take his first steps out of the tomb. The resurrection is private, while the cross is public.
And here is where we find the good news of the gospel. If we, as Christ's body, want to do what Jesus did and what Jesus calls us to do, then we must embrace our humanity more than ever before. Jesus’ humanity was not a barrier but the very means by which God saved the world. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our flesh and blood can also become a means of grace through which God continues to renew all creation.
Saint Paul captures this truth beautifully in his second letter to the Corinthians: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that true strength lies in embracing our humanity, with all its weaknesses, because it is there that God's power is made perfect.
Searching for a superhero savior misses that through our weaknesses, God’s grace is revealed, and through our humanity, God’s power is manifest. The cross and resurrection teach us that God’s might is not in superhuman feats but in the humble, sacrificial love that transforms the world.
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“It Is Everywhere”
June 30, 2024
Mark 5:21-43
We find the Good News of the Gospel in the pervasiveness of death. God, Jesus, does not leave us to ourselves to overcome this separation. “We don’t have to wait for Easter for life to intrude and death to be defeated,” writes Rev. Will Willimon.
In the face of the crisis of death, Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace,” and “Little girl, get up!”
Notice that the man, the woman, and even the little girl do nothing except cry out in the face of death. This is a story about what Jesus did and continues to do today.
“Jesus came to raise the dead," says Robert Farrar Capon. “The only qualification for the gift of the Gospel is to be dead. You don’t have to be smart. You don’t have to be good. You don’t have to be wise. You don’t have to be wonderful. You don’t have to be anything… you just have to be dead. That’s it.”
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“God, Do You Care?”
June 23, 2024
Mark 4:35-41
Season After Pentecost
In Jesus calming the storm the temptation is present to focus on Jesus calming the wind and waves. Cosmic power resides in Mary’s boy who was present when the universe was a formless void. What a sight that must have been. Jesus asleep at the back of the boat, waking and springing into action. The disciples are saved.
Here’s the thing: Jesus was not concerned with the storm. It was not the wind and the waves that woke Jesus from his slumber. Jesus’s concern lies in the cry from his disciples, those he invited into to the boat. Their cry is what wakes Jesus. It was the cry of the disciples that caused Jesus to calm the storm. Their cry, “Do you not care that we are about to perish?” is what compelled Jesus to act.
Jesus cares. Jesus not only cares but acts and saves.
You may have picked up on this – the story of Jesus calming the sea began with fear and the cry of the disciples, “Teacher, don’t you care if we perish?” But as the story began in fear; the story ends in terror. Rev. Will Willimon wrote, “The calming of the wind and the waves anything but calmed those in the boat. They shook in terror, asking one another, ‘Who is this? Look! Even the wind and the waves obey him’”
Robert Capon, the late Episcopal priest, wrote, “(Jesus) comes to us in the brokenness of our health, in the shipwreck of our family lives, in the loss of all possible peace of mind, even in the very thick of our sins. He saves us in our disasters, not from them. He emphatically does not promise to meet only the odd winner of the self-improvement lottery. He meets us all in our endless and inescapable losing.”
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“Caps, Gown, and Crowns”
June 9, 2024
1 Samuel 8:4-20
To be called and set apart by God is no small feat, and the calling upon each individual and community is specific to the people and community called. The ways you are called by God are different from the ways God had called me. How you have been called by God is different from how God will call your children, partner, or friends. And
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Here You Are”
June 2, 2024
1 Samuel 3:1-10 S
eason After Pentecost
The lynchpin of “Here I am!” is that someone has to first be called.
And the thing is, when God calls, we have time to answer. We have time to ask questions of our mentors, like Samuel asked of Eli. We have time to discern why God is calling us and what God is calling us to do.
God’s calling upon our lives in one of the ways we experience God’s grace, because you see, God does not call us when we have everything in our lives figured out. We can have our questions. We can even have our doubts. And God will continue to call us.
So, here we are. Here you are. Not because of anything we have done but rather because of the One who has called and continues to call us.
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Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was once again set loose on creation, setting the church in motion, filling Peter with words to proclaim, setting us loose, and filling us with the cosmic-breaking power of God not so that we would retreat to the Upper Room. No, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we, like Peter, point to the One who was present when that “wind from God swept across the face of the waters,” and there was light. Pentecost is proof that God is not silent. God is not content to leave us without a word to proclaim.
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May 12, 2024
Ascension Sunday
Luke 24:44-53
Because Jesus gave the disciples everything they needed to turn their doubts and fears into praise and worship – peace, revelation, assurance, and blessing – we can rest assured that when we are in need, Christ will give us what we need. Recently, I noticed that when someone approached Jesus with doubt, he did not rebuke them. “Doubting Thomas” was not rebuked. Even those who doubted Jesus and sought to challenge him were given what was needed that they believed.
“You need proof? Physical, tangible, empirical proof? Cool. Touch my skin. Feel my bones. I’m hungry. Pass me some of that fish and watch me eat.”
We are here this morning not so that we will have all of our suspicions answered or to have confirmed what we already know. The stories we read, the songs we sing, and the prayers we pray are common knowledge even for those who are not here on Sunday morning. So, I ask again, why are we here? We are here because, like the first twelve, we as witnesses to Christ's works in the world. Perhaps the real test of a Sunday morning is not how or why you arrived but how you will leave.
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May 5, 2024
Galatians 3:23- 29
It is sinful to say that someone is "incompatible" because of who God made them to be.
To those who have been told they and their families are “incompatible,” you have never been incompatible.
It is sinful to put barriers in place to prevent or discourage those called by God from responding to their call.
It is sinful to cherry-pick scripture to fit an agenda that is outside of God's grand plan for making all things new to push a political agenda within Christ's body.
Because of our proclivity to sin, the truth of the matter is that all of us are incompatible, which is why the cross and resurrection are not just moments in history but rather God’s cosmic reversal.
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