2026 Reading Plan

Word of the Week – Lamp (v. 34 and 35) “Your eye is the lamp of the body… see to it that the light in you isn’t darkness.” 
Sometimes a good source of light helps us see things we may miss in our homes. What would it mean shine brighter this week and re-evaluate the parts in our life we don’t normally look at?

Reflection:
Woah… Ouch… Wild… Harsh… Necessary?
“When the crowds grew…” is how our reading starts. It’s a funny thing in the book of Luke, the crowds keep swelling around Jesus, and he keeps giving them reasons to leave. Jesus doesnt pull any punches in this section. Jesus is doing a lot of work with some quick words:
1st – He is telling the crowds to open their eyes. They want something big and flashy. Maybe more signs, more miracles, more proof? He tells them the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah which will be three days of darkness and then a triumphant return. His resurrection will be the only sign they need.
2nd – It’s not just about signs, but its about their openness. Our eyes are the lamp of the body. If our eyes only look for darkness, then we are prone to miss the light right in front of us. If they aren’t open, even the sign of Jonah (Jesus’ resurrection) won’t open their eyes.
3rd – A warning against performative religion. Jesus doesn’t hold back on the pharisees at dinner. He wants the show they put on in public to match what is happening on the inside.
I feel bad for the crowds… they want to get close to Jesus, but sometimes getting close to Jesus means we have to re-evaluate the way we live our lives and that can be uncomfortable.
I remember once several years ago I attended a one-day pastors conference called “the bishops day apart.” During this day, a guest bishop is brought in to encourage the pastors to continue their good work. Normally, this is a day where someone comes in and preaches, encourages, and builds up our church leaders. One year, a bishop by the name of Will Willimon was invited to speak. He had no intention of offering encouragement. He took the stage and accused every single pastor in our conference of being lazy, of caring too much about the wrong things, and he even accused us all of forgetting what it means to follow Jesus. It was stark. It was rude. It was offensive. And… it might have been needed. I don’t think he was entirely right…, but what his speech did was make me re-evaluate what was important and not important. Sometimes that is good and holy work. Maybe that is what Jesus was doing for the crowds and the pharisees in this passage of scripture.
(For the record, I love Will Willimon and will happily recommend his books or sermons if anyone is interested)

– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Spend some time with these harsh words of Jesus. Then, shine some light on your life and see what Jesus is trying to highlight for us. This will be a theme in our reading this week.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:

1. Who or what is someone in our life who can help us re-evaluate how we live?
2. How can we shine more light on our lives?

Reflection:
Guarding our Hearts: True Riches in God

Our scripture for today captures a powerful teaching from Jesus about the dangers of hypocrisy and the false security found in earthly possessions. He begins by warning the disciples and the crowds around them to beware of the “yeast of the Pharisees,” which is hypocrisy. He reminds us that everything hidden will ultimately be revealed, calling us to live with integrity and authenticity before God and others.
To make his point come to life he shares a parable of the rich fool, he tells the story of a man who stored up wealth for himself but neglected his relationship with God. The man believed that having an abundance of possessions would secure his future, yet his life was demanded of him that very night. Jesus concludes with a sobering lesson: “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Our challenge is to examine what we are truly seeking in life. Do we invest more energy in accumulating material wealth, or are we growing in generosity, faith, and our relationship with God? True security doesn’t come from what we own, but from knowing and loving God deeply. Today, let’s ask God to help us guard our hearts against greed and guide us in using our resources for His glory. May we strive to be “rich toward God,” laying up treasures in heaven rather than on earth.
– Rick Owen

Practice:
Spend some time examining where we invest our time and energy. What is helping grow our relationship with God? How do we maximize those things worth investing in?
 
Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What are you investing in with your time?
2. How can we be rich toward God?

Reflection:
Today is Ash Wednesday. It is the start of Lent. It is the start of our long preparation for Easter. Traditionally we start with recognizing our need for both repentance and spiritual renewal. To help us in this work these are the words offered when we receive ashes, “From dust you were formed and to dust you shall return. Go forth and remember the gospel.” Today is about remembering our mortality. The things we own, the earthly things we value, and even our own bodies will all one day be dust. Its a somber message, but also a hopeful one.

On Monday, I talked about Bishop Will Willimon, so its only fitting I talk about him again. Two days ago, I mentioned how he can be stark and offensive. The story coming is no exception ha!
In seminary, I took a class with Bishop Willimon. On Ash Wednesday some ten years ago, he stood up in front of our class and told us all that, “Ash Wednesday is my favorite day of the year. Its the only day where I can look at every person, especially you young people, in the eyes and say ‘you are dirt!’” I could always count on him for a good morbid laugh. His main point being, that Ash Wednesday is the great leveler. It is the day we remember that all the possessions, money, and treasures we’ve saved up, that stuff doesn’t go with us when we pass. It is a reminder that we as disciples of Jesus live on a different value system. We are called to live in a way that values more than the physical.

Wesley Wednesday:
Funny enough, John Wesley wasn’t a fan of Ash Wednesday. He didn’t like the focus on repentance for just one day. He wanted the early Methodists to make this a daily habit. In fact, the Methodist church didn’t even officially practice Ash Wednesday until the 1960’s. John Wesley wanted Methodists to practice repentance daily. Maybe we can find ways to do this throughout lent?

– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Let us continue Monday and Tuesday’s work of reevaluation. As Jesus said in today’s passage, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Where is your treasure? Where is your heart? Perhaps there is no better day on our church calendar to help us re-evaluate our priorities.

Maybe that work can begin with attending an Ash Wednesday service? Come receive some ashes today.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. How do you feel about Ash Wednesday?
2. Do we repent enough?
3. What treasure is in your heart?

Reflection:
I am going to be honest, this is not a passage of scripture that I choose to spend a lot of time focusing on. On the surface, it is difficult to understand and just plain uncomfortable. I prefer the passages that give hope and connect us together. So as someone who has not spent a lot of time with this passage of scripture, I will defer to John Wesley. In John Wesley’s “Notes on the Bible,” he interprets Luke 12:49,”I am come to send fire on the earth”, as the spreading of a holy, sincere love that burns up sin. He viewed the “fire” as a purifying force that transforms hearts, and the subsequent “division” as the inevitable conflict between this, holy love and the world’s corruption. Wesley believed this divine love, ignited by the gospel, would inevitably cause conflict and division, acting as a refining, purifying, and ultimately consuming force in the world.

Holy love is a much more comfortable thought for me. It has been my experience that love changes things and can make us unrecognizable to our former selves. I think in its own way it does give us hope. Change inevitably causes friction, but that division is not the goal. Maybe it’s what is necessary for true connection and hope.


– Natalie Moon

Practice:
REFRESH:
For today’s practice, I invite you to sit with me in the discomfort. What part of this passage rings true? What kind of images and feelings rise to the surface as you read this? Think for a moment about what your experience has been with this divine love. Have you seen changes in your own life and in the world based on this love? How can love make us uncomfortable and divided? Has it been your experience that it eventually brings us together? On Thursdays we usually ask you to go somewhere different to consider the passage of scripture, and I would like to invite you to do the same today. Is there a place where you can sit in this discomfort, feeling the truth of this divine love and the discomfort that it can also bring?

I want to invite you to listen to a song by Andy Park and Lindell Cooley called Holy Love. It’s an older worship song with amazing lyrics asking God to allow His Holy Love to flow within us and through us.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. How can love make us uncomfortable and divided?
2. Has it been your experience it brings us together?

Reflection:
An Out-of-Control World and Mustard Seed Kingdom

We live in what can often be described as an out-of-control world. The morning, noon, and evening news is filled with stories of a world in chaos. What are we Christians to do? The temptation may be to become a hand-wringing, rumor spreading, discouraged people full of fear. It can relegate us to waiting for the next shoe to drop the next blanket of chaos to cover us with hopelessness.
In our scripture today Luke gives a peek into the interaction of Jesus and a crowd who is asking hard questions about Pilate’s use of force against Galileans trying to make sacrifices, and the tower that fell on worshippers at Siloam. It was a backdoor question of asking what sin did they do that allowed this punishment on them. Jesus turned the questions back on them. “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?” Later he is teaching in a synagogue and encounters a woman bent over with a disease of many years. He heals her, and immediately is chastised for healing on the Sabbath.
Jesus was challenging those who followed him to remember that they were not to dwell on the chaos, but be seeds of growth that provides the love and compassion for all those around us, and leaven to spread hope even that overcomes chaos.

– Rick Owen

Practice:
Go offer seeds of love and compassion. Call someone up, send a text, compliment a stranger. Show love.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
How can you spread seeds of love and compassion?

Word of the Week – It’s more of a phrase this week: Fully Awake διαγρηγορήσαντες δὲ (diagrēgorēsantes de): but having fully woken/awakened. It occurs in Luke 9:32.

Devotional thought: Peter is one of my favorite people in the New Testament. To me, he seems like the type of person who would say anything that came to mind and maybe the things that others were afraid to say out loud. In our passage today, Peter declares that Jesus is The Christ of God, the predicted Deliverer who had been awaited for centuries. In the days following this confession, Peter, John, and James experienced a miracle, what our text names as the transfiguration. The transfiguration is not a change into something else, but a revelation of the true, hidden nature of Jesus, the union of full divinity and full humanity. The experience is not for staying on the mountain but for descending to face the realities of a broken world. We, through the eyes of these three disciples, get a glimpse behind the veil to see the glory of Christ. Can you imagine how they felt? Peter declares something that maybe was considered shocking at the time, and maybe something that all of the other disciples were thinking, and had it confirmed a week later.
My youth minister, Roy McVeigh, called this passage of a “mountain top experience”. The closest thing we could compare to this was our yearly youth group trip to Deep Creek, North Carolina. All of the high schoolers from our church would go and camp in tents in the mountains for a whole week. Deep Creek was famous for its tubing, so we would rent tubes for the week that not only would be our entertainment during the day, but our chairs for worship at night under the stars. Somehow getting out of town, enjoying of God’s beautiful creation, and worshiping together always gave me such clarity to start each school year. I had the chance to experience the divinity of Christ through worship with my friends and set my goals and hopes for the new school year.
Maybe that’s what the gift of a mountain top experience gives us; clarity. That’s where our word (or phrase) of the week comes in.

Natalie Moon

Practice:
Have you ever had a “mountain top experience?” What clarity are you looking for in your relationship with God? Think back about a time when you felt like you had clarity. What can you do this week to revisit that time? How do you answer the question that Jesus asks his disciples, ”Who do you say I am?” When we honestly answer that question, what clarity does that give you? 

As you consider these questions, I want to invite you to listen to one of my new favorite songs, The Whole Thing by Ellie Holcomb.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What do we need to fully wake up to in our spiritual lives?
2. Is there something that we can see a little more clearly?

Reflection: 
After the mountaintop experience, Jesus and the disciples return to a world full of confusion, unmet expectations, and hard lessons. When Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” I am confronted with the uncomfortable reality that following him means letting go of what feels safe and familiar. The disciples, like me, are often silent and cautious, unsure how to respond to the radical demands of faith.
Jesus’ words—“How much longer must I be with you?” and “The least is the greatest”—force me to ask: Am I following out of comfort or conviction? Where do I make excuses, and how can I surrender them? I realize that true discipleship is not about being in the spotlight or always understanding God’s plan, but about humility, service, and trust. It is about choosing mercy over retaliation, as Jesus did when he “shook the dust off his feet” rather than calling down fire on those who rejected him.


– Annie Skinner

Practice:
This week, I want to practice humility by listening more—especially when I am tempted to defend myself or control outcomes. I will reflect on the areas where I am holding back, making excuses, or seeking comfort instead of true discipleship. I invite you to join me: In what areas of your life is Jesus calling you to step forward in faith, even when the path is uncertain? What helps you move forward when faith feels risky or unclear?
 
Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
   1. Where in your life do you sense Jesus calling you to step out of your comfort zone and follow him more wholeheartedly?
2. What excuses or distractions tend to hold you back from true discipleship, and how might you surrender them to God?
3. How can you practice humility and mercy in your relationships this week?

Prayer:
Lord, give us courage to follow, even when it means surrendering our own plans. Help us to support one another by being living examples of love, mercy, and grace—encouraging each other when decisions are difficult and celebrating the small joys and acts of kindness that come our way each day. Amen

Reflection:
This story is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke and has famously shaped evangelism in our faith. Jesus shares the urgency of the good news with these seventy-two people, letting them know to travel lightly, relying on the goodness of God through the people that they meet. My favorite image from this passage is in verse 5, passing the peace. Doesn’t that just sound wonderful?

Today is everyone’s new favorite, Wesley Wednesday, when we explore some piece of our Methodist heritage together and how it relates to out passage for the day. After reading today’s scripture, I can’t help but think of the father of American Methodism, Francis Asbury. In 1763, Asbury became a Methodist preacher at the age of eighteen and John Wesley appointed him to begin travelling the country four years later. In 1771, he volunteered to go to America. Here is an excerpt from his journal: “September 12, 1771 – Whither am I going? To the New World. What to do? To gain honour? No, if I know my own heart. To get money? No: I am going to live to God and to bring others to do so.”

When the American Revolution broke out in 1776, he was one of two Methodist ministers to remain in America. He travelled the country accompanied by Harry Hosier, a freed slave who became the first African American to preach to a white congregation. Under Asbury’s direction the Church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and ordained 700 preachers.

It’s amazing what two people can do when serving God, is it not?

— Natalie Moon

Practice:
Maybe today’s passage has inspired you to share your faith in some way. Is there someone that you can think of that would support you in that effort?

I want to invite you to listen to P E A C E (Acoustic version) by Hillsong young and Free as you consider these questions today.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Has anyone ever shared the peace of God with you?
2. What did that feel like?
3. Is there a way to share the peace of God with someone this week?

Reflection:
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” V.27

I have sat with this devotional open for almost a week. I have had a really hard time writing this one. It’s the story of the good samaritan. This story is incredibly familiar in the Church world, and so I have been struggling to write something meaningful that has not already been said a thousand times. I have started and deleted quite a few openings, but nothing felt good enough. After some wrestling with this passage, I have landed on a thought. Maybe one of the most faithful things we can do as disciples of Jesus, is to revisit, retell, and trust in old truths. Today’s story reminds us to love God and love neighbor in two different ways, and maybe thats enough for today and all days.
I have been asking myself, “why are the stories of the Good Samaritan and the story of Mary and Martha back to back?” I have also been asking “what is Luke trying to say?”

Part 1: Love your neighbor
The main question of this parable is “who is my neighbor?” Through the parable, Jesus shows us that there is no barrier to being a good neighbor, and more importantly he shows us what love looks like. If you want to be Jesus in this world, we go and care for the people in desperate need. Radical love breaks all the barriers.

Part 2: Love the Lord your God
Right after this parable, we get the story of Mary and Martha. A very different turn, but another lesson on what love looks like. Martha is busying being a good host. Mary is not playing host, but is instead attentively listening to Jesus. Jesus tells us that Mary is the better part because she is spending time with Jesus.

This grouping of passages begins with “what must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus responds by giving us two examples. Love the Lord your God. Love your neighbor. The Samaritan shows us what love looks like. Mary shows us what loving God looks like. In today’s 17 verses, we have two examples for us to live by and follow.
– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
REFRESH:
I don’t want to complicate anything today. Here is our forever mission as disciples: Love God. Love Neighbor. Go and do likewise.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What are barriers to loving God and neighbor?
2. How can we remove some of those barriers?

Reflection:
Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer always surprises me with its beautiful simplicity. Unlike the longer, familiar version from Matthew, Luke’s prayer feels pared down—almost unfinished. Yet, in its brevity, it invites us to focus on what truly matters: reverence for God, daily sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance. When I hear a congregation recite Matthew’s version, I’m reminded that prayer is more than words—it’s a shared heartbeat, connecting us to one another and to God.

Jesus prays constantly in Luke’s Gospel. It is no wonder a disciple finally asks, “Teach us to pray.” Jesus doesn’t give a lecture. He gives him a window into God’s heart. The prayer is spare: reverence, bread, forgiveness, deliverance. It echoes the wilderness stories – God feeding Israel day by day, God staying with them in danger, God’s shaping them into a people who trust.

I love Eugene Peterson’s rendering, “Father, reveal who you are.” That is really prayer – isn’t it? Not just asking for things but asking to see God more clearly. God invites us to ask, seek, and knock. Knock like you mean it, persistent neighbor! If we, who are ever so human would get up to help a neighbor, how much more will God do for us?

I experienced this profoundly when my son Matt took a job with the Methodist Church of England in Abaco Keys. Just as he was preparing to leave, Hurricane Frances – massive, unpredictable, terrifying – was barreling toward the islands. I begged him to wait. The church insisted that he go. And so, I did the unthinkable: I watched my child fly into path of a Category 5 storm. I wrestled with God that night . I prayed with a desperation I have never known. No matter, “my solution” came the realization that others would be harmed. Eventually, I prayed the only thing I could pray with honesty. “Let him know he is surrounded by love, no matter what happens. And may that be true for all the people.”

Two days later, an angel in the likeness of a stranger with a satellite phone got word to us that he was safe. If felt like God answering both as a loving Father and the “neighbor” answering my persistent prayer.  

Praying and releasing – at least a little – is still difficult for me. But I have learned this: God is not asleep. God is not indifferent. God is with us even in the storms we never would have chosen.  

You will notice I completely sidestepped Beelzebul. However, it isn’t wasted on me that deliverance was the last item in Luke’s Lord’s prayer. Jesus’s final words in our selection are: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Listening is always a two-way street, isn’t it?
This week share with a friend or family member.


– Annie Skinner

Practice:
This week, try praying Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer each morning. Notice what words stand out to you and how they shape your day.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Where in your life right now are you knocking at the door at midnight?
2. Have you ever faced a moment when all you could do was to pray for love and protection?

Prayer:
God, reveal yourself to us this week in the reading of your word, in the presence of others, and the hurry in our minds. Give us eyes to see that you are near and ready to listen. Open our hearts to experience your grace and to share it with the world. Amen 

Word of the Week – Sinner

Sinner… I am so sorry for being a downer on a Monday morning (on Groundhog Day no less!), but I hope we can turn this into some good and uplifting news (especially if the groundhog gives us 6 more weeks of winter…).

This is one of the more awkward stories in scripture. A Pharisee, who is presumably well off and has good social standing, has invited Jesus to dinner. At some point, the woman in our story sneaks in and gets a little too cozy with Jesus… She washes Jesus’ feet with ointment, her hair, and her tears. She then goes on to start kissing his feet. I can only imagine the discomfort of everyone at the dinner table as they watch what is happening. The only thing we know about this woman is that she is a sinner. Thats it. We don’t get a physical description. We don’t get any back story for how she earned this label. We don’t even get her name. We only know one thing about her… that she is a sinner. If you are like me, when I hear the word sinner, it comes with a lot of connotations. I imagine someone who does everything the Bible tells Christians to avoid. I imagine something scandalous. I imagine someone I wouldn’t want to be associated with. The gospel of Luke uses the word “sinner” close to 20 times. This word/title/label isn’t used for someone being scandalous or someone trapped in the wrong way of living. The title of sinner is given to the outcasts. It is given to the people not in good social standing. It is given to those who are alone and cut off from community.

Jesus does something far more scandalous than the woman, he allows this outcast to be with him. He doesn’t stop her from washing and kissing his feet. He doesn’t condemn whatever actions earned her the title of sinner. He doesn’t say a single thing about her past. He doesn’t even try to change her lifestyle. Instead, in front of everyone gathered, he welcomes her in and accepts her attention. I can only imagine that was the very thing an outcast needed the most.

If you have ever attended our New Traditions service (or the Sanctuary on communion Sundays), you may have noticed that we offer the prayer of confession before we pass the peace. It is because of passages like our story today. Jesus welcomes, Jesus forgives, and Jesus tells us to go in peace (v.50). We confess because we have all fallen short of perfect love. However, forgiveness is offered freely and immediately. Once we have been forgiven and received the peace Jesus offers, we are now able to go and share that very peace with others. If you have ever felt like a “sinner” or like an outcast, I pray you trust the truth of this story. Jesus doesn’t condemn sinners, but does something far crazier. He welcomes us in, he forgives, he offers us peace, and he sends us to offer that peace to others.

Go in peace,
Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Part 1: Give someone Jesus’ peace.

Part 2: Next Sunday when we pass the peace (or do the welcome and greeting) remember the significance of this story that all sinners are welcome.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What is a time you felt like an outcast or unwanted?
2. Who in your life has represented the peace Jesus provides?
3. How can you pass the peace to someone today?

Reflection: 
The stories Jesus tells can be both frustrating and eye-opening. Sometimes I wish Jesus had just told the disciples exactly what to do, think, and believe. That would’ve made things a lot clearer, right? But instead, Jesus tells stories—stories that invite us to wrestle, reflect, and grow in faith. This parable gives us a powerful picture of who God is and what God is like.

If you’ve been around church for a while, you probably know the parable of the sower. It’s a classic Sunday-school favorite. Before Jesus tells this story, Luke intentionally points out the people following him—men and women with real histories, real struggles, and real messes. Mary Magdalene, for example, had been healed of seven demons (that’s a whole other devo). Luke makes it clear: these disciples don’t have it all together.

This parable is often taught as if we are the seeds—so we should make sure we’re planted in good soil. That’s one way to read it. Another way is to see ourselves as the soil itself: sometimes rocky, sometimes thorny, sometimes good. God is the farmer. No matter our season, our past, or our current state, God continues to scatter seeds of grace, hoping something will take root. God’s love is extravagant like that—given freely, even when conditions aren’t perfect.

That reading fits the disciples we see in Luke’s gospel. They are far from perfect. Some are rocky soil, some thorny soil, and maybe a few are good soil in that moment. Yet all of them are invited to follow Jesus. And thank God for that.

– Gann Waters-Wright

Practice:
If you can, spend a few minutes outside. Look at the soil around you. Does it seem like something could grow there? Reflect on what it means that God plants seeds in every kind of soil. 
 
Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Which type of soil do you most resonate with right now, and why?


2. What might grow if you became more aware of God’s grace and love for you?


3. Have you ever labeled others as “bad soil”? How does this parable challenge that perspective?

Reflection:
Today we get to meet an important man. We get to meet the first missionary to the Gentiles.

Verses 26-39 are difficult. Throughout my life, I have heard a lot of different interpretations for the man known as Legion. I feel as if many teachers and preachers have attempted to interpret and modernize what could possibly be going on with this man, the demons, and also the pigs. Perhaps you have heard how even the demons recognize Jesus. Instead of going down those roads, I want to offer a different approach.

Verse 26 tells us Jesus and the disciples went to the “country of the Gerasenes.” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus only leaves Jewish lands 3 times. This is his first trip to a gentile (or non-jewish) area, and its a quick trip. In his short time, he meets Legion, heals him of his demons, and restores him to his community. The man, formally known as Legion, begs to follow Jesus. Jesus tells him no. He doesn’t let him join the disciples. Instead, he says, “return home and declare how much God has done for you.” Now the Bible is clever here. It ends by saying the man, “went away proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.” It does two things. First, it reinforces to us readers that Jesus is God. Second, Jesus just created the first missionary/evangelist to the Gentiles. Jesus sends this man to gentile lands to spread the good news. Later on in the Book of Acts, when the first Church was beginning to grow, the disciples will find many have already heard of Jesus. I wonder how far this man carried his message.

Wesley Wednesday:
In all United Methodist churches, we ask all new members to vow to be faithful with their: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. The word “witness” wasn’t added until 2008. The UMC added this newest vow because Jesus is clear that we have an obligation and responsibility to share the Good News. However, we as Methodists, don’t witness quite the same way as our more evangelical friends do. Our witness is not solely based on enteral destinations. Instead, our witness is about the transformation offered through Jesus. Our witness is transformation. Our witness is that no situation is too big to be transformed. We are never left in the worst of times because we have a God who transforms and redeems the bad and turns it good. Early Methodism caught fire because this was our message. God is active. God is in the business of transformation. And our job? Tell the story of how God has been actively working on us.

– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Reflect on a time God stepped into your life and offered some good news or transformed a bad situation. Share that story with someone today.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Why do you think Jesus didn’t let Legion join the disciples?
2. When have your witnessed God’s saving grace?
3. What has/does transformation look like in your life?

Reflection:
As we move on from the dramatic display of power in yesterday’s reading, we get to see the gentleness and compassion of Jesus. We first meet Jairus, a distressed father desperately looking for a miracle for his little girl. On the way to visit this little girl, a woman reached out and touched him, not even his physical body, but the cloak that he was wearing. Jesus, knowing that something had happened, kept asking about it only to receive a bewildered response from Peter. Faith overcame fear for this woman as she revealed that she was the one who had reached out, and we get to see Jesus speak to her in a gentle way that does not appear anywhere else in his recorded words, referring to her as daughter. As this was happening, Jairus gets the information that confirms the worst, his daughter was no longer with them. Again, Jesus responds with compassion and gentleness to Jairus, comforting him that he will continue to walk with him and check on his daughter.

How many times in our life are we interrupted on the way to do something that we intended to do? Does it seem as if interruptions always come at the worst possible time? I think this passage resonated with me because to me, the urgent situation here is the little girl, but Jesus stops gently and compassionately and addresses this woman as well. Our word of the week is touched, or in my favorite translation, fasten to. The faith of Jairus and this woman caused them to fasten to Jesus, and not only experience a miracle, but to experience his compassion and love. Both of these people had enough faith to reach out to Jesus, even though they were afraid; the woman trembling at Jesus’s feet, and Jairus even being told to not be afraid.

For a song to listen to today, click the button above.
“Close” by Hillsong Young and Free

– Natalie Moon

Practice:
For today’s practice, if you are able, go someplace noisy. Someplace where there are a lot of people, a lot of things happening. Ask God to reveal the ways that you can cling to Him in the midst of the busyness of life, letting go of the noise and focusing on Him.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Have you ever been interrupted while doing something important by something that turned out to be just as important in your life?
2. What does it tell us about Jesus that he responds with compassion to interruptions? What does it tell us about our lives and our faith?
3. Daughter is a term of endearment in this passage. Have you ever felt that compassion from God?
4. What does it feel like to fasten to Jesus when your life gets crazy?

Reflection:
The through line in Luke 9:1–17 is simple: you already have everything you need. Jesus gives the disciples his authority and then sends them out with some pretty surprising instructions:
“Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.” In other words: You’ve been given what you need. Go.

This isn’t an easy or comfortable assignment. If Jesus had said this to me, I would’ve had several follow-up questions. There’s a real sense of urgency here. We tend to think we need everything lined up, fully planned, and backed up with a solid Plan B. Jesus seems to think otherwise.

We see this again in the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus tells the disciples to feed the crowd, and their first response is about logistics—which honestly feels reasonable. But somehow, in the mystery of God, they already have what they need to do what Jesus asks. Not everything they want. Not a perfect plan. Just enough.

How often do I know what God is asking me to do, but delay because I think I need more time, more clarity, or a better plan? Or I tell myself, I’ll get to that when life slows down—as if that’s ever actually going to happen.

Maybe even worse, sometimes I don’t act because I believe I’m lacking in some fundamental way. It’s easy to think we don’t have what it takes to do what God calls us to do. I imagine the disciples felt that way too. What they were asked to do was daunting. But we often underestimate ourselves—and forget that God is with us.

Maybe what we need most is the same reminder Jesus gives the disciples:
You already have everything you need.

– Gann Waters-Wright

Practice:
Make a list of the reasons or excuses you’ve used for not doing something you feel God has called you to do. At the end of that list, write down the first step you would take if you truly believed you already had everything you needed—trusting that God will show up along the way.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What tends to stop you more: not having a plan, or doubting yourself?
2. What do you think the disciples learned by being told to “take nothing for the journey”?
3. What would change in your life if you genuinely believed you already had all you need?

Weekly Word: Sabbath
Greek word: σάββατον (sabbaton). The Hebrew primitive root word is shabath, which means to repose or to desist from exertion.

Reflection: 
In today’s passage, we get to see Jesus argue about the Sabbath with religious leaders in two different scenarios. Jesus explains that the way they have been defining Sabbath is not what it was intended to be. It’s easy to look at this story from a distance and see that the religious leaders missed the point when it came to real, holy rest. They took something that was a gift and made it something restrictive. But we can do the same thing today, right? If any of you are like me and struggle with perfectionist tendencies, you may know where the religious leaders were coming from. Something that is good can be better; something that is worthwhile can be more meaningful; something that works well can be perfected. Everything can be MORE. If we aren’t careful, we can perfect the goodness right out of it.

In this case, something designed to literally be breathing room or rest was turned into one more thing to do and one more way to fail.

— Natalie Moon

Practice:
Is there a something in your life that has felt more restrictive then it was intended to be? What does it look like to give yourself some grace? What does that feel like? Does it feel holy? Find some time today to do something that is truly restful to you.

As a part of your practice listen to:
Come to Me by our very own Natalie Moon!
Click the button above to listen.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What can I set aside to look for God today?
2. What kind of preparation helps you feel close to God?
3. How can I make someones day lighter/help others prepare for God as well?

Reflection: 
One of the easily overlooked parts of this passage is where Jesus stands as he gives this sermon to his followers.  He stands in the “level place” or “a plain,” which is rich with symbolism and meaning.  In the Old Testament, the word shdemah, cultivated field, is used throughout the prophetic writings to contrast God’s judgment with God’s renewal. When the fields are barren, they are associated with hardship, desolation and death, a sign of the people’s straying from their covenant with God.  Fast forward to our passage that bears a striking resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew gives a mountainous backdrop. Luke, however, sets this sermon on a shdemah, that connects the barrenness of the poor, the hungry, the grieving, with the evidence of our barrenness: our lack of care and generosity for our neighbor.  Luke seeks to metaphorically level the playing field and upend the prevailing social norms by setting this talk in a space that amplifies Jesus’s message.  Jesus tells us that when God renews these level places, we might be confronted with our own brokenness that our privilege has hidden.  Jesus offers us both blessings and woes to draw us deeper into reflection about what kind of world our actions are creating.  Are we co-creating the Kingdom of God in our day to day living?
 
We totally planted our backyard garden from nothing, ex nihilo.  It is a source of pride for us that we have a peaceful place to enjoy God’s beauty that we planted ourselves.  I’ve got a testy part of my garden that I will be focusing on this winter and spring.  I haven’t unearthed the problem that keeps this spot inconducive to new growth, but I’m pretty sure it is because I haven’t bothered to really till the soil and amend it properly.  My garden really won’t be fully finished, until that barren spot is addressed. That work feels a lot like the work Jesus challenges us to do in this passage.  He wants us to examine our choices and not shy away from hard questions that might result in a new way of living.  What a wonder it is that Jesus shows up in our shdemah, to speak the truth about the barren places in our life but also point to a hopeful future.  Places where we have made a mess of things, become the fallow ground from which God can do a new thing within us if we are willing to till that ground.

– Eleanor Christiansen

Practice:
Take a trip to a local garden or linger in your backyard today.  Gardens look pretty barren in January.  Allow your mind to wander to places where our brokenness stands in the way of God’s dream for our world.  
 
Prayer:
God, you placed us in a garden at the beginning of time.  There is something deeply spiritual about working a garden and watching new things grow.  Help us sit with the metaphor of the barren places in our life to think again how our decisions either add to the brokenness of your world or become part of your dream for restoration.  Give us the heart of a gardener that sees potential in the open field for a new and beautiful world.  Amen


Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What places in our life feel desolate?  
2. What do we do in our gardens to promote growth?  
3. What might we do in our own life that could mirror that work?

Reflection:
As we finish our reading of Jesus’s Sermon on the Plains, we get some life lessons about how our faith and spirituality work. Don’t judge. Forgive. Be the type of person that you want to be in community with. Focus on your own problems before pointing out the problems of others. Protect you heart because that is where the good fruit will grow! He closes His sermon with the parable of the wise and foolish builders, one of whom built their foundation on solid ground and the other on shifting sand. When the floods came, not IF but WHEN the floods came, the only person with a structure left standing was the one who had built his house on solid ground.

How does this translate into our faith and our lives today? What does a firm foundation look like? We have named our Wednesday study moment “Wesley Wednesday” so I would like to share an excerpt from John Wesley’s journal. On January 25th, 1736 (290 years ago!) John Wesley was aboard a ship bound for Savannah, Georgia. Aboard this vessel, he encountered a group of Germans who were a part of a Christian group known as the Moravians. His relationship with this group of people began on this journey and had a lifelong impact on him. As they were on this ship, they experienced life threatening storms:

At seven I went to the Germans (Moravians). I had long before observed the great seriousness of their behaviour. Of their humility they had given a continual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other passengers, which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired, and would receive no pay, saying, “it was good for their proud hearts,” and “their loving Saviour had done more for them.” And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the Spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards, “Was you not afraid?” He answered, “I thank God, no.” I asked, “But were not your women and children afraid?” He replied, mildly, “No; our women and children are not afraid to die.”
From them I went to their crying, trembling neighbours, and pointed out to them the difference in the hour of trial, between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not. At twelve the wind fell. This was the most glorious day which I have hitherto seen. – John Wesley – Sunday, January 25, 1736

I would venture to say that this could be what a firm foundation looks like in our lives. That our hearts are in such a wonderful place, that nothing could shake our confidence and peace.

– Natalie Moon

Practice:
For our spiritual practice today, I want to invite you to do something a little different. I want you to find a place of solid ground. Maybe it’s in your house, maybe it’s outside. Maybe you take of your shoes. But try a standing prayer and ask God to help you build your life on His solid rock. If you are able, find a place that is a little less sturdy. Maybe it’s a sandy area or on a dock. Ask God to help you identify those areas in which you are building your life on things that are not sturdy.

As a part of your practice listen to this song:
Firm Foundation by Cody Carnes.
Click the button above to listen.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What does a firm foundation of faith feel like to you?
2. Are there times in your life that you have felt very secure in your faith?
3. Are there times that you have not?
4. What kind of fruit do you feel like is being produced in your life?

Reflection:
Today’s passage gives us two miraculous healings. While it appears as two straightforward stories, there is a lot happening between the lines.

A couple of big points:

1st – Worthy vs unworthy — 
in verses 1-10, we hear about a centurion who built a synagogue. People call him “worthy” of Jesus’ time and attention. Then we hear from the centurion via his servant. The centurion views himself as “unworthy” of Jesus’ time and attention. Despite his accolades, his work, and his reputation, the centurion doesn’t feel worthy. When the centurion sees Jesus he calls him “Lord.” He is the first to do so. His humility seems to have let him recognize something many others have missed so far in the gospel of Luke, that Jesus is Lord. A gentile recognized what many of the jewish people have missed. Worthy and unworthy get curiously flipped when it comes to Jesus’ ministry.


2nd – Take a look at 1 Kings 17:17-24 (bonus reading!)
This story is almost the same as Luke 7:11-17. In both stories, we have a widow, we have a son who has died, and we have two miraculous resurrections from the dead. In the story from 1 Kings, Elijah calls out to God to raise the boy. Here in Luke, Jesus does the healing directly. Readers familiar with the Old Testament would notice this difference. It is a hint into who Jesus really is. Our first passage this morning, named Jesus as Lord. Our second passage demonstrates that Jesus is Lord.

– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
REFRESH: Let’s take our reading into the community. In Birmingham, we have so many hospitals, clinics, and people looking for healing. Every time you drive past any medical building, pray for the many who need to be reminded that Jesus is Lord.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What does Jesus as Lord mean to you?
2. Have there been times when you experienced Jesus as Lord?
3. Take the time to ask someone about their most potent experiences with the Trinity.

Reflection:
“Are you the one?”  Nestled in this story, right after tales of Jesus’s miraculous acts, John’s question feels imprudent.  But, if we can put John the Baptist’s experience at the forefront, it might help us put his impertinence in context.  John has been imprisoned by Herod.  In Matthew’s retelling of this story, this is why he sends representatives to ask Jesus if he is the messiah.  John has been touting all the things that are to come to pass when the messiah comes, including the freeing of the captives, so is it any wonder that he asks Jesus, are you the real deal?  John the Baptist had a very particular view of the messiah, one that had political overtones and a revolutionary character, and he wasn’t sure Jesus fulfilled that job description.  He struggled to see that Jesus’s revolution centered more in upending misunderstandings of God and God’s presence than it did a political upheaval.  Jesus responds, not with rebuke, but with kind reassurance and evidence of lives changed through his work.
Having evidence in front of you that you interpret through your own expectations has a name: confirmation bias.  We often form expectations first, for good reasons, and then look for evidence that will support our expectations.  John is confronted with a problem here: his expectations of a messiah do not square with Jesus’s lived story as the messiah.  If you are like me, I hear echoes of John in my wonderings about when we will see God’s justice in the world or when will Jesus confirm my deepest hopes and beliefs.  But the core problem for both John and me is that we want to form the messiah in our image or to champion our purposes.  Ugh.  Jesus shows up to redefine what it means to be a messiah and his work transcends my timeline and John’s wish list, even when they feel warranted.  Perhaps our work for this day is to pay attention to how Jesus spent his time and do our best to shape our day to follow in his footsteps.

– Eleanor Christiansen

Practice:
Pray this today:
Mysterious God, Just when we think we have you figured out, we learn something new that complicates our picture of you.  We yearn to understand who you are.  Help us continue to search for who you are to us and who you call us to be.  Amen

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What do you think is at the heart of who Jesus is?  
2. What do you think is the most important thing Jesus does?  
3. What do you think is the most important thing Jesus says? 

Weekly Word: Accept/Welcome

Each Monday we want to highlight a word to give us focus for the week. This week I am looking at verse 24 where Jesus said, “no prophet is welcome in his hometown.” Some other translations say “accepted.”

Accept/welcome – is our weekly word.
Let this word guide you to be open to the Holy Spirit’s work of acceptance and welcoming all week long.

Reflection: 
Wow… tough time for Jesus! His growing fame and reputation for miracles has followed him into Nazareth, his hometown. This is the first sermon recorded for us in the Gospel of Luke, and it is a pokey one. It strikes me as funny that no one in the crowd has a problem with Jesus calling himself the messiah. Everyone seems perfectly ok with him claiming to represent the prophecy from Isaiah. The thing that gets the crowd angry comes from verses v23-27. What is it in these words that angers the crowd so much? In the way I read it, the people of Nazareth want Jesus to perform miracles for them just as he did in other towns. In response to their requests, Jesus references two Old Testament stories where God sent Elijah and Elisha to cities outside of Israel, Sidon and Syria. Jesus in his hometown chooses not to show them preferential treatment with miracles, but more or less says that his miracles are for the outsiders. The crowd does not take kindly to this news. They go so far as to become hostile towards Jesus so much so they want to throw him off a cliff! Crazily, this whole passage takes place in a Synagogue. The crowd is the churched community of Nazareth. Here inside church walls, the crowd becomes angry with Jesus and does not accept him. It scares me to think of the people in our own church walls who we are not accepting. What does it mean to welcome and accept people outside of our normal groups? I have heard it said before that, “the opposite of hostility is hospitality.” What would it look like if Canterbury was dedicated to the work of hospitality?

— Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Let’s practice some hospitality this week:

Part 1) Invite someone outside of your normal circles to lunch, coffee, to your home, or any invitation to time and conversation. 


Part 2) Next time you come to church, seek out someone you do not know and practice welcoming/accepting them

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. If we were in the crowd at Nazareth, do we think we would’ve welcomed and accepted Jesus’ words?
2. Who are we failing to welcome in church, in our offices, or in our neighborhoods?
3. What is a time someone welcomed and accepted you? How did it change you?

Reflection: 
Are there any people in our lives that we have written off? People who we would never dream that would or even could speak the truth about who Jesus is? In the verses before today’s reading, Jesus has just been run out of Nazareth, his home town. He had been teaching about preaching good news to the poor, releasing prisoners, and rescuing the oppressed. He told them that God often works through those we least expect and even don’t like. And, they didn’t like what Jesus had to say. 
 
He moved on to Capernaum and taught all of the good church going people on the Sabbath. They liked liked his preaching style but still couldn’t quite grasp who he was or what exactly he was about. It took someone no one would expect, much less listen to, to speak the truth about Jesus’s power and identity. Jesus’s reputation began to precede him as more and more people brought relatives and friends who needed to be restored to life. Yet, time and again, it was the ones no one expected who shouted the truth, and time and again, Jesus silenced them. We can’t help but ask why? Why would Jesus not want everyone to hear the Good News about who he was and what he came to do? 
 
There comes a time in each of our lives when we have to be able to say for ourselves what Jesus came to do – to preach good news to the poor, release prisoners, and rescue the oppressed – and speak the truth of who Jesus is – God’s Holy son, the Christ – even if our voice shakes. I hope we can all tune our ears to the voices of those we least expect when we need a reminder. 

– Tori Hastings

Practice:
To further yesterday’s practice of welcoming, call or text someone on your mind. Let them know they are being thought of and prayed for this morning.


Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Who is Jesus showing up to in our community? What would they have to teach us about how God moves?
2. How can we join alongside Jesus’ work to find the least and the lost?
3. When did you feel lost? Who showed up for you?

Reflection:
I love this story for many reasons. Firstly, I love it because this is how discipleship with Jesus began. He met Simon (Peter), James, and John doing their everyday job (fishing), on a normal maybe even disappointing day. Before the day was over, a little time with Jesus was enough to transform their entire lives.

Secondly, I love this story because of what it tells us about discipleship. Thanks to Jesus, Simon (Peter), James, and John went from having an unproductive day into having the best day of their entire fishing career. With a catch this big, they could take time off, they could use the money to improve their livelihoods, they could even dream up a new and better career for themselves. But instead, they give it all up to follow Jesus. They had their biggest day of fishing, and they didn’t get to enjoy any of it. They traded it all to walk with Jesus. 

It makes me wonder… if Jesus had given me the most lucrative day of my career (think lottery winning type day), would I also be willing to leave it all immediately after gaining it? Would I, like the disciples, be able to see the bigger picture that life with Jesus is more compelling than a good day of business?

Wesley Wednesday:
John Wesley had a lot to say about discipleship and how it requires everything. Discipleship cannot just be passive obedience, but it requires sacrifice and the willingness to carry ones cross. Below is a prayer he prayed to center himself on this work.


John Wesley’s Prayer:

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O gracious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. 
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
If you are ready to be like the disciples and like John Wesley, pray the prayer above. Take note of the places God takes you.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What does following Jesus require us to give up?
2. If Jesus asked us to walk away from winning the lottery, would we be willing to do it?
3. Who is an example in your life of someone who lives like these disciples did?

Reflection: 
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent.” What a statement! I wanted to start our devotional thought off today with this response from Jesus to the religious leaders who criticized the company he kept.

In today’s passage, we experience three different very dramatic scenes: Two people desperate to be healed and one man willing to follow. These three people who are part of vastly different communities; a man who probably experienced a lot of solitude, a man who apparently was beloved enough by his friends to lower him through a roof at the chance to be healed, and a person who was deeply involved with the wrong sorts of people. The quality that unifies all of these people in my mind is trust. They seemed to trust that Jesus can work miracles and that being in his presence would transform them.

I wonder if we can find ourselves and our own relationship with Jesus in these stories. Maybe you haven’t experienced a miracle as dramatic as the ones that we read about today, but if you are reading these passages with us this year, you have certainly experienced the love and forgiveness of Jesus in some way. I imagine that experience has made you trust Him. Back to our opening statement from Jesus to the religious leaders, we have recognized our own imperfections and surrendered them to Him.

– Natalie Moon

For the meditation song, Trust in God, copy and paste this URL into your browser:
https://open.spotify.com/track/45h3M5mnqeoCRuNUEKxuNO?si=0fe3714de37343a5

Practice:
REFRESH – I want to invite you to go someplace that reminds you of the trust that you have in God. For me, it will be the youth center at Riverchase UMC. It was the first place my husband and I worked after college and we got to see the youth group grow from about 20 students to several hundred. We didn’t know many people in Birmingham when we moved here and saw God work in our own lives in ways that has made my trust in Him grow. At the time, moving here felt like a step of faith. Is there a place that reminds you a step of faith that you took?

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Where did your trust in God begin?
2. Was there a moment in particular or did it grow over time?
3. What is one step of faith that you can take this week to help your trust grow?
4. Is there some act of mercy you have been led towards?
5. Is there a volunteer position that speaks to you?

Reflection:
My husband once did a 72 hour fast to reset his dopamine levels and immune system. In our ever increasing health conscious world, we hear medical professionals and health geeks talk about the benefits of all different kinds of fasts – intermittent, gut-reset, fat burning. Name the health goal, and there’s a suggested fast for optimal results. 
 
I have never been very good at fasting despite having health my own health goals. When I get hungry, I get grumpy. That’s never good for anyone! 
 
Fasting was a spiritual practice long before it was a health hack. 
 
The most prominent example of fasting in the Old Testament is outlined in Leviticus when the Israelites are commanded by God to fast on the Day of Atonement as a day of communal repentance and humility. Many Jewish people still communally observe this fast today. Moses fasted from food and water while he was meeting with God on Mt. Sinai receiving God’s instruction for leading God’s people. Hannah sought God in prayer and fasting when she was heartbroken and desperate for a child before the birth of Samuel. Faced with multiple warnings from Jonah, the Ninevites prayed and fasted as an act of repellence for the harm and destruction they had inflicted on so many. They fasted for various reasons but all desired to be closer to God.
 
Fasting, it seems, is a way for us to grow closer to the God we cannot see on a deeper level than we might otherwise be able to. It is a thin place – a way of bridging physical and spiritual realities. It’s no wonder that Jesus was taken aback by the peoples’ comment about Jesus’ disciples not fasting and always eating and drinking. The very God of the universe was walking among them bringing the spiritual realities of God to the physical earth. So, Jesus’ disciples celebrated accordingly! They ate, drank, and reveled in the fullness of heaven coming to earth! It, too, was a thing space.
 
The healthiest people I know are well attuned with balance. There are times when fasting is what provides our bodies and our souls with what it most needs – a physical reset, an intentional focus on God, a removal of distraction. And, there are times when celebrating provides what our bodies and our souls most need – a reveling in the moments when heaven meets earth, however fleeting. I hope we can seek out thin spaces together.

– Tori Hastings

Practice:
Fasting can come in many shapes and forms. Some people fast from food, while others fast from tech, from spending, or even talking. Choose something to fast either for a day, a weekend, or a full week. Like our biblical examples, use fasts to grow closer to God.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
Have you ever fasted as a spiritual practice?
What did you gain from it?
And if not, why not?

Weekly Word: CONSOLATION

Every Monday, we will give you a weekly word to focus on. Today’s word is consolation, Greek word: παράκλησις (paraklēsis). This word appears in Luke 2:25 referring to Simeon who waits for the consolation of Israel. It can mean comfort, exhortation, or encouragement.

Reflection: 
Today’s reading is filled with wonder at the immediate awareness by those who were faithful people, knowing who Jesus was to be for the people of Israel. Simeon known for being righteous and devout waited patiently for “consolation of Israel”. As we can see from the word of the week that this word can mean comfort, encouragement, or exhortation. Meeting Jesus, even as a child, made him feel that this was the fulfillment of what had been revealed to him. Then we meet Anna, a prophetess, who has a similar experience when Jesus is in front of her. It speaks to the fulfillment of God’s word in an incredible way. The other thing this passage shows us are faithful people who are waiting patiently for God to comfort them, to encourage them, to exhort them. The Oxford English dictionary defines exhortation as “an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.”
What are your hopes in your spiritual life this year? Are you waiting to be comforted? Do you need encouragement to do something that has been on your heart? Are you expecting an emphatic urging to do something or to serve in some way?

— Natalie Moon

Practice:
Luke tells us that Anna prayed night and day. Is there a time of prayer that you can add to your day, both morning and evening? What would that look like? Maybe make it simple and short and pray the Lord’s prayer. Or maybe simply ask God to comfort, encourage, or exhort you.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. When was the last time you were filled with wonder?
2. How are you with patience? Is that a fruit of the spirit you need to practice?
3. What are your hopes for your spiritual life this year?

Reflection: 
“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” — Luke 2:49


This passage drops us into a moment of holy disruption. Mary and Joseph have lost Jesus—every parent’s nightmare—and when they finally find Him, He is exactly where He believes He must be: in His Father’s house. Twelve-year-old Jesus is already living with a deep sense of purpose and identity. His choice doesn’t dismiss His parents but reveals a truth Mary and Joseph are still growing into: Jesus belongs fully to God, and that belonging shapes every step He takes. The temple scene invites us to consider the places where God calls us to “be about” the work we were created for. Sometimes purpose emerges through unexpected tension—moments that redirect us toward what matters most.

I, like many of you, have been through seasons when my schedule was too full, my energy too thin, and my purpose too blurry. One afternoon I walked into our beautiful sanctuary—not because I had time, but because I was in need of a place of refuge. I sat in the quiet, and for the first time in a while, I recognized how far I had drifted from simply being present with God. Something in me whispered a similar truth that Jesus voiced: This is where you belong. It wasn’t that I needed to be in the sanctuary constantly, but that I needed to return to the rhythms that re-centered my life. That moment nudged me back toward grounding, clarity, and a renewed sense of being held by God.



– Keith Thompson

Practice:
Spend 5 minutes today in a quiet place where you feel closest to God. Allow your mind to settle, breathe slowly, and simply rest in the truth that you belong to God.


Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Where is your “Father’s house”—the place you feel most aligned with God’s presence?
2. What part of your purpose might God be nudging back into focus this week?
3. Where do you need to pause long enough to listen?

Reflection:
In today’s passage we get a glimpse into the heart of John the Baptist’s ministry. A fiery speaker, he certainly lived his life passionately and singularly for the purpose God called him to. In verse 7 and 8, Luke tells us, “John said to the crowds coming to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Can you imagine beginning a baptism with these words today? I can’t imagine that going over very well. He goes on to instruct those in attendance on how to live into this baptism. If you have two tunics, give one to someone who has none. Don’t cheat your neighbor. Share food with those who have none.

John was there to prepare the way. To make our paths straight. One thing I have noticed in my own life is that when my morals and convictions are not aligned with the way that I am living my life or prioritizing my days, my path is ANYTHING but straight. John saw that in the community he lived in, that the spiritual practices did not align with the way that people actually lived their lives, and not only was he unafraid to speak out about this, but he did it in a way that you could not confuse his meaning.

I feel like we respond one of two ways when confronted with our sin. We accept it; we already know what it is that we are doing. We know better than anyone else what our flaws are because we have a front row seat for everything we have ever done or thought. But to have it pointed out by someone else. Wow. Either you appreciate it because you needed the nudging to make a change, or you lean in harder and become angry. Here we see two different reactions. The powerful Herod obviously doesn’t appreciate it. Others are drawn toward it. They seek out John and this baptism of repentance.

Wesley Wednesday:
What a coincidence that this passage falls on what we have deemed “Wesley Wednesday”.

This summer a group from Canterbury had the opportunity to travel in the footsteps of John ad Charles Wesley, including a trip to the New Room in Bristol, England. In the words of David Worthington, the Director of the New Room, “While John Wesley’s heart may have been strangely warmed in London, it was set afire in Bristol.” At the time of John Wesley, Bristol was a prosperous and growing port city, notable for its involvement in the slave trade and its coal mining industry. In one dramatic 1788 scene Wesley preached against slavery in Bristol’s slave trade capital, causing angry traders to literally break apart church pews and attack each other during the service. According to Adam Hamilton, this wasn’t just moral posturing – it was dangerous activism in the heart of England’s slavery industry. It was here that Wesley preached to thousands of coal miners who couldn’t afford church pew taxes, watching tears cut through the coal dust on their faces. This moment of radical inclusion for society’s outcasts became the template for Methodist social ministry worldwide.

As we consider the boldness of John Wesley, I want to go back to John the Baptist’s directive: Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Repentance means to turn and go a different direction.
– Natalie Moon

Practice:
For our practice today, I want to invite you to listen to this song and ask God to ignite that heartwarming fire within your heart.

(Copy and paste this URL into your browser.)
https://open.spotify.com/track/4WMhwQqqa6BkhWshgz9UKf

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What comes to mind in your own life that you feel God is calling you to turn from?
2. What fruit would that produce in your life?
3. Social justice is at the heart of not only the United Methodist Church but the church as a whole. Spend some time reflecting on what God is you calling you personally to do for others. What “sets you on fire”?

Reflection: 
I know I know… a reading on Jesus’ genealogy may appear boring… but there are some really great parts to this passage. Let’s highlight several big Old Testament names form Jesus’ family tree:


1. David – shepherd turned king, defeated Goliath, and turned Israel into a kingdom
2. Boaz – Cared for and married Ruth – (Read the book of Ruth for more!)
3. Judah – 4th son of Jacob and Leah, his name means praise, and he is born after his mother Leah realizes that God is with her even at her lowest point
4. Abraham – the main figure in Genesis. The first to receive God’s messianic promise, and the Father of all of Israel
5. Adam – the first person on earth, and father of all people everywhere

There are some really great names in here that Jesus could be proud of! However, every single one of these people also had major flaws and made many mistakes. Of those 5 names, some of them were liars, some were murderers, and some seemed completely lost. Despite their faults, God was very present in their lives, and from them all came Jesus. For me, it is fun to see that Jesus came from a complicated past. No one’s family is perfect, but God shows up and does some of God’s best work through complicated people.

Through the genealogy I am convinced of two things:

1) We all have complicated and at times difficult families 

2) God shows up and does good work anyway

One last point…
The gospel of Matthew also includes a genealogy (Matt. Chapter 1). In Matthew’s version, the genealogy goes back to Abraham whereas Luke’s version goes all the way back to Adam. Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, and Luke was written for a Gentile audience. Matthew wants to highlight that Jesus comes from the father of the Jewish faith. Luke wants to highlight that Jesus comes from Adam the father of all of humanity. Jesus is for everyone.

– Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
REFRESH – Re-read today’s passage with a physical picture of your family in your hand. Think about and reflect on all the ways God has shown up in our life through our family. If you want to go further, draw your family tree or write down names as far back as you can remember. Reflect on the ways God has worked through your family.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Ask someone about their family of origin.
2. Who in your family impacted you the most in a positive and loving way. How did they live in a way that you want to repeat?

Reflection:
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit… was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” — Luke 4:1–2



Devotional:

The wilderness is not a punishment; it is often preparation. Jesus is led there (some translations say “driven there”) by the Spirit, which means the wilderness is not the absence of God but the environment in which Jesus’ identity is clarified and His mission strengthened. Each temptation targets a different version of false identity: performance (“Turn stones into bread”), power (“Take authority over all this”), and protection (“Throw yourself down”). Jesus resists not by extraordinary effort but by remembering what is eternally true. The wilderness strips away illusions so only what is real remains. This passage reminds us that temptation is rarely about the thing itself—it’s about forgetting who we are and whose we are.

I once went through a stretch where I kept trying to prove my worth through productivity. Every unchecked item on my to-do list felt like failure, and every success felt like borrowed oxygen. Eventually, the pressure became its own wilderness—dry, exhausting, lonely. In that space, God gently reminded me that my/our identity does not come from accomplishments but from belonging. Like Jesus, I had to reclaim the truth God has spoken over my life— God’s truth is stronger than fear, insecurity, or performance anxiety. The wilderness didn’t disappear overnight, but the lies started losing their grip. Sometimes God leads us into quiet, uncomfortable places not to expose our weakness but to anchor our identity more deeply in grace.



– Keith Thompson

Practice:
Write down one false identity you tend to believe (e.g., “I’m only valuable when I’m productive”). Then write a scripture or simple truth that counters it. Read it three times today.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What “wilderness” are you navigating right now?

2. Which of the temptations—performance, power, or protection—most speaks to your struggles?

3. What truth do you need to reclaim to remember who you are in Christ?

Weekly Word: PREPARE

Every Monday, we will give you a weekly word to focus on. Today’s word is prepare. Our big hope this Spring and for the new year is that we ENCOUNTER God more because we believe it will be transformational for all of us. In order to ENCOUNTER God, maybe it takes a little bit of preparation. Preparation is active and trains us to be receptive. Let each day be an act of preparation for the work God can and will do through us. Every Monday-Friday, we will provide a scripture reading plan with the hope that more time in scripture and more time with God will truly transform us to be more like Jesus.

We believe in a simple formula:
More time with God each day = slowly becoming more like Jesus
Becoming more like Jesus = transformation in our lives and community

Help us make this a reality. Set aside some time each day to prepare for the work of God.

Blessings!
Matthew Montgomery

Scripture: Luke 1: 1-25

Reflection: 
What an introduction to the Gospel of Luke! Before we get to Jesus, Luke sets the scene for us. In many ways, its a callback to the Old Testament. From the beginning, we have a king (Herod), a priest (Zechariah), an angel (Gabriel), and now a new prophet (John the Baptist) all on the stage. Before we get to Jesus’ birth, Luke wants us to learn about John the Baptist. John the Baptist’s calling is laid out for us in verse 17, “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

In many ways, that is what we most want from our daily reading plan. We want all of us to be prepared and made ready for the work of God. 

If our church-wide goal for 2026 and for this Spring is to become more like Jesus, then maybe we need to follow the example of Luke chapter 1. Before Jesus appears, we, like John the Baptist, need to do a little bit of preparation. For the entirety of this Spring, let each day begin with reading the Bible. Let us dive into the gospel of Luke verse by verse. Let this become our daily habit so that we as a church will be prepared to ENCOUNTER and make ready the way of the Lord.

Practice:
For today’s practice, let it be a short and simple prayer:
“God prepare us (as a church and as individuals) to encounter you daily. Bless our attempts each day and today as begin this journey. Amen.”

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. What can I set aside to look for God today?
2. What kind of preparation helps you feel close to God?
3. How can I make someones day lighter/help others prepare for God as well?

Scripture: Luke 1: 26-45

Reflection: 
In our passage today, the name of Jesus appears for the first time in the Gospel according to Luke. The first person to hear this name was a young girl named Mary. As a female who likes to sing, growing up I was often playing Mary in a Christmas production at church. I remember feeling the weight of the role, not quite understanding the significance of the story, but understanding that this person Jesus would come to change our hearts and our world. Do you remember the first time you heard the name Jesus? If you are like me and grew up in Sunday School, you may not have a specific memory, but remember puppet shows, songs like Jesus Loves Me, and coloring book sheets. Jesus just kept showing up as I got older and joined the youth group, when I went to college and joined Bible studies, on mission trips, and as a parent of my own children. This week marks the beginning of a new year, a blank slate that is full of potential.  I want to invite you to join me in thinking about how Jesus is going to show up in our lives each and every day this year.

Grace,
Natalie Moon

Practice:
Spend some time reading and thinking about the many names of Jesus:
Christ (the Messiah)
Son of God
Son of Man
Savior
Lord of Lords
Lamb of God
The Word
Alpha and Omega
Immanuel (God with us)
Prince of Peace
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Good Shepherd
High Priest
The Bread of Life
The Light of the World
King of the Jews
Rabbi/Teacher
The Way, the Truth, and the Life 

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. As we go on this journey together to become more like Jesus, spend some time thinking about the ways that Jesus has appeared in your life? 
2. Have you experienced his divinity as a shepherd, counselor, or teacher?
3. In what ways would you like to see Jesus appear in your life this coming year?

Scripture: Luke 1: 46-56

Reflection:
Today we hear Mary’s song the Magnificat! Mary, who is likely a young teenager, offers us one of the most beautiful, prophetic, and powerful passages of scripture. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once called her song, “the wildest hymn ever sung.” It starts out fun and full of praise, but the song quickly shifts in tone. Mary asks God to “scatter the proud” to “bring down the powerful from their thrones” and to “send the rich away empty.” Imagine being Mary in this moment. She is surprisingly and impossibly pregnant. Her whole world has been turned upside down and this song is her response. What incredible faith! Mary sings about God’s activity. How God regularly can turn our worlds upside down in the best of ways. She speaks of how the first will be last and the last will be first. Maybe this is why her soul “magnifies the Lord.” When God showed up in her life, her whole world got more complicated. However, isn’t that what our souls want most? To be part of God’s activity in this world? I once heard the preacher Adam Hamilton call this, “the paradox of blessedness.” How it can be so comforting and assuring when God is in our life, and yet also that usually means some discomfort will follow. The discomfort is being a part of God’s plan. God likes to send us to people and places we would never expect to go. God seems to enjoy turning our world’s upside down.

How is it with your soul?

In preparing our reading plan, we have dubbed each Wednesday as “Wesley Wednesday” based on our founder of Methodism John Wesley. We want to throw in a little bit of methodism each week. John Wesley had a lot to say about this song of Marys, but his main focus is on God’s saving grace. How God “lifts up the lowly” and “fills the hungry with good things.” God is on the side of the hurting. 

John Wesley famously asked all people in his life this question: “how is it with your soul?” That question really cuts straight through the small talk. Asking someone “how is it with your soul,” is asking about what is really going on in their lives. Its a bit of a scary question, because we may not be ready to hear the answer. However, what can be more important than checking in on our friends and families souls? 

John Wesley took the time to ask and listen closely to the response. He celebrated with people in good times when they were able to say “my soul magnifies the Lord.” He also sat with listened with anyone whose souls felt heavy. Maybe today this could be a world upside down question. Take a second to ask how it is with your soul, and make space to do the same for someone else. If we as a church all do this today, who knows what God can and will do with us.

Blessings,
Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
God’s work often turns our worlds upside down. In a reminder of that work, let’s do something backwards or in reverse. Instead of normal small talk, keep on a friend or family member with the famous question from John Wesley: How is it with your soul?

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Mary sang, “my soul magnified the Lord?” What can you do to magnify the Lord in your day?
2. How is it with your own soul?
3. When was a time you experienced the “paradox of blessedness?”

Scripture: Luke 1: 57-80

Reflection: 
John is a name that is translated into “God is Gracious”. If you have had the chance to study the Old Testament, you will discover that names had deep significance in each family. It linked you to the past, to your ancestral land, and to hope for the future. We read in this passage about the shock of those present when Zechariah (a priest) agreed with his wife to pivot from tradition. In a bold and faithful act, he confirmed the name John, God is Gracious. Zechariah could then again SPEAK!

For today’s refresh moment, I have linked one of my all-time favorite worship songs. The lyrics come directly from Psalm 103 (link Psalm 103) in which one of the root words for John’s name appears, “gracious”. I imagine when the people heard John’s name, that maybe they were reminded of this passage (and the MANY passages that mention the graciousness of God). No wonder people marveled at this child and wondered at the potential of his life.

Peace,
Natalie Moon

Practice:
REFRESH – We invite you to read this scripture in a new place to give you a fresh perspective. Maybe think of a place of family significance to you, or even visit the chapel at Canterbury.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Why do you think Zechariah was unable to speak during Elizabeth’s pregnancy? Do you ever feel the presence of God in stillness or silence?  What is it about being silent that helps illuminates the mysteries of God?
2. John’s name translated from the Hebrew translates to “God is Gracious”. Have you ever experienced the graciousness and compassion of God?  We invite you to spend some time in prayer while you listen to this song based on Psalm 103: 8.

Scripture: Luke 2: 1-20

Reflection:
In the gospel of Luke, who receives the good news of Christmas first? The shepherds! Matthew and Luke are the only gospels that share the story of Jesus’ birth. In Matthew, the wise men are the first to receive the good news, but in Luke its the shepherds. Luke wants to emphasize that the good news of Jesus’ presence in our lives is for everyone. Jesus is here for all and is with all. The shepherds who were probably not the most religiously educated… provide us with the perfect example of what to do after encountering God. First they listen. Second they look for Jesus. Lastly, they share the good news. Not a bad model for us all to follow! What is God saying to us? Where can we look to find Jesus working? How can we further God’s work by sharing what is happening? Listen. Look. Share.

It is hard to say who are our modern shepherds, but there is something to be said of finding the gospel in unexpected places. The shepherds carried the good news of Jesus to the people of their day. It wasn’t the priests, it wasn’t the pharisees, and it wasn’t from any expected source. Who is carrying the good news of Jesus now? What places is good news coming from that we would never expect?

Faith Inspiration Friday:
Every Friday of each week in our reading plan, we will share of someone from our life who has inspired, encouraged, and taught us how to live like Jesus. When I read Luke 2:1-20 and when I think about someone who is always sharing the good news, I cant help but think of Bill Morgan. He has no idea I am writing this. He is my across the hall neighbor in the office. Every morning, he walks in and checks on my well being. Many mornings, he will share a book, an article, or a movie that he has recently seen. Some mornings, he will say something like, “this book reminded me of you, and I want you to have it.” He is the perfect example of sharing good and important news. It helps stir up good conversation, and I always feel better from having talked with him. If you know Bill, you know he always thinks of others first. He is a great listener, he looks to find Jesus every day, and he shares the good news once he finds it.

Grace,
Matthew Montgomery

Practice:
Lets practice the shepherds (and Bill Morgan’s) example and share some good news. Today, reflect and look back on where God has moved in your life in amazing ways. Then, find someone to share the story of your good news.

Questions to ask friends, family, strangers, and yourself:
1. Who in our lives has shared the good news with us?
2. When was the last time we shared excitement about our faith or about God?
3. Ask someone about the good news in their life.