Called Out (Week 1)
What happens when "good churchy people" fall more in love with lukewarm religion than with God? This question is at the heart of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is presented as one sent to challenge our low expectations of what it means to follow after God's Spirit.
What happens when "good churchy people" fall more in love with lukewarm religion than with God? This question is at the heart of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is presented as one sent to challenge our low expectations of what it means to follow after God's Spirit. Some of the harshest words Jesus speaks are directed at those who would seek to be his followers, as he confronts our understandings of love, loyalty, generosity, and forgiveness. This October, let's take a closer look at those moments when Jesus calls out his would-be followers, and consider how God is calling all of us "good churchy people" to something higher.
Bible On Broadway: Ragtime
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Ragtime.”
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Ragtime.”
Bible On Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Dear Evan Hansen.”
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Dear Evan Hansen.”
Bible On Broadway: Annie
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Annie.”
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “Annie.”
Bible On Broadway: The Music Man
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “The Music Man.”
September is a special month of worship services as we use the music and storytelling of Broadway to grow in our faith. You will see a few set changes, some costumes and special musical performances. We hope you enjoy these fun and unique services. This week’s musical is “The Music Man.”
Unmasked Week 5: Anger & Reconciliation
In a culture of rage and division, how can our faith lead us towards reconciliation? If you missed Pastor Scott's "Unmasked" message, he spoke on the familiar passage of I Corinthians 13 - but not the way you might have heard it in a wedding.
In a culture of rage and division, how can our faith lead us towards reconciliation? If you missed Pastor Scott's "Unmasked" message from Sunday, he spoke on the familiar passage of I Corinthians 13 - but not the way you might have heard it in a wedding.
Unmasked Week 4: Justice
As a country, we are waking up to and engaging injustices that have long existed prior to COVID: racism, economic inequality, misogyny, educational inequality, lack of access to quality healthcare, to name just a few.
As a country, we are waking up to and engaging injustices that have long existed prior to COVID: racism, economic inequality, misogyny, educational inequality, lack of access to quality healthcare, to name just a few. In the same way, Jesus encountered long-suffering individuals in these stories, and offered healing, not only to the ones suffering, but also to the communities that perpetuated their suffering.
Unmasked Week 3: Rest
Perhaps God is preparing a shift in your own life, an answer to that whispered question: Why are you here? One that won’t come from winds and quakes and fire. One that is not built upon looking back into the past, but rather into the future.
Unmasking Rest: Perhaps God is preparing a shift in your own life, an answer to that whispered question: Why are you here? One that won’t come from winds and quakes and fire. One that is not built upon looking back into the past, but rather into the future.
Unmasked Week 2: Depression & Self-Care
For those who have suffered without help long before the pandemic was a reality, my prayer is we could advocate for mental health concerns to be de-stigmatized, and mental health care to be accessible and affordable for everyone in our country. “Going back to normal” means going back to a culture that ignores the growing epidemics of burnout and poor mental health. We need a new normal where self care and mental health are prioritized and practiced.
For those who have suffered without help long before the pandemic was a reality, my prayer is we could advocate for mental health concerns to be de-stigmatized, and mental health care to be accessible and affordable for everyone in our country. “Going back to normal” means going back to a culture that ignores the growing epidemics of burnout and poor mental health. We need a new normal where self care and mental health are prioritized and practiced.
Unmasked Week 1: Grief & Lament
What does our culture teach us about grief? We have become trained to go away to grieve in private. In this week’s “unmasking” we are listening to the teachings of our faith when it says that grief is best done in community.
What does our culture teach us about grief? We have become trained to go away to grieve in private. In this week’s “unmasking” we are listening to the teachings of our faith when it says that grief is best done in community.
We Belong To Each Other: God's Kingdom
How do we belong to the Kingdom Of God? Rev. Scott Gilliland finishes the worship series, "We Belong To Each Other."
How do we belong to the Kingdom Of God? Rev. Scott Gilliland finishes the worship series, "We Belong To Each Other."
We Belong To Each Other: Each Other
Jesus sees diversity as a gift to be celebrated, not an obstacle to be overcome. Even though we are all rooted in a common faith and love of God, that relationship may lead us in radically different expressions of faith, and that is a good thing.
Jesus sees diversity as a gift to be celebrated, not an obstacle to be overcome.Even though we are all rooted in a common faith and love of God, that relationship may lead us in radically different expressions of faith, and that is a good thing.
We Belong To Each Other: Belong
Can we see each other’s stories, each other’s pain, each other’s full humanity, each other’s full brokenness? Can we choose each other, time and again, especially when it costs us something? Can we come to the realization that Jesus is calling us to: that my healing is bound up in your healing, my redemption is bound up in your redemption, my hope and fear and joy and pain and dancing and grieving is all bound up with you, because we are bound up with each other by the love and mercy of God?
When we adopt eyes of belonging, we see everyone with the eyes of God, as beloved siblings worthy of dignity, love, and life.
Can we see each other’s stories, each other’s pain, each other’s full humanity, each other’s full brokenness? Can we choose each other, time and again, especially when it costs us something? Can we come to the realization that Jesus is calling us to: that my healing is bound up in your healing, my redemption is bound up in your redemption, my hope and fear and joy and pain and dancing and grieving is all bound up with you, because we are bound up with each other by the love and mercy of God?
We Belong To Each Other: We
Justice-oriented sounds like someone who may be pointed in the direction of justice, but isn’t taking any steps in that direction. Google maps can orient me in the direction of my destination, but it’s my job to move in that direction. No, we’re not simply justice-oriented, because that is simply not enough. We are a prophetic, force-for-good, kick-in-the-pants justice unicorn.
We are not justice-oriented. Justice-oriented sounds like someone who may be pointed in the direction of justice, but isn’t taking any steps in that direction. Google maps can orient me in the direction of my destination, but it’s my job to move in that direction.
No, we’re not simply justice-oriented, because that is simply not enough. We are a prophetic, force-for-good, kick-in-the-pants justice unicorn.
Testimonies: How have you experienced grace through Arapaho UMC?
On June 28, 2020 the Arapaho UMC Worship Service featured four stories from members of this community.
On June 28, 2020 the Arapaho UMC Worship Service featured four stories from members of this community.
Walk On
The grace of God helps us to walk on towards becoming perfect in love, so that people see us and they see the perfect love of Christ in us, but this isn’t just about personal salvation, it doesn’t stop there, becoming more perfect in love moves us to work on making our society, our world better so that the whole world becomes a place where love flourishes, where human beings love God and love one another, what God intended in the first place.
The grace of God helps us to walk on towards becoming perfect in love, so that people see us and they see the perfect love of Christ in us, but this isn’t just about personal salvation, it doesn’t stop there, becoming more perfect in love moves us to work on making our society, our world better so that the whole world becomes a place where love flourishes, where human beings love God and love one another, what God intended in the first place.
Do you know there is a road before you, before us right now and God is saying: leave behind what is keeping you from perfection in love and walk on.
Walk on from your addiction, walk on from your anxiety, walk on from your fear, walk on from your pride, walk on from your cynicism, as a country walk on from your racism, walk on from your white supremacy, walk on from your selfishness and greed and towards a better present and future, walk on towards justice, walk on towards equality, walk on towards peace…
Do you know you don’t have to stay where you are…do you know the grace of God makes it possible for you to walk on from where you are to where God wants you to be.
Observations on the Road to Emmaus
We are exploring scriptures that take place on the road and what is consistent is that Jesus meets people on the road, while they are on the way, he doesn’t wait for them to get to their destination, doesn’t wait for them to get themselves together, he meets people right where they are, he meets you and me right where we are.
This is the third week of our series “For the Road.”
We are exploring scriptures that take place on the road and what is consistent is that Jesus meets people on the road, while they are on the way, he doesn’t wait for them to get to their destination, doesn’t wait for them to get themselves together, he meets people right where they are, he meets you and me right where we are—Right in the middle of whatever we are feeling, whatever pain, frustration, sadness, disappointment, grief we are experiencing—Jesus shows up…just not in the way we might expect him to.
Deliverance and Redemption Today
Jesus meets you on whatever road you are on in your life to give you the grace you need so you can head in the direction of his kingdom. It’s like the phrase you have hopefully heard recently: no justice, no peace. That’s it. You can’t get to peace without justice. You need justice today so you can head in the direction of peace tomorrow.
Jesus meets you on whatever road you are on in your life to give you the grace you need so you can head in the direction of his kingdom. It’s like the phrase you have hopefully heard recently: no justice, no peace. That’s it. You can’t get to peace without justice. You need justice today so you can head in the direction of peace tomorrow.
You need deliverance and redemption today and God wants to give it to you today. So today is the day for you to open your eyes and see what God is doing.
What we are seeing on the streets of America and indeed throughout the world is people of all races and demographics coming together to protest, to call out, to demand deliverance from the choke-hold of systemic racism in our country and redemption from the evil of white supremacy that has embedded itself in our society—today—this is kingdom work.
Listen, Learn, Lament, Leverage
It is obviously not enough for white people to be pleading from the sidelines against racism in our country, we have to be actively working to stop it, to end the systemic structures that are oppressing and killing our black brothers and sisters. If we are not actively opposing racism, we are a part of the problem.
Listen, Learn, Lament, Leverage
It is obviously not enough for white people to be pleading from the sidelines against racism in our country, we have to be actively working to stop it, to end the systemic structures that are oppressing and killing our black brothers and sisters. If we are not actively opposing racism, we are a part of the problem.
If the church is not actively opposing racism, if the church is not actively working to break down systems that divide and oppress, the church is part of the problem.
That is what the scripture today is really about, at the heart of it is this question: will the church stand up against established systems that have long denied rights and perpetuated the power and control of one group over another or will the church simply align with the powers that be and reinforce systemic injustice?
Braving The Wilderness: Five Details from the Good Samaritan You May Have Missed
When you are conscious that your life is not about you but you are about life, then you always do the loving thing, the connecting thing, the life-giving thing, the compassionate thing. Compassion means to suffer together.
When you are conscious that your life is not about you but you are about life, then you always do the loving thing, the connecting thing, the life-giving thing, the compassionate thing. Compassion means to suffer together.
The love of neighbor that the Samaritan demonstrates is conscious love, love that is conscious of the divine presence in every human being that makes us all one.
(Podcast Audio Coming Soon)