Conversations Beyond the Pew with the Rev

How do you love well… especially when others and situations don’t make it easy?

Do you ever feel like the world is lacking love, compassion, understanding, respect, etc?

Do you ever get frustrated with the way people treat one another, the way you’ve been treated or how you respond to others when they aren’t easy to be around?

Sunday, April 28, 2024

John 15:1-21

Quotes

James Baldwin: “Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up.”

Lao Tzu: “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

Mother Teresa: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Dalai Lama: “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”

How do you find yourself when you feel lost?

Sunday, April 21, 2024John 10:1-18

Quotes

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” - John 13:34

“Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?” - Matthew 7:3

“Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” - Luke 6:37

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” - Luke 6:27

“Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13. “Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things…. Now faith, hope, and love remain - these three things - and the greatest of these is love.”

Coretta Scott King says: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

John Lewis says: “What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it's grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.”

How do you move forward in life?

Sunday, April 14, 2024

John 21:1-8

Sayings of Jesus:

“Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?” - Matthew 7:3

“Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.” John 8:7

“If you forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven.” John 20:23

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” - John 13:34

“Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives.” - Matthew 16:25-27

“Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.” - Luke 12:48

How do you heal a broken heart?

Sunday, April 7, 2024

John 20:19-23

Quotes:

India Arie: “For me, the healing process starts with graciousness and forgiveness.”

Leo Buscaglia: “Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keep you from hope and love.”

Elizabeth Gilbert: “When you are standing in [a] a forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place. But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in that same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope.”

How do you find happiness?

Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

Luke 24:1-12

Isaiah 25:6-9

Sayings of Jesus:

“You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” - Matthew 22:39

“...be wise as snakes, and innocent as doves” - Matthew 10:16

“Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” - Luke 6:27

“Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” - Luke 6:37

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

Quotes

Marcus Aurelius: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

Seneca: “Every new beginning comes from other beginning’s end.”

C.S. Lewis: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”

Mary Shelley: “The beginning is always today.”

Desmond Tutu: “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”w

How do you change your relationships?

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Luke 22:1-27

Quote

A.J. Levine says: “Sacrifice was a way of sharing a meal with God… And it had many functions, because there were many types of sacrifices: thanksgiving offerings, freewill offerings, dedicatory offerings, festal offerings, and yes, sin offerings… In eating the meat, the worshiper would be, symbolically, sharing a meal with God.”

How do you create a better life for yourself?

Sunday, March 17, 2024

1 Thessalonians 5:10-28

Quotes

Marcus Aurelius: “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe: “The past, the present and the future are really one: they are today.”

Robert Downey Jr.: "I'd like to thank my veterinarian — I meant wife — Susan Downey over there. She found me, a snarling rescue pet, and loved me back to life. That's why I am here. Thank you."

How do you change your day when things feel out of control?

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Colossians 3:8-17

Quotes

Ralph W. Sockman: “True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.”

Simon Sinek: “Humility is being open to the ideas of others.”

How do you stay away from negativity?

How do you not let other people’s negativity affect you?

How does gratitude impact your perspective?

Sunday, March 3, 2024

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Quotes

Walter Brueggemann: “There is a generosity of the spirit in the gospel, a generosity not overpowered by our fears… It is this gospel based generosity that will still our fears, curb our anger, quench our brutality, and make us new.”

Anne Lamott: “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.”

How does gratitude change what is important to you?

Sunday, February 25, 2024

1 Corinthians 10:14-33

Quotes

Psalm 24:1“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants too.”

Henri Nouwen: “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”

Harriet Ward Beecher: “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”

How do you practice gratitude when life is hard?

Sunday, February 18, 2024Matthew 15:21-39

Quotes

Henri Nouwen: “The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”

“Perhaps nothing helps us make the movement from our little selves to a larger world than remembering God in gratitude. Such a perspective puts God in view in all of life, not just in the moments we set aside for worship or spiritual disciplines. Not just in the moments when life seems easy.”

Eckhart Tolle: “It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.”

Karl Barth: “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”

How do you not get stuck in drama?

Sunday, February 11, 2024Acts 8-26

Quotes

Viktor E. Frankl: “When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Chuck Palahniuk: “People don’t want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas, their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown.”

Don Miguel Ruiz: “Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”

How do you not let things hold you back from a good life?

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Matthew 19:13-30

Quote

Henri Nouwen says: “To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer.”

How can you find more stability in your life?

James 1:5-6

Quotes

Ansel Adams: “In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.”

Albert Einstein: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing… Never lose a holy curiosity.”

How do you let go of expectations?

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Genesis 17:1-22

Quote

Marcus Aurelius: “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”

How do you get through the hard times?

James 1:2-4

Quotes:

Marcus Aurelius: “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”

Virgil: “Every calamity is to be overcome by endurance.”

How do you recognize God's blessings when life is chaotic?

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Genesis 1:9-31

Ryan Holiday: “Like a virus, calm spreads by contact. It spread through the air. We exude it, shedding our excess strength onto others, infecting them as they in turn infect others - not with a degrading, harmful agent, but one that builds strength and purpose. When everything is charged with fear, a spark can ignite a panic. It can ensure demoralization and then defeat. But just as easily, one person can ground out this dangerous electrical current. One person can turn things around.”

How do you find motivation for a healthy life?

How do you know your motivations are healthy?

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Isaiah 60:1-6

Matthew 2:1-4

Quotes:

Ryan Holiday: “What I’ve found in my research is that realism and self-honesty are the antidote to ego, hubris, and delusion.”

Brené Brown: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”

William James: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

How do you find healing in life?

What does healing even mean when it isn’t about what we want?

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Isaiah 61:1-4

Luke 2:22, 24-40

How do you stay focused on what matters?

How do you not get distracted by things that aren’t worth your time?

When you think of Christmas, what are the things you want to be focused upon?

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Isaiah 52:1-6

Luke 2:4-16

Quote:William James: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

How do you deal with people who get on your nerves?

Luke 19:7-9

Quotes

Jackie Kennedy: “Whenever I was upset by something in the papers, Jack always told me to be more tolerant, like a horse flicking away flies in the summer.”

Tyler Perry: “You can never be upset with the people who forced you into your dream or up higher.”

How do you enjoy Christmas when so much seems to get in the way?

How do you have a meaningful Christmas when things aren’t exactly what you want?

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Luke 1:41-75

William Arthur Ward: “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee said: “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”

Psalm 136:1-3

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good.

    God’s faithful love lasts forever!

Give thanks to the God of all gods—

    God’s faithful love lasts forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of all lords—

    God’s faithful love lasts forever.

How do you not let stress impact holiday celebrations?

How do you remain calm in stressful situations no matter the season?

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Luke 1:5-40

Quote

Ryan Holiday: “So much of the distress we feel comes from reacting instinctually instead of acting with conscientious deliberation. So much of what we get wrong comes from the same place. We’re reacting to shadows. We’re taking as certainties impressions we have yet to test. We’re not stopping to put on our glasses and really look.”

How do you keep going when you’re exhausted?

How do you keep going when you’ve got nothing left to give?

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Mark 8:1-25

Quotes:

Vaclav Havel: “Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.”

Desmond Tutu states it well: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”

How do you keep your fears in check when they feel overwhelming?

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Luke 6:1-13, 17-23, 27-31

Quote

In current language Howard Thurman: “A person’s conviction that one is God’s child automatically tends to shift the basis of one’s relationship with others. This person recognizes at once that to fear someone, whatever may be that one’s power over the person, is a basic denial of the integrity of one’s life. It lifts that mere person to a place of pre-eminence that belongs to God and to God alone.” 

How do you cope with holiday pressures?

How do you deal with holiday expectations?

How do you handle the family dynamics, the disappointments, or the complex emotions that come with this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Deuteronomy 8:14, 16-18

Luke 7:31-50

Quotes

Jelly Roll: “Need a Favor”“I only talk to God when I need a favorAnd I only pray when I ain’t got a prayer.”

Anne Lamott: “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.”

Have you ever felt like life is stacked against you? 

Have you ever tried to make the right decisions and things don’t work out like you want?

How do you handle those situations that leave you disappointed and wanting something different?

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Genesis 40:1-23

Quotes:

Walter Brueggemann says: “The world of despair believes that there are no new gifts, no fresh generosity, no possibility of newness of forgiveness, and so life becomes a zero-sum game to see who can stay the longest on top of the heap, all the while knowing that there will be no good outcome to the futile rat race.”

Serene Jones says: “To forgive is to let go of what weighs us down so that we are freed to do the work of love in the world. Freed also to let ourselves be loved.”

Marcus Aurelius: “Does what happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, straightforwardness?”

Have you ever been mad at yourself?

Have you ever struggled with liking yourself?

How can you have more peace when you feel mad or are struggling with liking yourself?

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Genesis 32:3, 6-7, 9, 11, 13, 24-28

Genesis 33:1-17a

Have you ever been frustrated by your expectations of yourself or others?

How do you determine what are healthy expectations of self and others?

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Mark 9:14-30, 33-41

What can help you ease worries about the future for yourself and others?

How do you stay calm when the future is unknown?

What will help you when situations seem stacked against you?

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Select verses from: 1 Samuel 20:1-42

Do you find yourself too busy, anxious, or overwhelmed to enjoy life?

Is your day more chaotic than you think it should be?

What does it take to find peace, a calm in your current situation?

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Genesis 1-3, 6-17, 20-31

Do you have regrets that bother you?

Do you ever wish you could change your past?

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost something in the past and wish you could get it back?

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Exodus 4:1-20, 27-31

Do you ever lie awake at night worrying or feel stressed by situations during the day?

Have you ever felt like your patience, your limits, your time, your peace is being tested by situations, people, maybe even God?

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Jeremiah 30:3-7

Jeremiah 31:22-34

When do you ignore something or someone?

Quote: “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” - Albert Einstein

Luke 10:5-6

Matthew 10:14

How do you move forward when relationships are complicated?

How do you deal with difficult relationships in a healthy way?

Do you want to cultivate more peace in your relationships?

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Matthew 18:15-35

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the pain of the world and wondered how to respond?

Have you ever been hurt and wondered if there are better ways of handling it?

Sunday, September 3, 2023

Romans 13:8-14

Romans 14:1-4

Galatians 4:8-19

Have your fears ever impacted your confidence or what you are willing to do?

Have you ever struggled to stand up to your fears?

Is there a way to quiet the fears that threaten to consume you?

Sunday, August 27, 2023

1 Samuel 17:33-58

Have you ever doubted your self worth?

Do you ever feel like you aren’t measuring up to other people’s or your own expectations?

Have you ever felt insignificant?

Have you wondered what it takes to quiet that inner voice that whispers not good enough, never enough, screw up, should be further along in life, etc?

Sunday, August 30, 2023

1 Samuel 17:1-32

Have you ever struggled with how to make things better in life?

Have you ever found yourself struggling to enjoy life but aren’t sure of how to change it?

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Jeremiah 31:1-17

Cultivating Healthy Relationships

How do you define a healthy relationship?

Quotes

Aristotle

“A friend to all is a friend to none.”

Khalil Gibran

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”

Elie Wiesel

“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.”

Have you ever found yourself struggling with how to respond to a situation?

Have you ever found yourself at a loss of where to even begin when trying to respond?

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Acts 28:1-22

How do you stay positive in a negative world?

Do you ever feel the despair of nothing seems to be getting better?

Romans 5:2-5

Have you ever felt like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? 

Have you ever wondered what it takes to ease some of that burden?

Matthew 11:27-30 

Romans 8:31-39 

Ephesians 2:8-10

How do you know when it’s time to take a step back? 

How do you know when it’s time to hit pause on something?

Mark 6:10-12

How do you handle change?

Have you felt the force of change and wanted no part of it?

Have you ever needed a change in your life but weren’t sure which way to go?

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Acts 8:1-25

Do you ever struggle with your purpose in life?

Do you ever struggle with finding clarity during life's transitions?

Deuteronomy 15:11

Have you ever felt incapable? 

Have you ever underestimated your ability to deal with whatever is before you? 

Sunday, July 16, 2023

2 Kings 19:1-11, 14-16, 19, 29-30, 32-33

Have you ever felt pressure when making decisions?

Have you ever been anxious or fearful about making the right decision?

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Esther 4:1, 4-16; 5:1-8

Is there anything you need to let go of?

Do you find it hard to let go of certain things?

Do you ever find yourself dwelling on thoughts, going over and over them and the only thing it changes is how you feel and it isn’t necessarily good?

Acts 17:16-34

How do you respond when people don't like you?

Acts 13:50-52