Wesley :: Devotional :

"Meeting Expectations" A Sermon on the Beginning of the Advent Season

2008-12-02T13:03:00.002-07:00

Mark 13:24-3724 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened,  and the moon will not give its light,  25and the stars will be falling from heaven,  and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  26Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of

A place to call home

2008-06-07T13:18:00.004-07:00

by Brian Indrelunas, Wesley Council memberI can feel at home anywhere, I always tell myself. Every time I visit or revisit a city, I seem to fall in love with the place and make mental plans to move there someday.It happened a few weeks ago when I traveled to Washington, D.C., for United Methodist Student Forum. It happens whenever I go to South Los Angeles to volunteer or work for Sierra Service

You Graduated! Now What?

2008-05-18T16:34:00.004-07:00

Attending ASU or another Valley college or technical school in the fall? Whether you are looking to begin or continue your spiritual journey we hope you will check out one of our many welcome events when the semester starts. Until then, we want to know who you are so we can get to know you better and you can get to know us. Sign up for our e-newsletter or send an e-mail to valleywesley (at)

"Don't Give Up"- A Meditation on the Beginning of Lent

2008-02-06T11:07:00.001-07:00

Not too many years ago I was in Seminary and was taking my first major theology class. We spent the semester studying all the usual suspects like Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Barth, feminist theology, constructive theology, liberation theology, process theology, neo orthodoxy and so on. Near the end of the class we were asked to turn in a draft of our final assignment: a review

Theological reflections on the film 'The Golden Compass'

2008-01-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

by Rob RyndersRecently the film The Golden Compass was released and promptly caused a stir among circles of Christian debate. I had at least three different invitations to groups on Facebook asking that I boycott the movie and the books. Now, if you know me I am the type to be suspicious of anything that asks me not to do something, so I promptly decided I should take a group of Christians to see

Questioning Minds

2007-09-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

During our September 5th Wesley gathering I asked students to write down the top theological, religious, doctrinal, or church related questions that were burning on their minds. There were a number of questions and many very deep questions that I received on those pieces of paper. Needless to say we all have questions along our journey of faith and some of them are more easily answered than

Sermon: Finding the Perfect Storage Unit

2007-08-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Finding the Perfect Storage UnitRev. Rob RyndersSunday, August, 5, 2007Tempe 1st UMCOne of the things that comes with being a United Methodist pastor is that every year you are not quite sure if you will be staying at your current appointment or if you will move to a new one. If you do get moved to a different appointment sometimes it may be close enough that you can stay in your current home,

Who needs a shepherd?

2007-04-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

"He restores my soul..."-from the Twenty-third PsalmThis is the week when many churches read the Twenty-third Psalm. You probably know it:The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you

No Words for Today...

2007-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I sat down at the computer to write a devotional and instead found news of the tragedy of Virginia Tech. I never quite thought of anything to say, and have felt much the same today. Perhaps you haven't been sure what to say, either.Here's a prayer, though, that I thought would be worth sharing.... Peace,Sara A Prayer in the Face of a Rampage Shooting

Where Paths Converge

2007-04-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.-Psalm 118:29Lent is nearing its close. Every year, we make this journey. Perhaps you've had one of those years when this season has felt meaningful, and you know that God's love has helped you to grow in an important way. But not all years are like that. Sometimes, it feels like a routine. Other years, we

Singing Stones

2007-03-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

...The whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones

Giving Large

2007-03-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. -John 12:3Not long before Jesus is betrayed and put to death, some friends had him over for dinner. Martha and Lazarus were there, and a handful of disciples. So was Mary, who wanted to do something for Jesus. And so, as John tells

Penance

2007-02-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ash Wednesday, which we'll celebrate this week, begins the season of Lent - a time to ponder those things which separate us from God, and to return to God. That's what repentance is all about.Of course, what repentance will look like in your own life will depend on you. In some faith traditions, people talk about doing 'penance' for their sins. The idea isn't that you have to somehow pay God

Peter... He's no Lewis Libby

2007-02-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.-Luke 9:36Jesus and some of his disciples had gone for a hike. Perhaps they enjoyed the scenery, or the exercise, or one another's company. But Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus and Peter and John and James had climbed up a mountain to pray.While they were on that

Already/Not Yet

2007-02-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." -Luke 6:20-21In Wesley's weekly gathering, we've been reflecting on the Beatitudes from Matthew's gospel... blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn,

The Hard Part

2007-01-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.-Luke 5:10b-11Any story that ends with a guy leaving everything to follow Jesus is bound to give us pause. We can't help but ask ourselves: would I leave my stuff, my job, my family, my life? Even if Jesus did come strolling by

Going Home

2007-01-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

And [Jesus] said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown."-Luke 4:24Jesus grew up in Nazareth, and then he went a way for a little while. When he came back, the folks in the synagogue apparently invited him to read from the Scriptures, and to teach the people about what was in them. His words were surprising. And then, in this week's reading, we find Jesus musing

Setting Your Agenda

2007-01-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

When [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release

Who can stand?

2006-12-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?-Malachi 3:1-2Years before Jesus was born in a Bethlehem stable, the prophets of Israel hoped for his coming. They talked of the messiah--God's messenger--arriving in their midst, healing and renewing God's people. It all

The waiting begins

2006-11-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.-Psalm 25:5Next Sunday will be the first Sunday of Advent. For those of you who don't schedule your life by the church calendar, Advent is the season before Christmas: four Sunday of waiting for the Christ to be born. It's how we begin the Christian year - waiting.Waiting is part of life.

Thanksgiving: it's more than the turkey

2006-11-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Of course, the turkey's great. And I love cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and gravy as much as the next person. But sometime this week, while you're enjoying a little vacation time and some good eating, remember the gratitude part.I once read that gratitude is the most important part of a life of faith. Everything else that we do: our prayer, our search for wisdom, our commitment to loving

Mapping Our Ignorance

2006-11-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

A world map hangs in our kitchen. It’s a large map, perhaps five feet tall and seven feet wide. I use it when I am listening to the news. Too often, I have a hard time with my geography (particularly, I admit, in Africa) and I want to make sure I can picture where a particular event might be happening. It is a good habit, but of course the problem is that I cannot truly picture very much. I

Saying Yes to God

2006-11-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

"Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."-Mark 12:43-44Every day, you and I are asked for something. With election season at its climax, we're asked for our vote. Ads and commercials in every

All Saints Day

2006-10-30T09:37:00.001-07:00

"Jesus began to weep."John 11:35When Jesus learned that his friend Lazarus had died, he wept. He goes on to raise Lazarus from the dead - a story worth reading. But, for a moment, let's stick with this image of Jesus weeping.Many of you have already experienced the pain of losing someone that you care about. Somehow, I take great comfort in knowing that this is an experience we all share, even

What makes our faith count

2006-10-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

"Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."-Mark 10:49-51I'm sure you can guess the end of the story. Jesus is moved, and tells the man that his faith has made him well. Immediately, Mark tells us, the man regains his