PEARL STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.” — Jeremiah 31:25 (NLT) How did you sleep last night? Were there things that kept you awake — worries that circled, conversations you replayed, fears that grew larger in the dark? Most of us know what it is to lie awake with a mind that refuses to settle. Night has a way of amplifying the things we carry. Jeremiah knew something of that kind of night. When we meet him in chapter 31, Israel is living through a seaso

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37–39 (NRSVUE) On this day, as we mark 250 years since the birth of our nation, we pause to give thanks for the freedom we enjoy, the courage of our founders, and the bold declaration that still shapes our national imagination: “We hold these truths t

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” — ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬ ‭ (NRSVUE) Have you ever found yourself doing something you know — beyond a shadow of a doubt — is wrong, and doing it anyway? Every fiber of your being cries out, “Don’t,” yet somehow you step across the line. That bewildering moment — that incomprehensible, inconceivable moment when our knowing and our doing don’t match — is exactly where Paul speaks. Whe

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” —1 John 4:1 (NIV) Not long after the early church began to grow, a popular teacher named Arius started saying things that sounded almost right. He was eloquent, charismatic, musically gifted, and persuasive—using language that felt close to the truth, but not quite. If he were around today, he might have an enormous foll

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.” – Psalms 46:10 (NRSVUE) As I was sorting through my T-shirts earlier in the week, I found one that reads “Be still” in bold letters, with “know that he is God” in smaller words underneath. It’s one I haven’t worn in a while, but it was obviously a message I needed to hear, because that scripture has been on my mind since. Today, as I pulled on that same shirt to prepare for the day,

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1 (NRSVUE) When I met Robert ten years ago, he was pushing his grocery cart around the city, picking up bottles and cans, sleeping in doorways or in the park. He came to L Street Mission on Saturdays, and we would talk about his life and his struggles. But without fail, even as his health declined, every time I saw him, he would begin to cry, tell me how much he loved Jesus, and say he trusted that God would provide. He

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. — Genesis 22:11 (NIV) Have you ever been asked to do something by a family member, a friend, or a boss — something that required you to stop what you were doing and completely change direction? Not just a small detour, but an about‑face. What did you do? Did you pause and weigh the cost? Did you say yes without thinking? Or did you search for an excuse to stay on the path you

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong.” — 1 John 1:9 (CEB) As today’s verse speaks of confessions, I have two to share. First, higher math has never been my strong suit. Algebra, calculus, statistics — they all felt like foreign languages to me. When I was finishing my B.A. degree, I had to take a business statistics class taught by a gruff former merchant marine who had served in WWII. He w

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27 (NIV) In our Bible study this week, we wrestled with a question that was simple to ask and uncomfortable to answer: “Is there a group of people you find it difficult to welcome fully? What would it take for that to change?” Most of us could name the people we struggle with. Naming what it would take for change — that’s where the real work begins. Gen

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9 (NIV) As a younger man, I couldn’t understand the older generations' resistance to change; as I grew older, though, I began to see my elders' viewpoint. Change means leaving behind all we’re comfortable with to travel the path of the unknown. It can be scary, but necessary. In today’s verse, Israel stood where many

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10 (NRSVUE) There are forces in this world that steal life. Some are loud, like war, injustice, exploitation, systems that grind people down. Others are quiet, like fear, shame, exhaustion, and the quiet ache of not feeling like we are enough. When Jesus talks about “the thief,” He’s naming all the things that keep us from flourishing — the fears, lies, woun

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.” John 3:16 (CEB) No matter how many times I read this verse, I’m struck again and again by the enormity of God’s love. Imagine a parent with many children — all beloved, all precious, and all difficult in their own ways. Some have lied. Some have cheated. Some have grown greedy. Some have stolen. Some have harmed others, even fatally. None of them a

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” – Psalm 122:1 (KJV) There is a particular kind of joy that rises in us when we step into God’s presence — not the joy of entertainment or distraction, but the deep, steady joy of being welcomed as we are. When I read this psalm, I hear the voice of someone who knows what it means to belong. Someone who has been invited, embraced, and drawn into a community where God meets us with grace. It reminds me o

“Learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.” — Isaiah 1:17 (CEB) This is the time of year when caps are tossed in the air, and families gather around the backyard barbecue to celebrate milestones. Graduations bring joy, pride, and—inevitably—the big “what’s next” questions. For high school graduates, it might be college, a trade, or stepping into the workforce. For college graduates, it’s discerning the right job or vocation th

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5, NRSVUE) Reading this verse made me think about what it means to be exalted. It’s not a word we use much anymore, but it means to raise or praise someone or something. We can exalt the wrong things—like Israel worshipping the golden calf, or people—like rockstars, athletes, and politicians. We can even self‑exalt. I once worked for someone who told me he “had nothing left to learn.” But

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 (NIV) When Kirk and Jordan were younger, we had a Friday night tradition of pizza and movies. One of the films we watched more than once was the 2001 animated classic Shrek. There’s a moment when Shrek tries to explain to Donkey that there’s more to him than what others see. Shrek: “Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers... You get it? We both have layers.” Donke

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19, CEB) On the evening of Christ’s resurrection, the disciples were locked in a room — fearful, unsure when the authorities might come for them next. Not knowing if the authorities would come for them next. Jesus doesn’t come and knock on the door, aski

“And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” — Acts 2:6 (NRSV) Whenever I’m out, and I hear someone speaking a language I don’t know, I find myself eavesdropping — not to be nosy (well, maybe a little), but to see if I can figure out what language it is. Living in a multicultural area, I get this opportunity almost every day. But every now and then, as I’m listening, I catch a word I recognize

So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. (Hebrews 12:1-2, CEB) Many years ago, Kirk and Jordan were flying out to the Midwest to visit our family. They were teenagers then, so while we offered packing suggestions, we didn’t dare hover. At the airp

Tell people who are rich at this time not to become egotistical and not to place their hope on their finances, which are uncertain. Instead, they need to hope in God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. When they do these things, they will save a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future. That way they can take hold of what is truly life.