PEARL STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” — Luke 11:9–10 (CEB) Soon after we begin to talk, shortly after we learn the word “No,” the first question we ask is “Why?” Anyone who has spent much time around a toddler has heard this. In fact, we’ve heard it so often that we’re tempted to respond with “Because” or “That’s just the way it is.” But that innate curiosity is a gift. It shows growth, imagination, and a desire to under

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” — John 20:21 (NLT) I’ve been listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point , a book about how ideas spread and take hold. Gladwell talks about “stickiness”—the quality that makes a message linger in the heart and mind. As I listened, I found myself thinking about the gospel, and about the way Jesus sends us into the world with a message meant not just to be heard, but to stay. Gladwell says a message becomes sticky when it meets

Then he said, “The Sabbath was created for humans; humans weren’t created for the Sabbath. This is why the Human One is Lord even over the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27-28 (CEB) Although "blue laws" are now a thing of the distant past, every so often, I hear someone say, “People shouldn’t have to work on Sundays.” And in a perfect world, maybe that would be true. But then an ambulance races by, or a fire truck turns the corner, and suddenly we remember: some work saves lives. No one

“The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”  — 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NRSV) Experts tell us that as we age it’s important to keep our minds engaged. I’ve done this for years with puzzles, but recently I returned to something I never thought I’d revisit: high school algebra. It turns out those equations I once dismissed are surprisingly good exercise for a pastor’s brain. And today’s verse brought one of those

I saw Christmas in the shimmer of lights strung across porches and steeples, twinkling like the great star in the East guiding wanderers toward hope. I saw it as I drove through towns and under concrete bridges, past wooded lots where shadows moved— people gathered close for warmth, wrapped in blankets layered against the sharp December night. I whispered Merry Christmas not as a greeting but as a prayer, remembering the Child who came for all— cradled in a manger, cradled in

“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” — Psalm 1:2 When a football player joins a team, one of the first things they receive is the playbook. It’s not a casual handout. It’s the heart of the team’s strategy, identity, and rhythm. Coaches expect players to study it. Teammates trust one another to know it. And the best players don’t just read the plays — they internalize them. They rehearse each movement until it becomes instinct. They run dr

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” — Luke 1:42 (KJV) Think of a time when someone made you a big promise — something you hoped for, maybe even longed for — and the joy you felt when that promise was finally kept. There’s a particular kind of relief in that moment, a settling of the heart that says, “It’s true. I can trust this.” That’s the kind of moment we walk into in Luke 1, when Mary arrives

“The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” —Luke 1:35 (NIV)  We probably recognize the setting of today’s scripture. The angel Gabriel visits young Mary and tells her how she will be with child. It may be easy to see this verse only as the introduction to the larger story of Christ’s birth. But for a moment, let us pause and focus on a phrase that may b

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2, NIV) Joy is not always found where we expect it. We look for it in celebrations, successes, and comfort. Yet joy often surprises us in the least likely times—at a celebration of life service where memories bring laughter, in hospital waiting rooms where hope flickers, in moments

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” — Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) When Kirk and Jordan were little, Friday nights meant family movie night. During the week, TV time was limited, so these evenings felt special. We’d head to the video store (remember those?) and pick something out together. One of those movies was Finding Nemo. Much of the plot has faded from memory, but one moment remains vivid: a flock of seagulls screeching at each other,

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12 (NIV) Imagine, for a moment, that you wake one morning to find your entire house mysteriously transported into a world of darkness. Your bedside clock reads 6:00 a.m.—okay, you think, that’s typical for this season back home in the eastern time zone.  You reach out to flip the light switch, but nothing happens. As you peer outside your bedroom window,

"You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." — James 5:8 (NIV) Long before I had the privilege of visiting the Lincoln Memorial, I had seen pictures and miniature statues of the stolid Abraham Lincoln. His tall, seated figure—calm yet resolute—seemed to embody patience and strength. Lincoln’s appearance, with his furrowed brow and steady gaze, conveyed a resolve that endured the storms of the Civil War and national division. It was that image that

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." — 1 John 4:16 (NIV) In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Lysander reflects, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” For all who have ever loved, the words ring true. Even in the most stable of relationships, the waters of love can grow choppy, with currents of misunderstanding or swells of disappointment. Yet love endures. So it is with God’s

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11 NIV Before this verse, Jesus had healed the blind man on the Sabbath, infuriating the Pharisees. What follows is the discourse with them on what it means to be a good shepherd. We know that Jesus here is talking about himself and his willingness to die for us. But if we listen closely, we can also hear his invitation to move from being sheep to becoming shepherds. In Jesus' teaching momen

“You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.” — Psalm 85:2 (NIV) In many churches that follow the Advent tradition, this week we light the third candle, the pink candle of joy. Perhaps the greatest expression of that joy is in knowing that God forgives. If you have ever carried the heavy weight of sin and felt it being lifted after seeking repentance, you have experienced this sense of joy. From the very beginning, when humanity turned from God’s right

“Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14 (NRSVUE) Have you ever faced a moment when you weren’t sure how things would turn out—when fear or uncertainty seemed bigger than hope? Maybe while waiting to hear about a job opportunity after extended unemployment, or anxiously awaiting the results of a biopsy. That’s exactly where King Ahaz found himself centuries ago, facing enemies at his gates and fearing the collapse o

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.’” — Jeremiah 33:14 (NIV) Have you ever received a promise without a clear timeline? Maybe a supervisor assured you of a promotion once certain conditions were met, or a friend promised to visit “someday.” The waiting can feel endless, and uncertainty can test our patience. In today’s verse, Jeremiah speaks to a people who had been waiting for generations.

"May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude." — Romans 15:5 (CEB) What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? A gadget, a piece of jewelry, a fragrance? For those A Christmas Story fans, maybe even a Red Ryder repeating rifle BB gun. In this season, we spend so much time searching for the perfect present. Yet Paul reminds us that the greatest gift is not something wrapped in paper, but the spirit G

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." — Psalm 34:18 (NIV) Today's verse mentions two conditions of the human heart we’ve all experienced: being brokenhearted and feeling crushed. Some of us may be in that place right now—grieving a loss, wrestling with questions, or carrying burdens that feel too heavy. David was no stranger to these emotions. In 1 Samuel 21:10-15, he fled for his life and pretended to be insane before King Achish

“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 (NIV) A couple of nights ago, we were watching a show in which one of the characters tells another he loves her. Later, she calls him to say she loves him too. It’s an experience that may resonate with you. But in that time—even if it’s the briefest of moments—we may have doubts about whether our love will be returned. In today’s verse, there is no room for doubt about whether we are loved. John reminds us that our love is no