Hummelstown UCC Podcast

Isaiah 56:6-8; Samuel 16:7; Galatians 3:26-29OPENING MEDITATION Ephesians 4:14-16“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about byevery wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitfulscheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every wayinto him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joinedand knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as eachpart is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up inlove.”

From “Balloons Belong in Church”, Ann WeemsOPENING MEDITATION Imagine TogetherTry to write or draw for the whole prelude, without stopping. Work to getall of your thoughts on the page, without worrying about what you arewriting, or how. Follow wherever your mind leads.1. Think of something that exists in and/or moves through the sky. A featureof nature or something manufactured, or something not even visible tohumans.2. Write from the point of view of the thing moving through the sky.Imagine a specific part of the earth. What does it see? What does ittouch? How does it affect what exists on the ground?3. Then write the perspective of someone or something, or multiplesomeone’s or somethings, on the ground. What is your experience of whatis in the sky?

Leviticus 25:1-7; John 1:1-5OPENING MEDITATION Psalm 148: Praise for God’s Universal GloryPraise God! Praise from the heavens; in the heights! Praise God, all angels;all the host! Praise God, sun and moon; all you shining stars! Praise God,you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens! Let them praisethe name of God for God commanded and they were created. Godestablished them forever and ever; fixed their bounds, which cannot bepassed. Praise God from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fireand hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling the command! Mountainsand all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creepingthings and flying birds! Rulers of the earth and all peoples! Young peoplealike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of God, forgod’s name alone is exalted; glory is above earth and heaven. God hasraised up a horn for the people, praise for all faithful people. Praise theLord!

Matthew 6:9-15; Luke 6:27-30, 36-38, Colossians 3:12-14OPENING MEDITATION Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my sibling sins against me, howoften should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Notseven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”

Acts 4:31-35; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8OPENING MEDITATION Mark 12:30“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Matthew 28:1-10 OPENING MEDITATION Sarah Speed Every morning the sun rises, majestic and steady. She is greeted in all her strength with the joyous cacophony of birdsong. I like to believe this holy chorus is the birds telling each other— I’m here. We made it through the night. You’re not alone. What good, good news. I think the resurrection is a bit like that. God is here. We made it through the night. We are not alone. What good, good news.

Mark 11:1-11“If you possess enough courage to speak out what you are, you will find you are not alone.” - Richard Wright

John 8:2-11Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cuminand have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. Itis these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.How do you see justice, mercy, and faithfulness prioritized in your laws and religiouspolicies? In what ways are these values neglected?

John 9What actions, practices, or prayers help you turn away from status-seeking andgrabbing for power? What actions embody the humility of a child?

Mark 6:32-44Ephesians 3:20-21“Now to those who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantlyfar more than all we can ask or imagine, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus toall generations, forever and ever. Amen.”Where do you see examples of God’s still, small voice moving amongst yourcommunity, perhaps multiplying “the smallest offerings” into abundance?

Luke 7:36-50Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me somethingto drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave meclothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer, ‘when was it that we saw you hungry and gave youfood or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you astranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it thatwe saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the Lord will answer them, ‘Truly Itell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, youdid it to me.’Are you being invited in or kept out? Are you doing the inviting or the excluding?Where does the Savior see you? Where does your neighbor see you?

John 2:1-11Matthew 13:31-32“Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustardseed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, butwhen it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds ofthe air come and make nests in its branches.”When have you witnessed something flourishing unexpectedly?What stories of surprising good come to mind?

Luke 14:15-24the good news is… all are invited.This lent, we are grounding ourselves in the good news of Jesus’ teachings. Over thenext 7 weeks, our objective is not to simply examine some of the core tenets of Jesus’ministry, but to truly embody them in our daily lives. This text for ash Wednesday wasselected primarily to focus on invitation and Jesus’ emphasis on radical inclusion; inthis parable we see powerful metaphors for the ways god seeks out “many,”especially those at the margins, and doesn’t stop until the table is full.

Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9Desmond Tutu “God places us in the world as fellow workers- agents of transfiguration. We workwith God so that injustice is transfigured into justice. So there will be morecompassion and caring. That there will be more laughter and joy. That there will bemore togetherness in God’s world.”

Exodus 1:15-21#15 from “Thirty Poems of Courage”By Tina Datsko de SánchezMusic is my courage, for my soul is only a wooden flutesounded by the breath of God.Dancing is my courage, for these legs and arms are a windmilltwirled by the playful gusts of God.

Luke 19:1-10Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko de SánchezIt is no surprise we feel more courageous in the company of friends.The truth of our being can only be seen when we are united togetherPlugged into the Friend, we become a net of light illuminating the world

Genesis 33:1-11Winston Churchill “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sitdown and listen.”

DANIEL 6:1-23; Acts 16:16-34#1 Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko SánchezIt is not your strength,it will never be your strength,that gives you courage.It will only be your abilityto lean on the Friend,to trust the arm that will never let you go.

Psalm 34: 1-18; Matthew 3: 13-17: The Baptism of JesusHearts Afire: The Courage to Say YesWhat does it mean for us to live courageously as God’s people in the midst of the daily grind of life? How do we claim our courage with an abiding hope as we worship through such a time as this? The latin root “cor” reminds us that the word courage means “to speak from one’s heart.” Courage is a matter of the heart, of the soul, of that which makes us come alive and live into our most authentic self.

Matthew 2:1–15Leader: Beloved of God, Epiphany is the season of revealing— the holy momentwhen what is hidden becomes known. We light these candles to proclaim the truthwe know— to make visible the God’s Presence already among us. Four travelerscome forward: three stargazers and a shepherd. Each carries a taper to light fromthe Christ Candle— each bears a gift that God desires of us: Justice, Joy,Compassion, and Peace.Justice Stargazer: I bring gold, the finest of what I have, the gift God asks of us: to dojustice. (Lights and places a candle on the table)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Joy Stargazer: I bring frankincense, the fragrance of prayer and praise, the gift Godasks of us: to delight in what is good. (Lights and places a candle on the table)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Compassion Stargazer: I bring myrrh, balm for the broken and mercy for the world,the gift God asks of us: to love compassion. (Lights and places a candle on thetable)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Peace Shepherd: I bring light for the journey and bread for the road, the gift Godasks of us: to walk humbly and live in peace. (Lights and places a candle on thetable)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Leader: The gifts are given, the desires of God made visible— Justice, Joy,Compassion, and Peace now shine among us. People of God—lift your eyes up, liftyour hearts up. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!

Matthew 3:1-12; Malachi 3:1-6In the second week of Advent, we turn our hearts toward peace—not a fragile quiet, but the deep, steady peace God plants within us and calls us to share with the world. In this episode, we explore what it means to be people of peace in turbulent times: peace that heals, peace that resists injustice, peace that welcomes every neighbor just as they are.Grounded in the United Church of Christ’s commitment to extravagant welcome, we reflect on scripture, lift up voices from our community, and create space to breathe, listen, and rest in God’s presence. Wherever you are on life’s journey, may this week draw you closer to the peace that passes all understanding—and empowers us to become instruments of peace for one another.

Mark 13:24-37; Isaiah 2:1-5Vigilant HopeAs we enter the first week of Advent, we lean into vigilant hope—the kind of hope that keeps watch, pays attention, and believes that God is doing a new thing even when the world feels weary. In this episode, we explore how hope is not passive waiting but active, courageous expectancy.Rooted in the inclusive love of the United Church of Christ, we reflect on scripture, share stories from our community, and invite you to open your heart to the light already dawning. Wherever you are on life’s journey, this Advent season begins with a promise: hope is alive, hope is resilient, and hope is for all of us.

Psalm 100; Philippians 4:4-9; Deuteronomy 26:1-11Building Community... What too will you use?

Ruth 1: 14-22; Acts 10: 34-47“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best islove correcting everything that stands against love.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Job 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:9-18“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most inthe world.” Philip Pullman

Psalm 149: Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31Today we are celebrating All Saints Day. We recognize that we have saints in ourown lives who have formed our faith in some way and who have passed on from thislife. So on All Saints Day, we celebrate, honor, and remember these forebearers ofthe faith. Today in worship we will read aloud the names of the saints in ourcommunity who have passed in the last year. You will also have the opportunity tolight a candle in memory of the saints in your life, whether they passed just recentlyor long ago. We pray that their memory will continue to be a beacon of faith, hope,and love for us all

1 Samuel 1:1-18; Mark 5:21-43“Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pureheart.” -José N. Harris

Genesis 2:4-15; John 1:35-51Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.-Brené Brown

1 Chronicles 29:10, 13, 14b-17; Ephesians 2:19-22; Matthew 7:24-27One: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion ofthe Holy Spirit be with you all.Many: And also with you.

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Amos 6: 1-2, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Luke 16:19-31: The Rich Man and LazarusPsalm 146, The Message VersionHallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I’ll praise God, singing songs to myGod as long as I live. Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing oflife, of salvation life. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, theirprojects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope inGod and know real blessing!God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. God always does what They say—defends the wronged, feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners— gives sight to theblind, lifts up the fallen. God loves good people, protects strangers, takes the side oforphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. God’s in charge—always.Zion’s God is God for good! Hallelujah!

Psalm 113: God the Helper of the Needy; Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13"Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend ahand." -Edward Everett Hale

Psalm 51:1-12; Luke 14:25-33“The community member stared at the bill the Afghan family had just shown her,aghast. She had no idea how they would pay this, no idea how she might be ableto help them. She’d been involved with the immigrant community around her foryears, welcoming families, connecting them with resources, being invited into theirhomes for tea – so much tea. But this season felt different, the families’ situationsmore fraught, the go-to solutions more threadbare.As they haltingly chatted, using their basic English and Pashto as well as a translationapp, the thought niggled in the back of her mind: was she doing enough?Every thread of hope woven into something bigger and brighter than any coulddare to dream. This patchwork quilt of love is what we weave together when weextend welcome and love those who are different than us.” - Sarah E.Z.

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-21“Some people came to (Kolkata), and before leaving, they begged me: ‘Tell ussomething that will help us to live our lives better.’ And I said, ‘Smile at one another;smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other-it doesn’t matter who it is-and that will help you to grow up in greater love for eachother.’ And then one of them asked me: ‘Are you married?’ and I said: ‘Yes, and Ifind it difficult sometimes to smile at Jesus.’ And it is true, Jesus can be verydemanding also, and it is at those times when he is so demanding that to give him abig smile is very beautiful.” - Saint Mother Teresa

Genesis 1: 1-5, 31, 3: 16-19; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-10; (1 Corinthians 15: 10)From The Message by Eugene PetersonBut because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not aboutto let this grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any ofthe others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God givingme the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it fromme or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrustedyour lives.

Psalm 103:1-8; Isaiah 58:9b-14; Isaiah 58:9b-14We read in Matthew’s gospel that in his last days before the cross, Jesus cleansedexploitative commerce out of the Temple, caused a fig tree to wither, and told hisfollowers that even small faith can move mountains. “The cleansing of the Templeand the withering of the fig tree tell the same story. God is not impressed byappearances, by show, or by religious busyness. What God seeks is fruit — livestransformed, the poor lifted, the sick healed, the outsider welcomed. These are themountains that need moving.” - Jeremy D. Scott

Psalm 82; Hebrews 12:1-2; Luke 12:49-56“God can as little do without us, as we without God. If at first this seems a wildstatement, we may well consider in how many ways God’s will depends on ourcooperation. God cannot do some things unless we think… And God cannot dosome things unless we work… Now if God has left some things contingent on ourthinking and working, why may God not have left some things contingent on uspraying?... Prayer is one of the three forms of our cooperation with God.” - HarryEmerson Fosdick

Psalm 33:12-22; Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16“A real spiritual life … makes us so alert and aware of the world around us, that allthat is and happens becomes part of our contemplation and meditation and invitesus to a free and fearless response.” Henri J.M. Nouwen

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23; Psalm 107 1-9, 43; Luke 12:13-21Amazing God, we honor and celebrate your presence among us. We rejoice in yourgoodness and delight in your wonderful works. We lament the suffering of the worldand take courage that you are with us. We ask that you make your presence knownto us. Speak, O God, for we attune our attention for your guidance. Receive ourpraise as we glorify your name! Amen.

Psalm 138; Genesis 18:20-32; Luke 10:38-42"God weeps over our obsession with manyness and muchness... For too long wehave been in a far country: a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country ofclimb and push and shove, a country of frustration and fear and intimidation."And God welcomes us home: home to serenity and peace and joy, home tofriendship and openness, home to intimacy and acceptance and affirmation. Wedo not need to be shy." - Richard J. Foster

Psalm 52 (from the Common English Bible); Psalm 15 (from the New Revised Standard Bible); Luke 10:38-42“For too long we have thought of the Christian life as essentially either involvementin political, economic, social concerns that wear us out… or activity which keepsthe church intact and doctrinally pure. Our primary orientation cannot be aninstitution or some great cause or even other people, but first and forever to God.Unless our identity is hid in God we will never know who we are or what we are todo. Our first act must be prayer.” - from The Spiritual Life by John H. Westerhoff III andJohn D. Eusden

Psalm 25:1-10; Luke 10:25-37“The essential part of the Christian message is the idea of salvation for the wholecommunity of people, of which the individual is a member… Thus, the individualnever stands alone, but within the community, just as the individual communities arepart of the one community, the Church. The Church begins, not with an individual,but with God.” - Hans Kung

Psalm 66:1-9; 2Kings 5:1-14; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20God our Good Shepherd, we come to worship you, to tell the story of yourmarvelous deeds, to lament the horrors and suffering in the world, to find strength tobe your witnesses, and to remind ourselves of the truth of what is possible. May ourprayers rise to your heart, and your heart infiltrate our prayers. May we sing songsthat move you with delight and compassion. May we recognize and ponder thewisdom you impart to us. And, may peace rest upon us as we gather in your name.Amen.

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Psalm 16; Luke 9:51-62“The Church is not here exclusively, nor primarily, to transform society. That is notwhy we are here. When the Church sets out to transform society, very little isaccomplished. The uniqueness of the Church is denied as we enter the battle onthe same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume that justice can be wonby force, by technique, by doing. It cannot.” (Howard Snyder) We are here to be‘little Christs,’ loving and serving, demonstrating sacrificial love, community, andbeing. By being the doing will happen naturally, and the love of God and neighborwill find its way.

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8: Divine Majesty and Human Dignity; John 16:12-15We embody jubilee when we live toward restoration and flourishing for all, when weembrace not only the teachings of Jesus but the way of Jesus. This moment calls usto go Into the Deep. We may cast our nets fishing for nourishment, livelihood,vocation, or community. Within the kindom, justice and righteousness reign when wehear and heed the cries of the least and respond as the Body of Christ, loving ourneighbor by sharing our abundance and holding one another accountable. -Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay

Psalm 104:24-34; John 14:8-17; Acts 2:1-21“You are called to be truly human, but it is nothing short of the life of God within youthat enables you to be so, to be remade in God's image.” - N.T. Wright

Acts 16:20-34; John 17:20-26“Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty andbeauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset.” - Stephen Russell

Acts 16:9-15; John 5:1-9“What would it look like for us to intentionally put healing practices at the center ofour work, like the tree of life at the center of the new city Revelation invites us toimagine, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.”-Dr. Sharon R. Fennema

Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is notugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And theopposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” ― Elie Wiesel

Acts 9:36-43; John 10:22-30May Day Morning (First Anniversary of Mother's Death) As I sit on my porchI feel my Mother's presence.The sunrise feels like my mother's arms around me.The scent of lilacs reminds me of her perfume.In the bird's singing I hear her voice.Watching the rabbit search for food,I remember the meals she made for me.I see the doe guarding her fawn and I feel certainThat Mom still watches over me.-Thomas Kinser

Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30: Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness; John 21:1-19“On the Pulse of Morning” excerptHere, on the pulse of this fine dayYou may have the courageTo look up and out and upon me, theRock, the River, the Tree, your country.No less to Midas than the mendicant.No less to you now than the mastodon then.Here, on the pulse of this new dayYou may have the grace to look up and outAnd into your sister’s eyes, and intoYour brother’s face, your countryAnd say simplyVery simplyWith hope—Good morning.-Maya Angelou