Mount Olivet UMC

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Today we hear of Jesus and another encounter with the Pharisees attempting to catch Jesus in a trap. However, Jesus refuses such a trap and instead points out a system built upon shame, guilt, and fear and instead offers good news of mercy, justice, and redemption. 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Whether this is your first time here or you are a regular attendee, may you feel at home in this sanctuary and with the people of this community. May you be inspired by worship and experience the peace and grace of God (Micah 6:8).

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Today we welcome Rev. Lan Davis Wilson to the pulpit. Rev. Wilson was appointed the Director of Belonging and Advocacy of the Virginia Conference on July 1, 2025. In this role, he will lead the charge in developing and implementing accountability structures for intersectional justice, equity, and inclusion in all facets of the Virginia Conference.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Today we welcome Rev. Lan Davis Wilson to the pulpit. Rev. Wilson was appointed the Director of Belonging and Advocacy of the Virginia Conference on July 1, 2025. In this role, he will lead the charge in developing and implementing accountability structures for intersectional justice, equity, and inclusion in all facets of the Virginia Conference.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Our Lenten theme this year is "Tell Me Something Good." This Sunday the good news is great love of God and neighbor. We are thinking about God's extravagant love for us and the bold way we are to love others in God's name! 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! We hope you find warmth and welcome among this congregation of God’s people. Today we are exploring the joy of Christ’s abundant grace and salvation as we enter our Lenten season. 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! On this last Sunday of Epiphany, the liturgical season of revelation and light, we hear of Jesus’ transfiguration on a mountaintop. The disciples observe his visage change; light shines from his face and radiates from his being. The divine proclamation heard at his baptism resounds once more: “This is my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” May we, too, listen and follow where he leads. 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! We hope you find warmth and welcome among this congregation of God's people. Today we are thinking about what God requires of us and how to live lives that are faithful and just. 

Jesus' death exposed the worst of us but also showed us love and mercy and peace. We are not fully human yet. But as we walk in this season of light, may we find our humanity in the One who forms us and claims us.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet. Today we travel to the banks of the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and blessed by God, who said of him:  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Whether you have emerged from the waters or are still roiling beneath the surface, hear  God say to you, “I love you; with you I am well pleased.” May you rejoice  in the knowledge that God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! During this season of Christmas, we hope you find moments of peace, joy, hope, and love during our time of worship together. May the presence of Christ bless and sustain you now and always! 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! During this season of Christmas, we hope you find moments of peace, joy, hope, and love during our time of worship together. May the presence of Christ bless and sustain you now and always!

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! During this season of Christmas, we hope you find moments of peace, joy, hope, and love during our time of worship together. May the presence of Christ bless and sustain you now and always!

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! During this season of Christmas, we hope you find moments of peace, joy, hope, and love during our time of worship together. May the presence of Christ bless and sustain you now and always!

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! During this season of Christmas, we hope you find moments of peace, joy, hope, and love during our time of worship together. May the presence of Christ bless and sustain you now and always!

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet. This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. We are thinking about rulers, kings, and principalities. What does it mean for us to claim Jesus as a king? What sort of spiritual and political implications might that hold? We hope you find moments of peace, calm, and inspiration in this holy space of worship. 

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet. We are thinking about why. Why church? Why Mount Olivet? Why now? During times of unrest and uncertainty, we are mindful that God is eternal, from ever lasting to ever lasting. We are safe within the arms of God and able to withstand all of life’s storms. 

Why church? Today we begin our annual Stewardship campaign. We are glad you have joined us as we reflect on the role of the church in our lives. 

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Sermon at Mount Olivet UMC

Welcome to Mount Olivet! May this be a sanctuary of calm and beauty; a place in which to pray, listen and reflect; a space in which to breathe deeply. We lay down our burdens, if only for a while, and rest in the expansive love of God. 

Sermon at Mount Olivet

Welcome to Mount Olivet! We are reading parts of the book of Ecclesiastes and thinking about wisdom for living. What gives our lives value and purpose? As we gather together this morning, may we experience the ways that worship connects us to God, Creation, and each other. 

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Welcome to Mount Olivet on this Easter Sunday! We are gathered to celebrate our risen Lord! We hope that you find a warm welcome, a moment of inspiration, and the courage to live into our identity as Easter people.

Welcome to Mount Olivet this Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. We commemorate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem amid crowds of people waving palm branches and singing "Hosanna!" It is hard to imagine, in the midst of such celebration, that the praises will turn to jeers, and that Jesus will share one last meal with his disciples before being betrayed.

Welcome BACK to Traditional worship in the very “cool” sanctuary of Mount Olivet! We hope you feel the presence of Christ among us this morning. We are continuing our Lenten journey with Jesus and Bonhoeffer, contemplating the natureof discipleship for the individual and within community.

Welcome to Mount Olivet, a community of hope, reconciliation and love. The message of today's scripture challenges us to do good, to give without expecting anything in return, and to love our enemies. The first two are hard enough, but the third? What could Jesus have meant by love enemies. Certainly not tolerate abuse or ignore wrongdoing. As we ponder the question, let us reflect on the words of 13th-century friar, St Francis of Assisi: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love...for it is in giving that we receive."

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Together we are listening to and exploring the words of Jesus. These are some of the core teachings of Jesus and his revelation of the values of God for human community. God’s favor and care is always on the sideof those who are oppressed and in need. Our priorities in faith are always to protect the vulnerable and care for those in deepest need.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! May we find room for hope and joy together this morning. We are out on a boat with Jesus today, casting our nets, hauling in more fish than imaginable. We are thinking of scarcity and God's amazingabundance as well as the ways that we can help provide sustenance for a hungry world.

Welcome to Mount Olivet, a haven for all who seek rest and who long for justice. The call of the prophet Isaiah, millennia ago, is as urgent today as it was then: to preach good news to the oppressed, to tend to the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to comfort all who mourn. May you find respite here, may you be stirred to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

We hope you find warmth (literally!), belonging, and peace in this time together. We are thinking about unity in Christ and what it means to be the body of Jesus. May God bless and inspire us this day!

As Jesus turns water into wine, we are thinking about miraculous transformations in our own life and in our world. The "arc of the moral universe may be long," but as Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us, it bends toward justice. In the days ahead, may we bravely embrace hope and work toward the justice we long to see.

Today we travel to the banks of the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and where he received a blessing from God: “you are my beloved son.” May you know yourself loved by God—no matter what—and that you are welcome here.

As we enter into this new year, we are thinking about the ways that God is made known to us in our daily lives. This season of Epiphany is a time of recognizing Christ in the midst of our turmoil and stress. May we come together in this season of uncertainty to embrace our faith anew.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! We hope you feel the warmth and peace of Christ among us this morning. While Christmas Day has come and gone, we are embracing the season of Christmas and delighting in the ongoing presence of Jesus!

Welcome to Mount Olivet this Christmas Eve! We are filled with joy to celebrate the story of the birth of Jesus together. Please settle in as we hear this familiar story, sing these ancient songs, share the holy sacraments, and delight in the mesmerizing flicker of candlelight.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! On this last Sunday of Advent, the gospel recalls Mary and Elizabeth, each of whom has received news that she is expecting a child. When Mary enters the house, Elizabeth's baby "leaps in her womb," as though he somehow senses the significance of the one Mary carries: Jesus Emmanuel, God-with-us. As you prepare your heart for worship today, ask yourself, "Does anything leap for joy within me? Can I feel the stirring of new life?"

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! This second Sunday of Advent, we light the peace candle. As we contemplate John's message of repentance, we will think about what true peace might look like in our lives and in our world.

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Jesus was born into and continues to abide with us in a world of fear and uncertainty. As we enter into this season, we hold the tension of cheer and anxiety. May we find space together for gentleness and hope.