Discipling Life

There is a kind of awe that stops you mid-step. Maybe you’ve felt it at the edge of a cliff overlooking a valley, or seeing the sunrise on the beach, or watching a thunderstorm roll in across wide-open fields. It is a moment that brings change. Something inside you goes quiet. You sense that you are in the presence of something far greater than yourself. Psalm 114 is a poem built entirely from that kind of awe. The psalmist recalls the Israel’s Exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land and describes it in sweeping, even playful images. The sea sees God coming and runs away. The Jordan River turns back. The mountains skip like rams. The hills leap like lambs. It sounds almost whimsical, until you realize what is really being said: when God moves, all of creation responds. Nothing can remain unmoved in the presence of the living God. Israel’s story begins with grace. The people did not free themselves; they were  brought out . When the psalm tells us that “the...

We’ve all had moments when we realized something costly was given for us. Somebody made a sacrifice for us that we didn’t earn. Maybe a parent working long hours, a teacher spending a lunch break with you, a friend standing by us when it would have been easier to walk away, or a stranger offering unexpected kindness. Those moments can change how we live. They invite us to respond, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and love. In 1 Peter 1:17-23, we are reminded of a far deeper gift. The writer says, “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors… not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish” (vv. 18-19). This is the heart of the gospel: God’s grace reaches out to us before we ever respond. We call this prevenient grace: God is already at work, drawing us in, making a way where there was none. This grace doesn’t leave us unchanged. God’s grace isn’t ju...

In Matthew 27:15-23 , we see a strange and unsettling custom. To celebrate the festival, the governor would release one prisoner chosen by the crowd. Pilate gives them a choice that seems obvious on the surface. On one hand, there is Jesus Barabbas , a “notorious prisoner.” On the other, there is Jesus, the one called the Messiah , who had spent his days healing the sick and preaching about the kingdom of God. Now, let me make a note about the names. Barabbas (or Bar Abbas ) means son of the father. So, on the one hand you have Jesus, son of the father, and on the other hand you have Jesus, Son of the Father.  So, which ‘hand’ do you choose? Which Jesus do you choose? It is a heartbreaking moment. The crowd, stirred up by leaders who felt threatened by love and mercy, chose the way of violence over the way of peace. They shouted for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be crucified.  This act represents a rejection of Jesus’s peaceful message in favor of a figure w...

Where are you in your daily walk with God? Some people still feel lost or disoriented after COVID. Things in their home church may seem so unfamiliar that it is almost a different church than the one they called home. All the divisiveness in our society and congregations have only added to the feeling of ennui many of us have experienced. That brings us to today’s text: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Many churches today know what Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones feels like. After COVID closures, some congregations returned to sanctuaries that felt emptier than before. Pews that once held familiar faces now hold silence. Programs that once brought energy now feel harder to sustain. It is easy to look around and quietly echo the words of Israel: “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely” (v. 11). Ezekiel is taken by God into a valley filled with bones—scattered, brittle, long forgotten. God asks him, “Mortal, can these bones live?” (v. 3). Ezekiel doesn’t pretend t...

As I said last week, Paul’s Letter to the Romans holds a special place in the lives of many. The epistle lesson this week comes from the fourth chapter of Paul’s letter. In the Wesleyan tradition (my own faith tradition) this chapter is significant for the following themes: Prevenient grace — God’s initiating action prior to human response. Justification by faith — being set in right relationship with God through trusting reliance upon divine grace. The universality of grace — the promise extends beyond ethnic Israel to all who share Abraham’s faith. Faith as living trust — not mere intellectual assent, but relational reliance that leads to obedient participation in God’s mission. In Lent, as we journey toward the cross, this passage reminds us that salvation originates not in human striving but in the gracious initiative of God in Christ. Wesley himself preached extensively on justification by faith and understood it as the graciou...

 Sermon preached 2/22/2026 - Lent 1a - EUMC & BCUMC by Alan Swartz 1. Introduction: The Call to the Wilderness We begin our Lenten journey not in the dust of the desert, but in the lush abundance of a garden. It is a common misconception to view Lent merely as a season of arbitrary deprivation. In truth, Lent is a strategic “journey into the wilderness” designed for the restoration of the soul. To understand our need for this season, we must look back at the paradise of provision in the Garden of Eden. There, humanity was entrusted with the dignified vocation of serving and guarding that defined the first human work as priestly stewardship. Adam and Eve were not merely gardeners; they were the first liturgists, tending to the world as a sanctuary of God’s presence. However, we must reckon with the gravity of the fracture that occurred in that original sanctuary. This Lenten journey is a rescue mission because the death warned of in Genesis was not merely the stopping of ...

What does Lent mean to you? Is it simply a time to make a sacrifice that provides a minor inconvenience? Give up chocolate or some other treat? For some, Lent may be a time to take back up one of those New Year’s resolutions that has already fallen by the wayside. But to be honest, I would often spend too much time thinking about what I was giving up rather than focusing on why I was giving it up. A couple of times in past years I gave up meat for Lent. Truth be told, that was more effective than giving up a treat like chocolate. Giving up meat required more of me. I did tend to be more reflective on my choice of deprivation. Now, that has been my experience. As it is often said: “Your mileage may vary.” During my Ash Wednesday sermon this week I suggested giving up certain types of behaviors. Harmful behavior. Behaviors that do not reflect the values of Christ. This week we have looked at the texts for the First Sunday of Lent: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Psalm 32, Romans 5:12-19, a...

Today we consider the epistle lesson for this coming Sunday (Lent 1a). It is Romans 5:12-19 . Martin Luther referred to the Epistle to the Romans as the “purest gospel” and the “clearest gospel of them all” in his “ Preface to the Epistle to the Romans ” (1522). Of course, Luther is using the word gospel in the sense of the Good News and the message of salvation. Grace Greater than Our Sin Romans 5 can feel a bit heavy. Paul draws a direct line from Adam to the reality of sin and death in the world. He argues that “sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin” (v. 12). This is not meant as a history lesson; it is a diagnosis. Paul is describing the spiritual atmosphere we are born breathing. In the Wesleyan tradition, we often talk about this as “original sin.” We don’t mean that we are personally guilty of eating a piece of forbidden fruit thousands of years ago. Rather, we mean that we are born into a condition of separation and brokenness. We are born w...

We are coming up on the first Sunday in Lent. As we approach Sunday I am looking at the lectionary texts for the day. Yesterday I took a look at the Old Testament lesson (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-7). Today I look at the psalter (Psalm 32) which we use as a liturgical response to the first lesson. Blessed Are the Unburdened: A Lenten Reflection on Psalm 32 Lent has a way of slowing us down long enough to hear the truth we often spend most of the year avoiding. This Sunday our psalter is Psalm 32. This psalm meets us in that vulnerable space. It is an invitation to honesty—honesty about our sin, our self-deception, and the quiet relief that comes when we finally stop pretending. The psalm opens with a declaration that sounds almost like a sigh of relief: 1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,     whose sin is covered. 2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity     and in whose spirit there is no de...

(Reflecting on Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7) This Lent, we journey into the wilderness, seeking repentance and renewal. Yet, to understand our need for a Savior, we must return to the very beginning, to a garden where humanity’s relationship with God took a tragic turn. Genesis 2:15-17 and 3:1-7 offer profound insights into the human condition we still grapple with today. God’s Good Design and Gracious Boundary (Gen 2:15-17) “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’“ (NRSVue) Notice the abundance! God places humanity in a paradise of provision, entrusting us with purposeful work (“till and keep”). Within this goodness, God establishes one clear boundary. This wasn’t arbitrary restriction, but a loving safeguard, defining the space for trust ...

Since we are not gathering in person to worship I am sharing the notes that I would normally carry into the pulpit with me. Normally, what I post here is the manuscript of the sermon after it has been preached. Let us pray… God of light and truth, as we prepare to hear your word proclaimed, open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, and our hearts to receive what you would say to us this day. Send your Holy Spirit to illumine the Scriptures and speak through your servant. By your Spirit, give us wisdom to discern your will, courage to obey your call, and grace to live as your faithful people. Help us not merely to hear words, but to encounter the living Word, Jesus Christ. May your truth penetrate the darkness within us and guide us in the way we should go. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Light (a sermon for Epiphany 3a) Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1,4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23 When Darkness Meets the Light We don’t have to look far to see the dark shado...

This was one of those weeks when the lectionary texts are incredibly full of possibilities. We could look toward Isaiah’s call for us to be a light to the nations or follow the invitation of Jesus to “come and see.” But my heart has been especially moved by John the Baptist’s profound declaration: “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It feels like a text that belongs to Holy Week. It reminds us that from the very beginning Jesus is focused on his mission. Behold the Lamb of God that Takes Away the Sin of the World Author:   Alan Swartz Churches:   Ebenezer UMC and Black Creek UMC Date:   January 18, 2026 (The Second Sunday after the Epiphany) Scripture References:   Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 Introduction: The Abundance of the Word The lectionary texts for this Sunday presented a unique challenge for me. There are some weeks when I look at the lectionary texts and pray, “Lord, what in the world do you want...