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These words from Thomas Merton, a 20th Century Trappist monk and writer, have become known as The Merton Prayer: MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire…

Our worship series, Staying in Love with God, continues this week with reflections on Prayer and Fasting. John Wesley wrote in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Whether we think of; or speak to, God, whether we act or suffer for [God], all is prayer, when we have no other object than [God’s] love, and the desire of pleasing [God]. All that a Christian does, even in eating and sleeping, is prayer, when it is done in simplicity, according to…

Our reading for Sunday will be from Matthew 5: 21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the…

A selection from Stepping Westward by Denise Leverrov: …If I bear burdens they begin to be remembered as gifts, goods, a basket of bread that hurts my shoulders but blouses me in fragrance.  I can eat as I go.

Ruth Duck writes, The image of life as a journey is another way of saying that faith and worship grow out of our stories and the story of God’s people moving throughout time.  This approach to faith and worship assumes that the experiences out of which they grow are important…we have a journey that is ours to follow [at The Table].  The bread that sustains us in the presence of the Spirit and of the others who travel with us,…

We will focus on what it means to practice the Christian disciplines as a way to stay in love with God over the next three weeks in worship at The Table. The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, identified the following ways to stay in love with God:  The public worship of God; The Ministry of the Word, either read or expounded; The Supper of the Lord, Family and private prayer; Searching the Scriptures; and fasting or abstinence… Kevin…

The audio podcast from Sunday’s message is available here.

We’ll conclude our five-week series, Toward Koinonia, in worship tomorrow. How would you describe, in your own words, the meaning and significance of Koinonia to someone who’s never heard the word?

Our reading for Sunday continues from Matthew 5: 14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. How will your light shine today? Consider…

John Chrysostom (347-407) writes, Why must you be salt? Jesus says in effect: “You are accountable not only for your own life but also for that of the entire world. I am sending you not to one or two cities, nor to ten or twenty, nor even to one nation, as I sent the prophets”…. For this reason, you see, he requires from his disciples those character traits that are most necessary and useful for the benefit of all. What…

We will reflect on how God is creating Koinonia in our midst in worship this Sunday. We’ve looked back at Koinonia in history, we’ve looked around at how Koinonia is taking shape in other parts of our country, and now we will explore the contours of Koinonia in our own community of faith. Our reading will be taken from Matthew 5 beginning with verse 13: 13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how…

We were inspired on Sunday by the stories of Koinonia taking shape in new United Methodist communities of faith across the country. Where do you find Koinonia, intimate community, in your own life these days?