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We are called to let Christ enlighten us, and then to let the light of Christ shine through us. Early American Christians saw this as a call for our whole nation, that we are to be a beacon of light to the world – a good message for this Independence Day weekend! Read More →

Dr. Butcher served at the United Methodist Church of Kent from 1983 to 1992. We welcomed him back as our guest as we continue to celebrate our Bicentennial. Read More →

King David was ready to settle down and build a temple. But God rejected the idea. God was not ready to settle down and be perceived as being contained in one spot. God wants to stir us up and to avoid becoming content with the way things are. Read More →

The “salvation” that Jesus brings is not just a “ticket to heaven.” Jesus saves from all that would threaten to destroy us. We experience the fullness of that salvation as we open our hearts to Christ in faith. Read More →

Jesus is the “bright morning star” – the one who brings hope for the dawning of a new day in our lives and in our world. Read More →

Where there is a broken relationship, a mediator can bring about new understanding, healing, and a new future. Christ is the Mediator who can bring about healing in our relationship with God, and with others. Read More →

In Jesus’ saying, “I am the vine, you are the branches,” he provides a powerful image of how we need to be connected to Christ, and how that connection enables us to “bear fruit” in the world. Read More →

Do you struggle to find your way or your place in life? Jesus calls us to “enter the gate” that he provides for us. Read More →

The Scriptures urge us to pray and to act “in Jesus’ name.” This means not just speaking the name of Jesus, but acting in the style of Jesus — the style of a loving servant. This message connects with the theme of Mother’s Day! Read More →

When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life,” he is saying that he is the source of what we truly need. We are called to spiritually receive Christ, to nourish us and to bring us into genuine life. Read More →

Jesus is the “good shepherd” who guides, protects, rescues, and cares for us. Read More →

It is important to know that God wants to be with us. Therefore, the logical conclusion is we can be with God. The way we can demonstrate this love from God to others is to be with them. Read More →

We are invited not only to believe that Jesus is the Savior, but to accept Jesus as Lord – to let Christ “reign” in our lives so that we can share in the fullness of God’s Kingdom. Read More →

Jesus brings true life now, and life eternal in the glory of God. As he says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Let Christ bring you into life today! Read More →

Jesus is acclaimed on Palm Sunday as “king,” but he is not the kind of king that people expected. He offers a radical answer to the world’s trouble: not more violence, but redeeming and transforming love. Read More →

United Methodist Women’s Sunday. Our UMW shares a humorous short play and a message on the theme of praising God through music. Read More →

Jesus lays down his life for us, as a once for all sacrifice, so that we can be healed. So John the Baptist would say of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Read More →

This begins a sermon series entitled, “The Names and Titles of Jesus – and what they mean for us.” The Bible urges us often to “call on the name of the Lord.” To do so is to enter God’s presence and to experience God’s grace and power. Read More →

Guest Pastor (and former associate pastor at Kent UMC from 1980-1985), Rev. Bob Machovec, returns to share his message with us to celebrate our bicentennial as well as the introduction to the season of Lent and what that means. Read More →

Ash Wednesday service and the conclusion of Dr. Dave Palmer’s sermon series on the Exodus. Read More →

The crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus story has been depicted in fanciful ways. But God works through His creations in order to make a way for us. It’s important for us to follow the path that God lays before us. Read More →

The plagues are wake up calls for Egypt; but they are ignored. People continue to miss God’s miracles and signs today. Read More →

The burning bush shows how God is encountered in ordinary places. But God cannot be “nailed down” into our categories. We need to be open to mystery. Read More →

Moses was prepared for his mission from his earliest years. But when called, he offered excuses. The story challenges us to recognize God’s hand in life and to respond to God’s call today. Read More →

Martin Luther King, Jr. believed love was the greatest power in the world. The Bible gives us great examples of what the nature of love is and how to put it into practice. Read More →

The story of the Exodus gets no mention in the annals of Egypt, because the Pharaohs construed their records to glorify themselves; an embarrassing set of incidents involving slaves would have received no mention in the annals of Egypt. God has a different set of values – the... Read More →

God provides an extraordinary answer to evil by sending Jesus into the world. Read More →

Enter the New Year afresh by hearing God’s call for your life. Read More →

Peace is sadly lacking in the world at large and in people’s hearts. The Christmas story invites us to discover that “Christ is our peace.” (Ephesians 2:14) Read More →

What did Mary and Joseph really encounter in Bethlehem? The key spiritual issue is whether there is room in our lives today for Christ to enter in. Read More →

The Sanctuary Choir presents the Christmas section of Handel’s Messiah. Read More →

The real Christ helps us deal with the real world. Now is the time to wake up. God is lighting the way now. Now is the time for us to “put on” Christ. Read More →

The stories in Genesis give us much to think about in the Thanksgiving season, as the central characters build altars of thanksgiving to God. Read More →

The second part of the Joseph story demonstrates how even in the midst of apparently bad events God is at work for good. Read More →

In the first part of the story of Joseph, Joseph gets put in one serious jam after another, but persists in faith, because he knows that God is real and will be at work. Read More →

Several figures in the Genesis stories illustrate the Biblical admonition to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us”. Read More →

The fascinating story of Abraham and Melchizedek provides a model for Christian living. Read More →

In the story of Jacob’s ladder, Jacob finds himself in a difficult place, but is met by a glorious vision of the Lord. The story says much about God’s faithfulness, even in the face of our weakness. Read More →

One of the greatest reconciliation stories in the Bible is the story of Esau and Jacob, which serves as a model for reconciliation today. Read More →

The human desire for endless vengeance continues to be quite visible in the world today. The Scripture story calls us away from vengeance to the forgiveness of Jesus. Read More →

The main characters in the Genesis story are all very imperfect and make major blunders; but God is steadfast and continues to be gracious — a pattern that comes finally to its climax in Jesus, who “gave his life for us while we were yet sinners.” Read More →

The story of Esau and his bowl of soup illustrates how people easily squander their spiritual inheritance in the interests of instant self-gratification. The Scripture urges us to take hold of what is of true value and lay claim to our inheritance as “heirs of God”. Read More →

The stories of Abraham and Isaac give us a powerful picture of the promises of God, how they unfold, and how we are called to trust. Read More →

The tower of Babel is an image of the continual human effort to make ourselves “like God.” God does the reverse in coming to us in Jesus. Read More →

Noah’s family on the ark provides us with an inspiring image of what it means to have faith in God in the midst of life’s trials. Read More →

The story of Noah is a paradigm of the whole salvation story to come. This sermon begins a series entitled, “Foundations for Faith: from Noah to the Nile.” Read More →

The Holy Spirit works in all sorts of different ways. We need to acknowledge the manifold workings of the Spirit and be receptive to how the Spirit would move in our own lives. This is the final sermon in the “Catch the Wind” series. Read More →

We can get aggravated by all sorts of things in life. The Holy Spirit moves us to be “properly perturbed” – to be concerned about the right things – so that our primary concerns are about our spiritual condition and the condition of the world around us. Read More →

The Holy Spirit works in communities of believers, and draws us into harmony and fellowship with one another. Read More →

This sermon, preached by our Minister of Pastoral Care, Rev. Douglas Denton, is not a part of the Catch the Wind series. This sermon explores the Biblical idea of justice, which involves a right relationship with God and others. Read More →