Unbound Love: A Mother’s Reflection of God’s Heart

New World UMCPastor's Blog

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. And because he lives, we are learning how to live differently too—unbound, renewed, and sent into the world with love. That’s the journey we have been walking since Easter. And while we pause from our regular series to honor Mother’s Day today, we are not stepping away from the resurrection life. In fact, today we get a beautiful glimpse of that life through one of its clearest reflections—a mother’s love. Now, I know—Mother’s Day can stir up all kinds of feelings. Some of us celebrate it with joy and brunch reservations. Others experience it with grief, longing, or complicated memories. Some have lost mothers. Some never knew theirs. Some are walking through infertility, … Read More

Unbound Relationships: Love Made New

New World UMCPastor's Blog

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. And because he lives, everything is changed. Not only our identity, as we reflected last week, but also the way we live in community—how we relate to one another, how we handle failure and forgiveness, how we love. Last week, we asked the question, Who am I now?—and we saw through Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus that resurrection gives us a new identity. We are not who we were. We are unbound from our past and called into new life, not just someday, but today. But there’s another question that always follows a change in identity. Once you begin to believe that you are not the same anymore, you start to ask: … Read More

Unbound Identity: Who Am I Now?

New World UMCPastor's Blog

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, everything changes—not just our future, but our now. Last Sunday, we declared that no one is left behind. We saw it in the thief on the cross, in the women at the tomb, and in the story of Lazarus raised and unbound. We heard the words “It is finished” not as the end, but as the beginning of a new story—our story. Today we take the next step in that story by asking a deep and personal question: Who am I now? Because the truth is, after resurrection, we don’t just continue life. We begin again. Something dies, and something new rises. And yet, for many of us, stepping … Read More

No One Left Behind

New World UMCPastor's Blog

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! What a joy to proclaim that this morning. What a joy to hear it echo not only across the world but deep within our souls. But I want to ask you something today—something personal: What does Easter really mean for you… right now? Not just for some distant afterlife, but for the life you are living this very moment? Because Easter isn’t just about heaven. Easter is about hope—hope that breaks through our deepest fears, failures, and doubts. It is about life—not just after death, but life that begins again now in the presence and power of Jesus Christ. And at the very center of this good news is this truth: When we … Read More

Palm Sunday: Holding Hope in Hard Places

New World UMCPastor's Blog

Matthew 21:1-11, When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,“Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.”This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,“Tell the daughter of Zion,Look, your king is coming to you,humble, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;they brought the donkey and the colt, and … Read More