Pacific Beach Umc Podcasty

This is Epiphany Sunday as we begin the new year with a wonderful guest preacher! Karen Scanlon, a Certified Lay Minister, is a lifelong Methodist who remembers well those little wooden Sunday School chairs and the sweet spirit of a grandmother’s “Methodist” lap. She has served in various capacities at St. Mark’s UMC for lots of years, especially i…

On this 4th Sunday of Advent, we spend time with Mary and Elizabeth, two expectant mothers who encounter one another with love, care and blessing. This beautiful text raises the question of what it means to be “blessed.” How do we understand blessings and in what contexts do we experience them? We’ll explore this and more as we make a final stop be…

We are living into the season of Advent, a season that invites us to slow down, to take deep breaths, to wait and listen as we anticipate the coming of Christ. This service we spend time with Mary who received news from the Angel Gabriel that she was to bear a son. The angel’s words, “Do not be afraid,” are words that are repeated over and over aga…

This Sunday marks the beginning of the Christian year as we enter into the season of Advent. Advent is the liturgical season when we prepare for Christ’s coming in the birth of the baby Jesus. It is a time of waiting, watching, hoping, praying and staying attentive to the movement of God’s Spirit. We begin with Jesus’ genealogy from the Book of Mat…

“Save us from the time of trial.” For generations these words, from a version of The Lord’s Prayer, have petitioned God for mercy for life’s most difficult struggles. For generations we have held on to what Jan Richardson calls, “stubborn hope.” Join us as Pastor Lesley helps us reflect on Jesus’ words and the essential nature of hope. Scripture pa…

On All Saints Sunday, we remember the saints of our lives, past and present, who have been our companions and guides in our lives of faith. How do we “re-member” those who may no longer attend church in person but are still a significant members of the community and of the communion of saints? It is our tradition to name those among us who have die…

Many of us have to learn over time and as we mature as Christians that prayer doesn’t mean asking God for a list of things and God granting these wishes. It’s about a relationship and partnership in life to understand what your needs are and to marvel at God’s ability to provide them. So with that, “You don’t always get what you want, but you get w…