Central United Methodist Church (Arlington, Virginia) Sermon Podcast

You Are Mine, and I Am Yours Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31–34 (CEB) Theme: Wesley Covenant Prayer · Covenant RenewalIn this sermon, You Are Mine, and I Am Yours, Pastor Sarah Harrison-McQueen reflects on God’s promise of a new covenant—one written not on stone tablets, but on human hearts. Drawing from Jeremiah’s vision of covenant renewal and the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, she invites us to rest in the truth that our relationship with God is grounded not in what we do, but in who we are: God’s beloved people.This message explores the deep reassurance of covenant faith—that even when humanity falters, God remains faithful. Through Jesus Christ, God fulfills the promise of a new covenant, one marked by grace, forgiveness, and presence. Communion becomes not a transaction, but a vow of relationship, reminding us that we belong to God, and God belongs to us.At the heart of this service is the Wesley Covenant Prayer, a prayer that can feel both beautiful and challenging. Its words ask for trust in seasons of abundance and emptiness, action and rest, praise and suffering. Yet this prayer is not a resolution to “do better,” but an invitation to remember and celebrate a relationship already sustained by God’s grace.Whether you are new to faith or have been walking with Christ for many years, this sermon offers space to reflect, renew, and rest—listening again for God’s promise spoken over our lives: You are mine, and I am yours.🌀 Reflection Questions:As you read the Covenant Prayer slowly, what words or phrases stand out to you?Which parts of the prayer feel easy to say—and which feel difficult? Why?Looking at your whole life, what might God be asking you to stop, continue, or begin as part of this covenant relationship?✨ Listen as we reflect on covenant, grace, and belonging—and as we renew our trust in the God who writes love on our hearts and walks with us through every season. Support the show

Sacred Doing: Reflecting the Sacred Scripture: Isaiah 52:7–10; Matthew 2:13–23 (CEB)In this Christmas sermon from our series Reflecting the Sacred, we turn to Sacred Doing—the call to embody God’s presence through acts of justice, mercy, and solidarity in a suffering world. Drawing from Isaiah’s vision of beautiful feet that carry good news and Matthew’s account of the Holy Family fleeing violence and fear, Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us to consider what faith looks like when it must move, risk, and respond.Jesus’ life begins not in safety or certainty, but in displacement. Forced to flee as a child refugee, Jesus is formed in solidarity with the vulnerable, the grieving, and the displaced. His story confronts us with the reality that fear still breeds violence, that suffering persists even in holy seasons—and yet, God continues to break through with comfort, redemption, and hope.This sermon reminds us that God does not stand apart from human suffering but enters fully into it. Sacred doing is not about grand solutions or easy answers; it is often as simple—and as costly—as showing up, bearing witness, and refusing to let evil have the final word. We are called to be the messengers Isaiah describes: people whose lives carry good news, whose steps lead toward peace, and whose presence reflects the sacred even in the hardest places.🌀 Reflection Questions:Jesus begins life as a vulnerable child who must flee for safety. How does this shape the way you see vulnerable people today?What might “sacred doing” look like in response to fear, injustice, or suffering today?What does it mean for us to dedicate ourselves to reflecting the sacred in all we do?✨ Listen as we reflect on fear and faith, suffering and solidarity, and the invitation to become God’s agents of grace, peace, and healing in the world. Support the show

Sacred Knowing: Reflecting the Sacred Scripture: Matthew 1:18–25 (CEB)This week in our Advent series Reflecting the Sacred, we turn our attention to Sacred Knowing—the quiet, often overlooked awareness of God’s presence woven into the ordinary fabric of our lives. Drawing from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth, Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us to see the story through the eyes of Joseph: a man whose faith is revealed not through words, but through steady, faithful action.Joseph’s story unfolds in uncertainty, risk, and disrupted expectations. Faced with a future that no longer made sense, Joseph listens for God not in spectacle, but in a dream—and responds with obedience that costs him comfort, reputation, and control. In naming the child Jesus, Joseph claims a sacred calling: to embody Emmanuel, God with us, not in grand gestures, but in daily faithfulness.This sermon reflects on the profound truth that God’s saving presence is not confined to holy places or extraordinary moments. God walks among the pots and pans, the schedules and carpools, the disappointments and the mundane rhythms of life. Jesus—fully divine and fully human—meets us exactly where we are, saving us not after we have it all together, but in the midst of our becoming.Sacred knowing helps us look beneath the surface of our lives to discover that even obedience, disruption, and ordinary labor can become holy ground. Advent reminds us that we do not need to escape the world to find God—God has already come to us.🌀 Reflection Questions:When I quiet my mind, where is God calling me?As my schedule grows fuller with the approach of Christmas, where do I find peace, and how might I carry that peace to others?✨ Listen as we reflect on Joseph’s faith, the holiness of the ordinary, and the deep truth that God is with us—and saves us—in every moment of our lives. Support the show

Sacred Space: Reflecting the Sacred Scripture: Isaiah 35This week at Central, we continue our Advent series Reflecting the Sacred by exploring what it means to find — and create — sacred space in a world that often feels dry, fractured, and joyless. Drawing from the prophetic vision of Isaiah 35, Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us into a promise of unexpected renewal: that even deserts will bloom, and joy will emerge where we least expect it.Isaiah speaks honestly to a people who have lost home, community, and stability. He does not minimize their pain or rush them toward false hope. Instead, he names the wilderness for what it is — a place of loss, fear, and disorientation — while boldly proclaiming that God does not abandon us there. In the very places that feel barren, God’s saving presence brings life, beauty, and restoration.In this sermon, Pastor Christina reflects on joy not as something we manufacture through seasonal trappings or outward cheer, but as a deep and sustaining strength rooted in God’s faithfulness. Joy, she reminds us, is not denial of suffering — it is what carries us through it. Sacred spaces are often hidden within pain and truth-telling, and it is there that God continues to meet us, renew us, and call us forward.Advent invites us to prepare not only for the birth of Christ, but for the ways God is still entering the dry and weary places of our lives and our world. As we wait, we are called to embody sacred space — shaping homes, communities, and hearts that reflect God’s justice, hope, and enduring joy.🌀 Reflection Questions:How do the spaces I inhabit — at home, work, and in community — reflect God’s justice and joy?What am I being called to create in order to further goodness in the world?What emotions do I feel when I think about visiting a street adorned with Christmas lights or a calming nature spot?✨ Listen as we reflect on wilderness, truth, and the joy that endures — and discover how God is still bringing life to bloom in the most unexpected places. Support the show

Sacred People: Reflecting the Sacred Scripture: Matthew 3:1–12This week at Central, we continue our Advent series Reflecting the Sacred by turning our attention to what it means to see one another as sacred people. Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us into a surprising and powerful Advent companion: John the Baptist. Far from the serene scenes on our Christmas cards, John comes to us wild, blunt, and uncompromising—yet carrying a message of love that reaches deeper than sentimentality.In a season that often idealizes warmth and harmony, John’s call to repent can feel jarring. But Pastor Christina reminds us that repentance—teshuva, “to return”—is not about shame. It is an invitation to come back to our truest identity: beloved children of God. When we release the guilt, judgments, and stories we hold about ourselves, we also become free to see the sacred in others, even those who are difficult to love.John’s fierce urgency is not meant to make us small, but to call us back to ourselves and to one another. True repentance clears the space for love to grow—for us to recognize that God claims every person as holy, cherished, and worthy. From the marginalized to those we’d rather avoid, from the ones who hurt us to the ones we simply don’t understand, God’s love reaches first into the desert places and invites us to meet Him there.Advent beckons us to return, to release what separates us, and to recognize the sacred humanity in all whom we encounter.🌀 Reflection Questions:Where do I look for the sacred in other people this week, even in those I find difficult to love?How can I remind myself to pause and pray for a new understanding when I feel disconnected from someone?✨ Listen now as we explore what it means to repent, return, and reflect God’s love—discovering the sacred not only in ourselves, but in every person we meet. Support the show