Sacred Time: Reflecting the Sacred Scriptures: Romans 13:11–14; Matthew 24:36–44This week at Central, we enter both the first week of Advent and the opening of our new worship series, Reflecting the Sacred. Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us to consider what it means to step into “sacred time”—to live awake, attentive, and present to God’s movement in our everyday lives.In a season often filled with rushing, planning, and distraction, Scripture reminds us that we do not prepare for Christ’s coming by predicting a day or hour, but by waking up to God’s presence here and now. Romans calls us to shake off spiritual sleep, while Matthew urges us to stay alert, ready for the unexpected ways God breaks into our world.Pastor Christina reflects on the story of Noah—on what it means to build something faithful and hope-shaped even when the world cannot yet see its purpose. Like Noah’s ark, our practices, rituals, and communities of faith become vessels of love, justice, and hope that help us live toward God’s unfolding future.Advent invites us to slow down and notice the sacred woven into each hour—to breathe deeply, to reconnect, and to create moments that draw us beyond ourselves and into God’s holy mystery.🌀 Reflection Questions:How can I stay present this week?What ritual helps me stay connected with the sacred in this season?If I don’t have one, how will I create sacred moments?✨ Listen now as we begin this Advent journey together—awakening to God’s presence, embracing sacred time, and preparing our hearts for the hope that is coming. Support the show
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17:12
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17:12
From Complaining to Connecting
From Complaining to Connecting: A Complaint Free WorldScripture: Ephesians 4:29–32This week at Central, we continue our series A Complaint Free World by exploring how God calls us to move from criticism toward deeper connection. Complaints—especially about one another—often spring up quickly and easily, but scripture invites us to pay attention to the heart behind our words. In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that our speech carries the power to either bring life or to spread “rotting” words that tear others down.Pastor Christina challenges us to consider how we relate to one another, especially when frustrations arise. Instead of venting, gossiping, or comparing ourselves to others, we are invited to respond with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness—the same grace God has shown us. By shifting from complaint to direct, grace-filled communication, we open the door to stronger relationships, deeper unity, and a community shaped by love.Together, we discover that the journey from complaining to connecting begins not with changing our vocabulary, but with allowing Christ to transform our hearts.🌀 Reflection Questions:What would it look like to respond with kindness instead of criticism?How could you take the opportunity to connect instead of complaining about someone else?✨ Listen now and reflect on how God invites us to speak life, build one another up, and move from complaint to connection—becoming a community rooted in grace, compassion, and the love of Christ. Support the show
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14:32
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14:32
From Complaining to Seeking Justice
From Complaining to Seeking Justice: A Complaint Free WorldScripture: Isaiah 1:17 & Micah 6:8This week at Central, we explore how to move beyond complaints and toward hope-filled action for justice. Complaining often leaves us stuck in frustration, while seeking justice invites us to channel our concerns into meaningful, positive change. Guided by scripture, we learn that God calls us not only to notice injustice but to actively participate in making our world more compassionate and fair.Pastor Sarah shares practical ways to transform complaints into action, using tools and reflective exercises to reframe frustration into hope, prayer, and tangible steps for change. We discover that spiritual disciplines—prayer, reflection, and community—can guide us in living out justice with patience, courage, and faith.🌀 Reflection Questions:When was the last time you found yourself complaining about a social issue? How might you reframe that complaint into a vision of positive change and use words that sound hopeful instead of angry?In what ways can your spiritual disciplines support active, hope-filled justice work?What's one thing in your world that you'd like to see improve? What are three small steps you could take to help make that change?✨ Listen now and reflect on how God invites us to move from frustration to action, transforming complaints into hope-filled steps toward justice, compassion, and a world shaped by God’s love. Support the show
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22:41
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22:41
From Complaining to Grieving
From Complaining to Grieving: A Complaint Free WorldScripture: John 11:1–44This week at Central, we continue our journey toward a complaint-free life by moving from complaining to grieving. In John 11, Jesus meets Mary and Martha in the depth of their sorrow over the death of their brother, Lazarus—and He weeps with them. In this sacred moment, we see that God does not rush past our pain or demand composure. Instead, Jesus enters fully into our grief, showing us that divine compassion meets us right where we are.Pastor Sarah invites us to move beyond surface-level complaints and explore what lies beneath them—unacknowledged grief, loss, or longing. Through visuals like the Grief Iceberg and the Feelings Wheel, we learn how to recognize what’s truly under the surface and to bring those deeper emotions into God’s presence.Grieving isn’t about control or fixing—it’s about allowing our hearts to break open in the presence of a God who is not afraid of our tears. And it’s there, in that sacred space of vulnerability, that we discover resurrection hope: the God who weeps with us is also the God who calls us to new life.✨ Listen now and reflect on how God meets us in our grief, transforms our pain, and reminds us that even in our sorrow, resurrection is already stirring. Support the show
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20:30
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20:30
From Complaining to Lamenting
From Complaining to Lamenting: A Complaint Free WorldScripture: Numbers 11:1-6 & Lamentations 3:19-24This week at Central, we explored the difference between complaining and lamenting, guided by the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness and the raw honesty of Lamentations. Complaints often focus on what’s missing, keeping us at the surface of our emotions, while lament invites us to name our pain, confront our deeper feelings, and bring them into God’s presence with trust and hope.Pastor Sarah shared practical ways to notice when we complain, dig beneath the surface using tools like the feelings wheel, and transform those complaints into honest, vulnerable prayers of lament. Through this process, we learn to approach life’s difficulties with faith, awareness, and gratitude, even in the midst of suffering.This week’s sermon also includes helpful visual aids:Feelings WheelComplaint-to-Lament ChartEmotion Deep-Dive🌀 Reflection Questions:Are you willing to take on the challenge to try to go 21 days in a row without complaining?What emotions are typically "hidden below the surface" when you find yourself complaining?Using the feelings wheel, can you identify the deeper emotion behind a recent complaint you've had?Where in your life do you tend to stay "above the surface" with complaints instead of diving deeper into your true feelings?How does God invite us to move from surface-level grumbling to honest, vulnerable prayer?This week, when you catch yourself complaining, pause and ask: "What am I really feeling?"✨ Listen now and reflect on how God invites us to move from surface-level complaints into a deeper, faith-filled dialogue with the Divine — discovering hope, honesty, and God’s unfailing presence along the way. Support the show
About Central United Methodist Church (Arlington, Virginia) Sermon Podcast
An audio podcast of the weekly message preached at Central United Methodist Church in Arlington, Virginia. You're invited to join us online for worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Visit us on the web at cumcballston.org to learn how to join us for worship via zoom or facebook live. You're invited to join our congregation where we worship God, serve others, and embrace all.
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