Brokenness

This week’s lesson comes from the prophet Hosea (11:1-9) who delivered a difficult message for the divided Kingdom of Israel. God would not rescue the people from the consequences of their actions, even though God would not cease to love.

Reflecting on the text, Pastor Cara Scriven preaches candidly of the brokenness she has experienced in our community. She challenges us to reach outside of the comfort silos we often erect, to speak to people who see the world differently, and to forge a clearer identity so new people will know with more clarity who we are and what we believe.

This week’s lesson comes from the prophet Hosea (11:1-9) who delivered a difficult message for the divided Kingdom of...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, November 10, 2019

Faithfulness to Community

On this Sunday where we remembered the Saints who have made clear the presense of God to us, we encounter a strange story of competing sacrifices where the prophet Elijah did the miraculous (I Kings 18:22-39) to display the power of God.

In her lesson, Pastor Cara Scriven challenges us to dream together about what our church can do today to make God known, and how we will work to make it so.

On this Sunday where we remembered the Saints who have made clear the presense of God to us, we encounter a strange...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, November 3, 2019

Wisdom of Community

This week we looked at the story of King David’s descendant Jeroboam and how a lack of wisdom exacerbated a split of the kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-17). As part of Pastor Cara Scriven’s message, we learned about the impact of service from members Sabrina Banuelos and Mary Kohli and the life wisdom it provides.

Wisdom of Community

This week we looked at the story of King David’s descendant Jeroboam and how a lack of wisdom exacerbated a split of the kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-17). As part of Pastor Cara Scriven’s message, we learned about the impact of service from members Sabrina Banuelos and Mary Kohli and the life wisdom it provides.

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 27, 2019

Commitment to Community

This week’s scripture follows the story of Ruth and her Mother-in-law Naomi as the latter chooses to return to Israel after she loses her sons and husband. Pastor Cara Scriven uses a powerful clip from the TV series ‘The West Wing’ to help us to get into the mind of Naomi during our story. 

This week’s scripture follows the story of Ruth and her Mother-in-law Naomi as the latter chooses to return to Israel...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 13, 2019

You can view the clip from West Wing below.

Holy Presence

This week, our Scripture lesson focused on the story of Mose's encounter with God in a burning bush. Their subsequent conversation calls to mind a significant truth about identity according to Pastor Cara Scriven, with an episode of the Netflix series Black Mirror helping to elucidate the point.

This week, our Scripture lesson focused on the story of Mose's encounter with God in a burning bush. Their subsequent...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 29, 2019

Wrestling with God

In this week’s Scripture reading (Genesis 32:[9-13] 22-30), we join the story of Jacob as he returns to meet a brother from whom he had swindled his birthright. Finding himself in a vulnerable place, Jacob encounters God, famously wrestling an angel until he receives a blessing and a new name.

In her message, Pastor Cara Scriven shares how many of us find ourselves, at one time or another, like Jacob wrestling with God. These “dark nights of the soul” demand our attention, and their conclusion is far from inevitable.

In this week’s Scripture reading (Genesis 32:[9-13] 22-30), we join the story of Jacob as he returns to meet a brother...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 22, 2019

Promise of Laughter

In this week’s Scripture reading (Genesis 18:1-15), we encountered Abraham and Sarah learning from angelic visitors that they would have a son. Advanced as they were in age, can we fault Sarah for laughing at the thought?

“The life of faith requires us to remain open to possibility,” says the Pastor Cara Scriven in her message. This openness is not a call to deny reality but instead a reminder that God is still at work in the world. In fact, bring that hope is for others is our calling.

In this week’s Scripture reading (Genesis 18:1-15), we encountered Abraham and Sarah learning from angelic visitors that...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 15, 2019

Creating Relationship

This Sunday, we returned to the story of creation (Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-24) as Pastor Cara Scriven helped us to consider the meaning this ancient story holds for us today. During the sermon, we were asked to consider the following questions:

1. Who would you say is your community?

2. How is your relationship with that community? (disconnected, involved, burned out, need to re-engage, excited, etc.)

This Sunday, we returned to the story of creation (Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-24) as Pastor Cara Scriven helped us to consider...

Posted by Puyallup United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 8, 2019