Hyde Park United Methodist

Baptism is the entry rite into Christian community. Our vows remind us that we are called to be part of the church, which Christ has opened to all people.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What is your favorite memory of a baptism? 2. What do you think God is doing in a baptism? 3. What difference does baptism make for you, in how you think, act, and relate to others?

In Genesis, we discover that God’s creation of the first human being was incomplete until the creation of companionship. We are intrinsically wired to be in connection with other people. God said it was not good for us to be alone; in fact, we are not.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. Who is the person (or the people) in your life that make you feel ‘known’?  2. What is one thing you can do to help alleviate another person’s isolation and make them feel that they are ‘of worth’? 3. Name two things you can do to cultivate or nurture your primary relationships this week?

Just as Anna and Simeon received the baby Jesus and gained new hope for the future, we are to take the gift of Christmas and carry it with us all year round. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. How long do you tend to keep your Christmas decorations up in your house? 2. What memories do you have this past Christmas of different generations coming together? 3. How will you be a bridge between generations this upcoming year?

We are all familiar with the Nativity story. We know of Mary and Joseph, of the shepherds and the angels. But what about the setting? The stable and the manager? We take a closer look at the setting of the Christmas story and what implications it has on our lives.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions1. What are your favorite images and scenes in the Christmas story? 2. How will you make room for Jesus to be born anew into your life? 3. How will you allow Jesus to work through you to impact the lives of others?

Advent is a time of anticipating joy, exemplified in the Magnificat of Mary. Her soul rejoiced at the prospect of the arrival of justice, equality, and liberation for all people. That vision should both encourage us and motivate us to offer joy to others. HydeParkUMC.org/ChristmasHydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. When has fear ever blocked your sense of joy? 2. When have you experienced the joy of giving yourself in generosity to others? 3. What is God calling you to do, to move you from fear to joy by serving others?

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, foretold by John the Baptist, who called us to “make his paths straight.” This can serve as a metaphor for peace-building and peace-making, which is at the heart of our Advent preparations. We should strive to be agents of peace, in our relationships with others. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/ChristmasReflection Questions:1. What “potholes” exist in your life that need to be filled by God? 2. How will you build bridges this week with people who are in a broken relationship with you? 3. How will you help remove barriers of injustice and inequity that prevent peace in our society?

Advent is a time of watching and waiting in expectation of the inbreaking of God’s power and love to be among us. We should not lose hope, and we should remain attentive and ready to respond.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/ChirstmasReflection Questions - What are you waiting for, longing for, hoping for – deep in your heart – this Advent?- Where do you see signs of ‘hope’ in the world? And how does that encourage you to share ‘hope’ with others?- What Advent practices do you observe during this season? Or have you observed in the past?

Calling Jesus Lord is not just a statement we make; it is a life we choose to live. He is the pre-eminent expression of God’s full character and behavior. In him, we discover our truest purpose and meaning in life, and to him, we are called to be obedient and faithful.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of Jesus’ most famous and familiar parables. It reminds us that small acts of generosity, no matter how insignificant it seems, can be used by God to multiply into wider impact for a wide host of people. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAllHydeParkUMC.org/EOGReflection Questions:What new insights have you learned from the parable of the mustard seed?What does the garden in the parable symbolize for you?How have you experienced God’s love through the ministries of the church?

Our faithful generosity is a response to the generosity of God, who calls us to be responsible caretakers of all our resources. By saving, spending, and giving faithfully, we can create a storehouse of treasure that will be a solid foundation for the future of God’s kingdom, and help us “take hold of that which is truly life.” HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAllReflection Questions:- What are your earliest memories related to money? - When in your life have you felt truly and fully content? - How will you be more generous in your time, your spirit, and your financial giving to the church?

We have been given an inheritance by God, which is the richness of grace and salvation, passed down through the generations. On this day when we celebrate the saints who have gone before us, we give thanks for their enduring example of faithfulness and generosity, and pledge to live out their legacy in our faithful giving. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAll

Our generosity begins with the generosity of God, who calls us to be in a special relationship together, for the benefit of the world. This is the basis of the important biblical concept of covenant, seen most vividly in the call of Abraham. And just as Abraham gave a tenth of his belongings as a response to God’s covenant, we are called to be generous as a response to God’s goodness. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydePartkUMC.org/LoveForAllReflection Questions:1. How have you experienced God’s unconditional love for you? In what ways do you struggle with believing that?2. How have you seen God loving all people through this church?3. How will you respond with gratitude and generosity to God’s love in your life?

As we recognize and celebrate of missions partners this week, we are reminded of the Great Commission. As followers of Jesus, we are charged with bringing the scriptural truth to all the world.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘missions’?2. In what way is God calling you to be a light that shines for others?3. What missions partnerships in our church will you learn more about and get involved in?

Jesus calls us to forgive, no questions asked, or excuses accepted. It is a requirement of all those who would choose to call themselves Christian.HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulHydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What do you think is the relationship between 1) God’s forgiveness of us, and 2) our forgiveness of others? 2. What for you is the most difficult aspect of forgiveness? 3. What steps will you take to move toward forgiveness between you and someone else?

Love is the chief distinguishing feature of a follower of Jesus. It is one whom, in Wesley’s words, the “love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts.” The Great Commandment (attested in each of the synoptic gospels) is a vivid expression of this call to love.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. How does the way you love a person change as your relationship changes over time? 2. In what way is time more a “pressure” than a “privilege” to you these days? 3. How will you spend more time sharing it in love for God and others?

God calls us to seek the way of justice, which is a central norm of the Hebrew scriptures and an integral part of Jesus’ vision for the kingdom.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. What is your understanding of justice? What new things did you discover about justice that are helpful?2. How will you live a just life, in the way God intends you to live?3. How will you help create a just community, helping others to be a full and equal part of it?

We are called by God to contribute to the flourishing of all human beings, because every person is of sacred worth.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions: 1. How do you understand the sacredness of life to be an essential part of Christian character and ethics?   2. When have you ever felt “out of tune” with God’s image in you? When have you felt “in tune”? 3. How will you contribute to the flourishing of those around you? 

We live in a world where adherence to agreed notions of truth is elusive. We are more prone to seeing deceit, delusion, and distraction rather than truth. Good and faithful Christians claim the truth of God, even if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. In what ways do you see a need for more truthfulness in our world today? 2. How do you think truthfulness and trustworthiness are related? 3. What will you do to be a more truthful person?

God has made us to be a spectacle “theatron” of the world, so we should model the kind of holy life to which we have been called.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. What do you think constitutes good character?2. Which of the five qualities do you emulate best, and which do you have to work on?3. What would it mean for you to be a “light of the world” this week?

Jesus calls us to love our enemies, those who are hardest to love, despite what they might have done to us.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. Who are the enemies in your life?2. What does Jesus mean when he says, “pray for those who persecute you”?3. How can you pray for your enemies this week?