Reflections from Irvington United Methodist Church
Here you will find random reflections on God, Jesus, the Spirit, and walking in faith. You might find short devotionals, sermon notes, and or other thoughts from our pastors to encourage and challenge your walk with the Lord.
On the Road Again: The Jericho Road
by: Denise Robinson
05/01/2023
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On the Road Again: The Road to Jericho
Luke 10:29-35; James 2:1-17
This week, we’re on the road again. That first Easter season, in the time between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension or return to heaven, Jesus was busy showing that he was alive and preparing his followers for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We’re traveling different roads during this same time, looking at roads mentioned in the Gospels and how we still travel those same roads today, even if t
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New Word: Resurrection
by: Denise Robinson
04/11/2023
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New Word: Resurrection!
Luke 24:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
All during Lent, we’ve been looking at biblical words that changed in meaning after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Words like sacrifice, covenant, and righteousness appear numerous times in the Hebrew Bible, what we commonly call the Old Testament, and they appear in the New Testament as well - but they don’t have the same meaning. Other words, such as grace and church, had an Old Testament counterpart - such a
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"Give Us a Messiah!"
by: Denise Robinson
04/04/2023
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Old Word, New Meaning: Messiah
Zechariah 9:9-10,16; Matthew 21:1-9
We continue this morning in our sermon series, “Old Word, New Meaning.” Over the past weeks, we’ve looked at several biblical words that changed in meaning with the death and resurrection of Christ – words such as sacrifice, covenant, righteousness, grace, and church. We also discovered, from some in-depth scientific, must-be-believed, Google searches that other words we use daily have also changed from their
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Old Word, New Meaning: Church
by: Denise Robinson
03/28/2023
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Old Word, New Meaning: Church
1 Kings 8:12-13, 17-21; Ephesians 2:11-22
The history of language is a long and winding road, leading words to take on new meanings over time. Some words have retained their original meaning while others have been given entirely new ones. Old words disappear and new words emerge. Changes in language reflect changes in society; words change through time and across cultures to reflect new circumstances, needs, and desires. Our focus this Lent is o
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Old Word, New Meaning: Grace
by: Denise Robinson
03/21/2023
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Old Word, New Meaning: Grace
Psalm 86:1-5; Hebrews 4:15-16
So far in our sermon series looking at old, or Old Testament, words given new meaning after the death and resurrection of Christ, we’ve looked at sacrifice, covenant, and righteousness. Christ, through his death on the cross, became the sacrifice for our sins, meaning that we no longer have to offer sacrifices to connect with God, ask for forgiveness, or seek blessings. We can connect with God through faith in Christ
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A Sermon on Christian Unity
by: Denise Robinson
03/09/2023
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A Sermon on Christian Unity
Ephesians 4:1-6,14-16
The story is told of a Christian who was stranded by himself for several years on a deserted island. One day a ship happened to see three huts on this island and sent a rescue team to investigate. The rescuers were confused to find one man but three huts and so they ask him about them. The man answered: That one is my house. That one is the church I go to. That one is the church I used to go to. If we are to think of the chur
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A Child-Like Faith
by: Denise Robinson
02/13/2023
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A Childlike Faith
Mark 10:13-16
How many of you, as parents or grandparents, rediscovered the joys – and the frustrations – of learning? You took tying your shoes for granted until you were faced with the prospect of trying to teach a child to tie their shoes – from the other side of the leg and while dealing with a foot that will not keep still. In my own life, I can’t remember being taught the alphabet or how to count to ten, but it takes patience to teach a child whose fa
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: Tekkun Olam
by: Denise Robinson
02/01/2023
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: Tekkun Olam
2 Corinthians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-40
When we think of Mr. Rogers, one image that comes to mind is of a quiet, soft-spoken man using simple words and songs to speak to children on an obviously low-budget and dated television show. The puppets look cheap and handmade because they were cheap and handmade. The set seldom varied from a trolley car moving along a track through a small neighborhood which never changed to the inside of a li
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: You Are Not a Mistake
by: Denise Robinson
01/23/2023
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: You Are Not a Mistake
Psalm 139:1-18; 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
Is there anyone here who has never made a mistake? I hate to tell you this, but if you raised your hand you’re mistaken … so there’s at least the second mistake of your life. The truth is that we all make mistakes, and most of us have made too many to count. I’m apt to make at least one before the service ends this morning. Mr. Rogers wanted children to know that mistakes are a part of l
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: The Mad that I Feel
by: Denise Robinson
01/16/2023
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The Theology of Mister Rogers: The Mad I Feel
Ephesians 4:26-32; James 1:19-20
On May 1, 1969, a relatively unknown Fred Rogers appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications to speak in favor of funding for non-profit public broadcasting. Rogers had less than a year earlier launched a half-hour educational program for children called Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, televised nationally by National Educational Television which a year later became PBS. Rogers opened by n
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The Theology of Mr. Rogers: Won't You Be My Neighbor?
by: Denise Robinson
01/09/2023
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The Theology of Mister Rogers: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Luke 9:41-56; Luke 10:25-37
There are very few people known by name alone. Some are known for the good they’ve done, others for crimes against humanity. Some are remembered for their talent and others for an invention. But almost in a category by himself is Mr. Rogers. He was on television for almost 35 years, from 1968 to 2001, on a PBS program called Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, yet he was anything but a television star
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What Now?
by: Denise Robinson
01/02/2023
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What Now?
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12
As full disclosure, I want to tell you about the sermon title for this morning, “What Now?” Two weeks ago, caught up in planning for the last Advent sermon, two Christmas Eve sermons, and a Christmas Day service, it hit me that the church office was closed the week between Christmas and New Years … which meant I needed to have bulletin info to Kim by December 22nd at the latest for all the services, this one included. At that point,
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The Nutcracker: The Greatest Gift
by: Denise Robinson
12/19/2022
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The Nutcracker: The Greatest Gift
John 1:11-14, 16; Luke 2:25-32
This morning we conclude our review of The Nutcracker and its lessons for Christmas. Last week, with Clara’s help, the Nutcracker, magically alive and grown to full-size, and aided by an army of wooden soldiers defeated the Mouse King and his army of mice. The victory, however, did not come with a cost. The Nutcracker was injured, and Clara rushed to his side. Now we come to the end of the story. Drosselmeir, C
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The Nutcracker: Changing Perspectives
by: Denise Robinson
12/13/2022
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The Nutcracker: Changing Perspectives
Luke 2:8-11; Luke 3:1-2
Many good storylines present the reader or the viewer with some element of danger. Every good protagonist has an antagonist. It brings conflict into the story and heightens the tension. I remember I wasn’t too old when I first saw the Christmas television special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The cast of characters included, in addition to Rudolph and Santa of course, Rudoph’s parents, his female friend Clarice
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The Nutcracker: Puppets, Promises, and Peace
by: Denise Robinson
12/05/2022
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The Nutcracker: Puppets, Promises and Peace
Isaiah 40:1-5; John 14:25-29
When we left the story of The Nutcracker last week, Clara and the other children were standing outside the parlor waiting for the door to be unlocked so that they could enter and join the party. Standing at the door and peeking through a keyhole, Clara could hear the sounds of music and see the glow of Christmas lights, but her glimpse was limited. The same is true of us at Advent. We look back and see
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