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The travelers on the road to Emmaus uttered the words that capture the deepest longing in the human heart: “We had hoped.” They had held out hope that the reports of Jesus’ death were not true, and that he was the long-awaited Messiah. Then, because they created space for Jesus to remain with them in their home, he opened their eyes to his presence, and he gave them the hope they were longing for.   Reflection Questions: 1. Where in your life do you need to create space for Jesus? 2. What practices help you name your disappointments and invite Christ inward? 3. How is resurrection unfolding in your life, even if slowly? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Mat Hotho sits down with Pastor Magrey deVega to unpack this week’s message and talk honestly about why change doesn’t always happen overnight. From doubt to daily habits, they explore what it really looks like to grow, stay grounded, and find meaning in the middle of real life.  Find out more about us and join a small group at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

One week after Easter, the lilies fade and real life returns—bringing questions, doubts, and uncertainty with it. In this opening message of the On the Edge series, Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans explores the story of Thomas and reminds us that doubt is not the opposite of faith, but a vital part of it. Through personal story and the Gospel of John, we are invited to bring our questions into community, to stay present even when faith feels fragile, and to trust that Christ meets us right in the middle of our fear and uncertainty, offering peace, presence, and new life. Reflection Questions: 1. Can you identify with Thomas, needing to see and touch something before you can believe or accept it? 2. Have you ever had a crisis of faith? If so, who or what helped you get through it? 3. How might Jesus be calling you out of your "locked room” right now - to embody peace and to tend wounds? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans shares her personal journey through doubt, calling, and rediscovering faith. Reflecting on her sermon about Doubting Thomas, she opens up about a season in seminary where everything she believed was questioned—and how that struggle ultimately shaped her ministry. This conversation is a reminder that doubt isn’t something to fear, but something that can lead to deeper, more authentic faith—especially when we don’t go through it alone. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

The resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal moment in human history, declaring God’s redemptive power and the end of sin and evil as the controlling force over our lives. The practice of visio divina invites us to not just hear the story, but to gaze upon it, just as famous artists have invited us throughout the centuries, to discover how we can experience the power of resurrection in our lives and in the world.    Reflection Questions: 1. Where has life shaken you recently, leaving you uncertain or afraid? 2. What faithful action can you take before certainty or belief fully arrives? 3. How might living as free change your perspective on present struggles? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

The stories of Holy Week are conducive to vivid artistic representation. Beginning with the pageantry of Palm Sunday, through the beauty of Maundy Thursday, and into the stirring scenes of the crucifixion, these stories have been the subject of some of the greatest works of art in history. The massive altar piece of the cathedral in Siena, Italy, depicts these scenes with stunning detail, telling the stories of the week that changed the world.   Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In week five of Visio Divina, Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans reflects on the story of Jesus calming the storm through Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. The painting pulls us into the boat — into the chaos, fear, and uncertainty the disciples felt. And yet, in the middle of it all, Jesus remains steady, anchored to something deeper than the storm. This story reminds us that faith doesn’t remove the storm, but it roots us in a presence that can withstand it. As we move through Lent, we’re invited to become people of calm, courage, and trust — even when the waves rise. Reflection Questions: 1. Can you name a person who impresses you as one who can remain CALM in the midst of chaos?  What qualities do they have? 2. How have you found yourself being a calm presence in the midst of your own storms or someone else’s? 3. When was the last time you heard Jesus speak “Peace" over your chaotic and anxious thoughts? What was that like? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Like many of the parables of Jesus, the story of the Prodigal Son is a study in contrast, between the waywardness of the younger son and the extravagant love of God. Embodying that contrast is the light and shadow that comes from beautiful stained glass, like the stunning windows of Cathedrale Saint-Etienne in Bourges, France. Its depiction of the parable of the prodigal is not only rich in imagery; it also renders imaginative aspects of the story as a way of inviting the viewer to see themselves in the narrative. For all the soulful repentance that Lent prompts, it is good to remember that ultimately, God is there to welcome us, hold us, and forgive us.    Reflection Questions:  1. What rooms of your past remain closed, waiting for God’s healing light? 2. Where are you chasing fulfillment outward instead of returning inward to God? 3. How might God expand the living space of your heart today? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In week three of Visio Divina, Pastor Justin LaRosa reflects on the story of Lazarus in John’s Gospel through Caravaggio’s powerful painting The Raising of Lazarus. The scene is full of shadow, grief, and tension, reminding us that resurrection often begins in the middle of pain, not after it disappears. Jesus meets Martha in protest, Mary in tears, and stands before the tomb calling Lazarus by name. This story asks what resurrection looks like in our lives right now. God does the raising, and the community helps unbind us as we step into the light. Reflection Questions: 1. Share an experience when you had a Mary/Martha moment. 2. What protects you from pain/suffering but also prevents Jesus from entering? 3. Where might God be inviting you to help unbind someone else? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This first miracle by Jesus, recorded in John’s gospel, may seem like an odd insertion into the Lenten journey. But it is the moment when Jesus made his public debut as not just a stirring teacher, but as a miraculous healer who was concerned about the wellbeing of others. His response to his mother that his “hour has not yet come” is a foretelling of his crucifixion and resurrection, when he would be poured out as blood and water for the salvation of others. In that way, the turning of water into wine is a kind of foreshadowing of his ultimate miracle. The Renaissance painter Veronese renders this story in vivid detail, both immersing the viewer in the story and expanding the hospitality of God to others.   Reflection Questions: 1. When have you been to a family gathering where things didn’t turn out as hoped?  2. How is God calling you to “widen the table” and make room for people to experience God’s love?  3. How are you a character in the story of the wedding at Cana? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

The most famous fresco in the history of western art is in the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo. It depicts the stirring moment when God created humans, with God and Adam, arms outstretched, making contact. Just as moving is the stunning entryway doors to the Baptistery of St. John in Florence, Italy by Giberti, which depics the story of creation in incredible, gilded detail. The creation story is a fitting starting point in our Lenten journey, reminding us of our inherent nature as made in the image of God, and calling us to return to a full reflection of God’s character, as we reach out and touch the divine.    Reflection Questions: 1. How might you begin to read the Bible with multiple physical senses?  2. When has a work of art opened your eyes to wonder?  3. How do these two works of art give you deeper appreciation for the creation story?  Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this final episode of Beyond the Sermon for the "Say Less" series, Justin LaRosa and Mat Hotho reflect on what it really looks like to listen for God’s will. The conversation explores centering prayer, silence, counseling, spiritual direction, and the courage it takes to say no to good things in order to say yes to what truly aligns with how God has wired you. Along the way, they wrestle with anxiety, alignment, repentance, and the slow work of recognizing God’s voice in the rearview mirror of life. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Revelation may seem like an odd choice to include in a series on listening, but the oracle is founded on a witness from John to Christians who needed to listen better. Beginning with the indictments to the seven churches, the book is filled with words of comfort and courage to people under distress. When we learn to “silence all voices but God’s voice,” (Henri Nouwen) we can learn to hear God’s will for us to move forward with conviction.    Reflection Questions: 1. Where in your life right now do you most need discernment — and what makes that situation hard to navigate? 2. When you’re making decisions, what practices actually help you listen for God, and what has that looked like in real life? 3. Jesus warned about being “lukewarm.” Where do you notice spiritual complacency in yourself or our culture — and what might wholehearted faith (zeal and repentance) look like instead?

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat Hotho sits down with Bishop Will Willimon to unpack what it really means to listen to a sermon. Their conversation explores the difference between reading Scripture and preaching it, why sermons are meant to address us personally, and how the preached word moves faith from information to enlistment. Bishop Willimon reflects on decades of preaching, the discomfort and resistance Jesus often provokes, and why following Christ was never meant to be easy, safe, or merely “interesting.” Along the way, they wrestle with discipleship, courage, and what it means to belong to a kingdom larger than any nation or political project. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This Sunday, we are joined by Bishop Will Willimon as he reflects on Jesus’ first sermon in Luke 4 and what happens when God speaks a word we didn’t come to hear. Willimon explores why preaching is so difficult to listen to, not because sermons are long or abstract, but because the true preacher is Christ himself. Drawing on personal stories from the pulpit and moments when sermons provoke discomfort rather than comfort, this message invites us to listen bravely, expecting to encounter the risen Jesus who still speaks truthfully, sometimes painfully, and always out of love. Reflection Questions:  1. In what ways do you listen to sermons seeking comfort, and how open are you to Jesus challenging and changing you, even when it feels uncomfortable? 2. Where do you resist the idea that God might be at work among people or places you least expect or prefer? 3. When have you realized that Jesus spoke to you through a sermon in a way the preacher never intended? How did it change you? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps