Sermon (May 10/Mother’s Day) “What the World Needs Now” by Rev. Robert McDowell

May 10, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

    I wonder how many of us who saw this sermon title have this song playing on an endless loop in our heads right now.

     “What the world needs now. Is love sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

     It’s such a simple melody that even I can sing it!

     It’s a song that was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and was sung by (DeeAhn) Dionne Warwick back in 1965. And what is so amazing about this song is that they didn’t think it would be well received, but it made it all the way up to #7 on the record chart that year.

      And the reason they didn’t think the song was going to be a hit is because it was written during the Vietnam War era which was dividing our country at the time. The lyrics could easily be heard as anti-war and unpatriotic.

     The popularity of this song just goes to show how much the world is longing for their to be more love despite our many disagreements and differences. Love is a universal language. This song came to my mind as I was reading over our appointed scripture readings for today because they both are appealing to our universal desire for their to be more love in our world. 

    

     In our Gospel reading, Jesus is preparing his disciples for when he would be leaving them. Of course they don’t fully understand that Jesus is referring to when he will be dying on a cross and then rising to new life. So, Jesus is offering this long farewell discourse to them, to not only instruct them but to also comfort them.

     Jesus uses the word, “love” several times in our Gospel reading for today. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.”

     And then a couple verses later, he tells them, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

     Jesus isn’t just telling the disciples to follow all of his teachings and commandments. He is using this time to remind them why it’s important to follow all of his teachings and commandments. These commandments help us to remember that the whole point of being a disciple of Jesus is to know that we are loved by God, that we are to love God, and that we are to love others with God’s love.

     Another way to put it is that we are each called to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith. We grow in having a Loving Faith by loving God and others with our hearts through Sunday worship and through our fellowship together.

      We grow in having a Learning Faith by learning more about God and our faith with our minds by reading our bibles and books about the bible. Quick little note here – when you read a book about the bible, make sure that it is based on well respected bible scholars and authors.

     And we also grow in having a Living Faith in the way that we live out our faith by serving others with our hands through service and outreach and living out our membership vows in offering to God our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

     All of this is what helps us to be disciples of Jesus. We are called to be growing in what it means to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith.

     Jesus is encouraging his disciples to keep loving, keep learning, and keep living out their faith even after he will be leaving them. And notice that Jesus also tells them that they will not be alone even after he leaves them. He will be sending them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit who will continue to help them to grow in being the loving people that he has called them to be.

     We are never done growing in our faith. I think this is what Jesus is trying to get across to the disciples. It is a lifelong journey in becoming more and more like Jesus.

     This reminds me of the old joke of the three pastors who met for lunch one day. The one pastor goes off about his problem with bats at his church. “I’ve tried everything to get rid of them, they just won’t leave.”

     The second pastor added, “We have a similar problem at our church. We’ve tried cats, sprays, noise, light. They just won’t go away.”

     The third pastor says, “Well, this is what worked at our church. I baptized them and confirmed them, and I haven’t seen them since!”

     This old joke reminds us in a cynical kind of way that our faith doesn’t end when we are baptized or become members of a church. That’s only the beginning of our walk with Jesus.

     As much as I loved my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher, I can’t imagine what my faith would be like if my faith stayed at a 3rd grade level. And actually, it would have been a disservice to my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher if I felt that what I learned in the 3rd grade was all I needed for the rest of my life.

     I also needed other mentors, and pastors, and friends, and family members to continue to guide me in my faith through my youth and college years, and into my adult years. I needed more spiritual faith formation groups to help shape me and encourage me along the way.  

     I needed bible studies that would challenge my theological assumptions. I needed to hear other Christian voices who I didn’t know even existed who helped me see the scriptures through other lenses of faith rather than simply through my limited perspectives and experiences as important as they are.

     The Holy Spirit is who will help us to continue to discover, explore, ask questions, and rethink our faith throughout our lifetime. We are never done growing in what it means to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith.

     It’s this willingness to be a lifelong learner that helps us to love Jesus more and more every single day. And the more that we love Jesus, the more that we will also share God’s love with those around us.

    On this Mother’s Day, I think of my mom who passed away in 2012. I definitely get a lot of my faith from her. She set the example in our household in what it means to have a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith.

     My mom started out as a beautician and she and my aunt had their own beauty shop. My mom was our barber at home as well. My favorite memory was when my mom would have me sit in a chair, put the barber cape on me, and cut my hair.

     I think my mom and I had the best mother/son conversations during those haircuts. We would talk about family and friends, about school, and about our faith. I could talk to mom about anything during those times sitting in that chair while trying to be completely still for 30 minutes.

     This memory of my mom reminds me that when we take time for each other and listen, really listen to each other and share our struggles, our joys, our hopes, our dreams, our questions, and our doubts is one of the most loving things we can do for each other. It’s how we can grow in having a more loving faith.

    Christian singer, Amy Grant has shared how her faith in Christ has grown and matured over the years.

     Whenever she approaches the bible and how to understand it and apply it in her life, she uses this little prayer as a guide, “Jesus - you just narrowed it down to two things: love God & love each other.”

     And this brings us back to what I said earlier in the sermon. The whole point of being a disciple of Jesus is to know that we are loved by God, that we are to love God, and that we are to love others with God’s love. And that’s a good thing because…

     “What the world needs now more than ever is love sweet love.”

Sunday (May 10/Mothers’ Day) Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, May 10, 2026 (Mothers’ Day)

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Thank you, O God for that beautiful solo. We’re not sure if this is our prayer to you for there to be more love in the world, or if this is your challenge to us this morning. Probably a little of both.

 

But what is certain is that what the world needs now is love, sweet love. Thank you for Jesus’ words to us today reminding us that love is the most important part in what it means to be your disciples.

Love is what builds bridges and leads to caring relationships. Love is what binds us together. 

 

On this Mothers’ Day, we lift up to you our mothers who have given us life and love. We pray for mothers who have lost a child through death, that their faith may give them hope.

 

We pray for women, though without children of their own, who like mothers have nurtured and cared for us. We pray for mothers, who have been unable to be a source of strength, who have not responded to their children and have not sustained their families.

 

Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so you watch over each and every one of us.

 

And we pray that you would watch over those who are in particular need of you this day, those facing medical challenges, those who are grieving and in need of comfort, those who are in need of guidance and direction, and those who are feeling alone and anxious. May your love surround each of these persons with the assurance that nothing can separate them from your great love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to say together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Discussion Questions (May 3) “A Peculiar People” by Rev. Robert McDowell

Discussion Questions

“A Peculiar People”

May 3, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that someone is described as being “peculiar?”

 

What are some reasons why it might be a good thing for you to be described as someone who is “peculiar?”

 

Our scripture reading from I Peter this morning says, “but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people…” The King James Version offers a slightly different wording.  It says that we are a “peculiar” people.

 

In what ways was Jesus “peculiar” in what he taught and how he treated people?

 

Thomas a’ Kempis was a Christian who lived during the 1400s. He wrote a Christian devotional book called, The Imitation of Christ which has become known as one of the most influential books ever written on the topic of Christian spirituality. It was one of John Wesley’s favorite books and had a huge impact in how he approached his faith. He encouraged the early Methodists to read it as well to help them in their walk with Christ. As the title of the book suggests, it encourages people to imitate Christ by living a life of love and humility like Jesus did. In a world that can promote selfishness, pride, and power, imitating Christ in our everyday lives is what makes us a peculiar people according to our I Peter scripture reading this morning.

 

What are some practical ways that we can imitate Christ in the way we relate to others and the needs of our community and world?

 

One of the reasons why the early church grew so rapidly the first few centuries was because those early followers saw themselves as peculiar people. They offered a radical new way of living that caught people off guard. For example, Tertullian, a 2nd century Roman writer reported that the Romans said this about the Christians, “See, how they love one another!”

 

 Justin Martyr, a leading Christian leader also from the 2nd century described the early church this way: “We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”

 

Notice that in describing how Christians are a “peculiar” people, both of these quotes focus on how Christians love all people regardless of any cultural, racial, or national differences, including those who are considered enemies.

 

What stands out to you about this observation that what makes Christians a “peculiar” people is in how they treat others, especially those who are seen as different?

 

Someone once said that “your life maybe the only Bible some people ever read.” In other words, people are more likely to see Jesus in us if we are more like Jesus in how we live. Let’s close our discussion time by once again praying the prayer that we said together earlier in our worship service. This is a prayer that can help us to be the peculiar people that God is calling us to be. 

Let us pray in unison:

 

O Lord, we confess that too often the ways of the world have been our ways. We have lingered at the altars of fear, greed, impatience, and unkindness. Our actions have not been consistent with our words. We have sought salvation in unholy alliances and have brought division upon your world. Forgive us our sins and feed us with your grace that we might be a people redeemed and whole, dedicated to the way of Jesus with all our strength and all our minds and all our souls. Amen.

Sunday (May 3) Worship Prayer

May 3, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

O God, thank you for this sweet hour of prayer. When we pray, it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on our needs, the needs of others, and to find relief for whatever may be weighing on our hearts and minds. We are grateful for this sweet hour of prayer.

 

And so, we offer to you our joys and our concerns. We praise you for your many blessings in our lives, especially those blessings that we often take for granted. Thank you for those moments when we are especially aware of your presence whether it be in the beauty of your creation, an answer to prayer, guiding us through a difficult decision, or simply by being reminded that there is nothing that can ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. For all of these joys, we offer you our thanks and praise.

 

We also offer to you any concerns that we may have today. You know our needs before we share them with you, but you take delight in having a two-way conversation with us. We ask that you bless those who are in need of your healing care. Comfort those who are worried about what the future holds. Encourage those who are feeling tired and empty. Watch over those who are in need of your guidance and direction.

 

As we go through this week, remind us that we are your peculiar people who you have called to become more like Jesus everyday. Teach us what it means to imitate Christ in all that we say and do. Help us to grow in what it means to be part of your royal priesthood by living a life of love and humility.

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus who encourages us to imitate him by praying this prayer together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sermon (April 26) “The Voice of the Shepherd” by Rev. Robert McDowell

April 26, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

    You might not be aware of this interesting fact, but I ran for president in the 1972 campaign. I ran against Richard Nixon, and he beat me by a landslide.

     Actually, Beth Jones one of the most popular girls in the 5th grade won the election. I was George McGovern in this mock election. Beth was not only the most popular girl, she was also one of the smartest students in our class. I just couldn’t compete with her on the campaign trail. I think that the only demographic group that voted for me over her were my kickball friends.

     Every other demographic group: boys/girls, low income/high income, rural/town, popular/non-popular, you name it, the majority of them voted for Beth. And that landslide victory marked the end of my political career. If only I would have had twitter back, then!

     I’ve been thinking about that 5th grade election because of our Gospel reading this morning. In this reading, Jesus is sounding a lot like a candidate out on the campaign trail trying to get your vote.

     That might not sound very spiritual to us since we often think of Jesus in non-political terms, but this is exactly what Jesus is sounding like in this scripture reading. He’s trying to get the attention of the people by explaining why he would be a much better choice than any of his opponents.

     Listen again to what Jesus is saying in his campaign speech: “I am the gate for the sheep. All of those who came before me are thieves and bandits.”

     Wait, is this Jesus doing some negative campaigning? “My opponents are just thieves and bandits.” Sounds like a tweet to me. Short, concise and hard hitting. “All my opponents are just thieves and bandits.”

     Jesus then adds to his speech and offers this more positive tone, “I am the gate for the sheep. If you elect me, you will have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus is saying to the crowd to choose him and not his opponents who won’t be able to deliver on their campaign promises.

     We don’t often think of Jesus on a campaign trail, but we do get a sense of it here. And it’s not just Jesus’ campaign talk to get people to take notice of him, he also uses what John the Gospel writer refers to as “signs.” In fact, John’s Gospel describes seven signs where Jesus offers glimpses that he truly is the one sent by God to save the people.

     Do you remember his first sign? He turned water into wine. And not just cheap wine, but the expensive kind. With this first sign, Jesus reveals his economic agenda. Think of how this will help grape growers during a severe drought.

     Three other signs were when he healed people. Think of how this will solve our health care problems.

     Another sign was his feeding of the 5,000 with just two fish and a couple loaves of bread. Jesus can end world hunger.

     And then, what was probably his most famous of these seven signs according to John was when he raised his friend, Lazarus from the dead. He raises people from the dead. How can Jesus not win this election?

     Well, spoiler alert. John will later inform us in his gospel, that he didn’t get enough votes. In fact, he was mocked and humiliated and crucified on a cross.

     Of course, Jesus hints at all of this in his campaign speech here in John, chapter ten. Sorry, we didn’t read his full speech when we read this passage earlier, just the first half of it.

     In the very next verse of our Gospel reading for today, Jesus goes on to say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

     Evidently, Jesus should have hired a speech writer because immediately after that speech, John tells us that he got terrible reviews. The critics were relentless. They were so negative that some even said that he had a demon and was out of his mind.

     But here’s the amazing thing. Even though Jesus lost the election, he won the victory by being raised from the dead. And not only did he win the victory, he continues to reign as the true king over all earthly powers to this day.

     Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus shows us that he truly is the good shepherd, the one sent by God to establish God’s kingdom on earth. The good shepherd who saves us. The good shepherd who offers abundant life. The good shepherd who calls his sheep by name. The good shepherd who helps us to find pasture or as the Psalmist describes it so poetically, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures and restoreth my soul.”

      Why would we not want to cast our vote for this candidate, the one who is our good shepherd and who lays down his life for his sheep?

      During the last couple of presidential election cycles, there were people offering up a 3rd possible candidate. His name? The 1980s singer, Rick Astley. Why vote for him? Because in the words of his famous song, He’s “never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you, never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.”

     And I know that you’re singing that song in your head right now and it’s probably going to stay in your head the rest of the day! You’re welcome!

     Jesus is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. He is our Good Shepherd, the gatekeeper and the sheep hear his voice, he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. And when he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Whoever enters by him will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. He came that we may have life and have it abundantly!

     And by the way, I got all of that from his campaign page that you can find here in John, chapter 10. It is true that he’s never gonna give you up and never gonna let you down.

     And not only is our Good Shepherd never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, our Good Shepherd, the ruler over all the world, invites us to continue his campaign in offering God’s healing love to a broken and hurting world.

     That’s you and me. We are the sheep. We are called to be the visible expression of God’s mercy and love for all people, a people called by our shepherd to live in such a way that always points people to the Good Shepherd.

     And unlike today’s bombastic and ruthless political campaigns, we are called to take an entirely different approach, one of servanthood and sacrificial love. Because remember, our candidate’s campaign symbol is a cross of all things.

     Our Acts scripture reading this morning describes the church as that place where we are to continue to live out Jesus’ mission.

     What does a grassroots campaign look like in continuing Jesus’ mission and ministry here on earth? It looks volunteers learning about their faith. It looks like sharing in fellowship. It looks like praying together. It looks like finding unity within their diversity. It looks like sharing their resources for the sake of the mission. It looks like joyfully worshiping the Good Shepherd. And it looks like always inviting more people to join the movement. Now, that sounds like a wining campaign to me!

     And so it is in this spirit that we are are invited to hear and respond to the voice of the Shepherd.

     The voice of our Good Shepherd who referred to his opponents as thieves but then ended up getting crucified between two thieves.

     The voice of our Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep.  

  

     The voice of our Good Shepherd who is always seeking out the least, the last, and the lost.

     The voice of our Good Shepherd who has a special place in his heart for the marginalized, the poor, and the forgotten.

     The voice of the Good Shepherd who provides us with green pastures and abundant life.

     The voice of the Good Shepherd who invites us to be his church, his authentic and welcoming to all community of faith.

     The voice of the Good Shepherd who when gathered around a table with his disciples said, “This is my body broken for you. This is my blood shed for you.”

     This is the voice who we need to hear above all other voices vying for our attention. It’s the voice that invites us to continue to live out Jesus’ platform of offering sacrificial love for the sake of the world.

     So, join his campaign. Enter through that narrow gate because it will lead to green pastures, still waters, and abundant life. And may it lead us to say with the psalmist, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”