Renewing Our Resolutions: Presence

SERMON TITLE:   “Renewing Our Resolutions:  Presence”
SERMON TEXT:    Hebrews 10:19-25
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           January 9, 2022, at First UMC
 
 INTRODUCTION
 
                Because of the recent surge in COVID cases, several things I had on my January calendar have already been cancelled, postponed, or morphed into some other form.  Even though my Utah United Methodist clergy colleagues and I were really looking forward to having lunch together in person in a nice restaurant, fortunately we can easily adjust our plans and still get together over Zoom.  Even though the Coalition of Religious Communities really wanted us people of faith to rally together on the steps of the state capitol to speak against state grocery taxes, it will be a safe and reasonable alternative to send in our paper plate protest photographs as a collective presentation of our civic engagement. 
                And, here at First UMC, you can participate in worship either by attending in person here in the sanctuary, by listening to our audio recording over the phone, or by connecting digitally to our Facebook livestream.  Especially if you type your name into the Facebook comments, so we know you are with us, there is definitely more than one way to be show up and be counted.  It’s great that we have all these ways for the body of Christ to assemble.  The important thing is that we actually do get together and practice our presence. 
                Last Sunday I started a New Year’s sermon series on the topic of “Renewing Our Resolutions.”  While you might have made some great New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, or be kinder to your relatives, I’m specifically talking about the membership vows we make as United Methodists.  That membership covenant indicates that we will participate faithfully in the ministries of this church by our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.  Last Sunday we talked about prayers.  So today, with the help of our scripture reading from Hebrews 10, we’re going to focus our attention on renewing our resolution of presence.

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