Hyde Park United Methodist

Say Less: Part 2 // Pastor Magrey deVega // February 2, 2026

Empathy seems to be a lost art these days. It has even been villainized by certain segments of our political discourse. Empathy is not a weakness; it is a demonstration of strength, of security in oneself, and a reflection of the character of God, who empathized with humanity to such a degree that God became human just like us. It is a central idea in this passage of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and it is central to us as Christians.    Reflection Questions: 1. In what ways are you tempted to stop at believing the right things about Jesus rather than doing the hard things he asks of you?  2. What people are you struggling to empathize with? What “single story” might you need to change with deeper listening?  3. How can you practice empathy by honoring another person’s humanity while still maintaining healthy emotional boundaries?  Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Why Empathy Is (Suddenly) Controversial | Beyond the Sermon

n Week 2 of Say Less, Matt Hotho and Pastor Magrey deVega dig deeper into Romans 12 and the tension between what we believe and how we live. Their conversation moves from Paul’s shift from belief to practice into the communal roots of faith, drawing connections to Leviticus, the prophets, and the idea of offering our lives as a “living sacrifice.” Along the way, they wrestle with why empathy has become such a loaded word, how compassion gets politicized, and why practicing empathy doesn’t mean agreement—especially in a polarized world where listening feels harder than ever. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Say Less: Part 1 // Gary Mason // January 25, 2026

One of the hardest times to practice good listening is with people who have opposing viewpoints. Indeed, the polarization in our society seems to be getting worse, not better, over time. Yet Paul is clear with the Christians in Ephesus: Unwholesome speech, bitterness, and anger have no place in civil conversation. Instead, we need a mutual willingness to listen to each other.    Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Grounded: Part 3 //Pastor Magrey deVega // January 18, 2026

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously diagnosed the problem with pride as having a “drum major instinct,” adapting a phrase from the Methodist preacher J. Wallace Hamilton. Indeed, much of the hostility and tension in the world can be addressed if we dig our societal roots deeper into service and humility, just as Jesus taught his disciples in this text from Matthew.  Reflection Questions: 1. To what degree do you exhibit a “Drum Major Instinct?”  2. How can ambition be a healthy thing to have? When does it become unhealthy?  3. How can serving help you see the divine image in others?  Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

What MLK Knew About Power | Beyond the Sermon

In this Beyond the Sermon conversation, Magrey deVega and Matt Hoto dig into the ideas behind the “drum major instinct” and why the pull toward attention, affirmation, and influence shows up so naturally in our lives. They walk through how Jesus reframes greatness in the Gospels, why the same story appears differently in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and how context and perspective shape the way faith communities grow up and mature. Along the way, they reflect on preaching legacies like J. Wallace Hamilton and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially how MLK’s call to humility, justice, and nonviolence still challenges how we lead, speak, and engage the world today. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps