Westwood United Methodist Church

Sunday, May 11, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter Pastor Molly explores the hopeful, radical message of the Book of Revelation, challenging its typical fear-based interpretations. It centers on the image of the slaughtered lamb—symbolizing sacrificial love—as the one worthy to reveal God’s truth, rather than power or domination. Tied into Mother’s Day, the message honors all forms of caregiving, especially those who mother in nontraditional ways, and emphasizes the importance of community, care, and chosen family. The preacher calls for deeper connection and celebration through song, showing that theology is not just ideas, but lived experience, story, and embodied love.

Sunday, May 4, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter The Book of Revelation has been frequently misused, often to engender fear. In this sermon series, we are diving in to give it a fresh look. What we find is not a code for the end times, but a bold declaration from an exiled man that despite the power of empire, God still reigns—Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. Revelation isn’t about fear; it’s about resistance, faithfulness, and the transformative love of Christ, the pierced one who turns suffering into new life. On this weekend of anniversaries—of women’s ordination, of long-overdue justice for LGBTQ+ clergy, and yes, Star Wars Day (May the 4th Be With You)—we remember that the systems around us often fail, but our hope is rooted in something deeper, bigger, eternal. This is a call to belong to love, to live like resurrection is real, and to taste that truth again at the communion table.

Sunday, April 27, 2025 Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter Today, as we honor Earth Day, Dr. Carter shares a bit of his own journey—from taking the natural world for granted to experiencing an ecological conversion rooted in deep personal encounters and Scripture. Reflecting on the Israelites’ struggle in the wilderness, we see how fear and old patterns of oppression can linger even after liberation. God calls us to trust in divine abundance, to let go of scarcity thinking, and to build something new rooted in justice and care for creation. Though the challenges are great and we are entangled in systems we didn’t create, it is still our responsibility to hope, to build, and to trust that our children will carry us toward the Promised Land.

Sunday, April 20, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter The resurrection of Jesus is a profound symbol of God’s transformative power–not a denial of grief, but a simultaneous embrace of both grief and hope. Drawing from the Gospel of Luke, the resurrection story highlights the courage of the women who first encountered the empty tomb, and how their faith allowed them to remember Jesus’ promise of resurrection even when others dismissed it. Today, we live into the resurrection by creating sanctuary—not in buildings, but in compassionate, inclusive communities that honor every person’s dignity. Looking through contemporary and historical movements of remembrance and justice, from the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to #sayhername, we find courage carry forward a faith that persists in the face of injustice, that insists on the value of every human life, and that dares to hope for a world transformed by mercy, love, and collective care.

Sunday, April 13, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter Wave palm branches and sing “Hosanna” as we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; little children will lead the procession. When the religious leaders try to silence the crowd, Jesus tells them that the noise level isn’t the point—even the stones would cry out if they were silent. It takes wisdom to know when our voice is needed and when it’s just noise. Our Westwood Kids Choir will join the Chancel Choir for a special Palm Sunday anthem, too. We invite ALL our children to be a part of our Palm procession! In the Sanctuary Gathering, meet up in the back of the sanctuary so we can walk in together during the first hymn. Parents & grandparents are encouraged to join the parade!