Discipleship Pastor Kyle Walden continues preaching for Black History and Futures Month on our collective struggle for freedom. The liberation of all of God's children is intertwined. 📖 Preaching from Romans 12 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly;[b] do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Lead Pastor Jay Williams preaches from the Song of Songs, leaning on Black theology, to proclaim the beauty in Black Christianity—a Christianity that calls us to a better future for all. 📖 Preaching from Song of Songs 1:4 We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you. They are right to love you, every one of them! 5 Me Do you think me dark, oh daughters of Jerusalem? Oh, I am; I am black and beautiful Dark as the night inside a tent in Kedar; dark as the secrets inside Solomon’s tents. 4:7 Beauty was named for you, my darling; your beauty is perfect. 8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is strong as death, Passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are of fire, A raging flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the flood drown it. If one offered for love All the wealth of one’s house, It would be utterly scorned. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Lead Pastor Jay Williams preaches on Black history and how it guides us to radical solidarity with the oppressed and vulnerable—especially now. 📖 Preaching from 1 Thessalonians 5 12 We ask you, sisters and brothers, to respect those who labor among you, who have charge over you in Christ as your teachers. 13 Esteem them highly, with a special love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 We urge you, sisters and brothers, to warn the idlers, cheer up the fainthearted, support the weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that no one repays one evil with another. Always seek what is good for each other—and for all people. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 and give thanks for everything—for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don't stifle the Spirit; 20 don't despise the prophetic gift. 21 But test everything and accept only what is good. 22 Avoid any semblance of evil. 23 May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May you be preserved whole and complete—spirit, soul, and body—irreproachable at the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. 24 The One who calls us is trustworthy: God will make sure it comes to pass. 25 Sisters and brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the sisters and brothers with a holy kiss. 27 My orders, in the name of Christ, are that this letter is to be read to all the sisters and brothers. 28 The grace of our Savior Jesus Christ be with you. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Still making sense of the presidential inauguration, Lead Pastor Jay Williams preaches on the importance of community, belonging, and our struggle for love and liberation. 📖 Preaching from 1 Corinthians 12 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot were to say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor; and our unpresentable members are treated with greater modesty, 24 whereas our more presentable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Ahead of the Presidential Inauguration, the Rev. Nikki Renée preaches a prophetic word reminding us that we are called to something greater than what's to come. 📖 Preaching from 1 Corinthians 12 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were Gentiles you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Celebrating the Baptism of the Lord, Pastor Jay reminds us of the meaning of our baptismal vows—that we belong to God. 📖 Preaching from Luke 3 15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21 Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

For the Epiphany of the Lord, Pastor Jay preaches about the good news of Jesus' identity and our own in Him as our Christ. 📖 Preaching from Matthew 2 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.

Ahead of a new year, Lead Pastor Jay Williams reminds us that we God's chosen ones, called to do amazing things through Christ. 📖 Preaching from Colossians 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord[a] has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 💜 About Union: The Union Combined Parish is a multisite United Methodist congregation in Boston committed to love and liberation—historically Black, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ empowering. Learn more about Union at https://unionboston.org. 🔗 Connect with us: We are a family of believers from all walks of life from all over the world. Let us get to know you, become a member of Union, or find community in person and online at https://unionboston.org/connect. 💪 To give to Union's mission of love, justice, and service, go to https://unionboston.org/give.