SUMC SERMONS
Sunday, July 6 2025 - Joint Service with SUUF
Rooted in Social Justice, Rev. Dr. Elizabeth LeMaster
​
INTRO TO SUMC – WHO WE ARE
Sedona UMC is in a season of revitalization. Early in our journey, God revealed the vision that our work would be grounded in social justice and loving our neighbors. We are so proud that Sedona UMC is a fully inclusive and affirming faith community where all are invited to experience the love and grace of God. We are people with open hearts, open minds, and open doors who value community and relationship.
​
We are so blessed to now have the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship join us in our journey (SUUF)!
We are living in a time when we can be difficult to “agree to disagree” – because there are people who hold values and ideas and take actions that we find morally reprehensible. But when our shared foundation is love and caring for our neighbors, it’s not hard to agree to disagree on the name we call a deity or higher power or even if one exists. I know the God I believe in is not narrow and does not go by one name or presence.
​
Methodist Revival is our History
Indeed, I believe we have more in common than not. So I’d like to share the beginnings of the Methodist revival and how we have continued to grow as not only a faith community but an organization that prioritizes advocacy and justice. The founder of the Methodist movement was John Wesley. Note – it is called a “movement” because Wesley had no intention of starting his own church or even another denomination from the Church of England; he simply wanted a small group to keep each other accountable and find ways to live out their faith and make the world a better place.
​
John Wesley attended Oxford University and then seminary to become a pastor like his father. The beginnings of Methodism came years later, when he was called back to Oxford to be a professor. That’s when John and his brother Charles began to develop a methodical plan for living life - a plan to put their faith in to action. The term “Methodist” was actually a derogatory name others called this group because of their penchant for lists, and rules, and particular ways to do things – the 1700s version of charts, graphs, and spreadsheets! I mean, sounds perfect to me!
​
In 1739, Wesley’s group moved off campus to what they called “The New Room,” a building located in the heart of Bristol city center. The New Room still stands in Bristol and is now the oldest Methodist building in the world and is considered the cradle of the worldwide Methodist movement and the inspiration for renaming the fellowship hall – so that we don’t forget where we came from.
​
Beginning of the Methodist Movement/Small Group Ministry
​
John Wesley taught that the evangelical gospel (where the focus is on growing our own faith) and the social gospel (where the focus is on serving our neighbors) were inextricably linked together – calling them two sides of the same coin. And so the group began visiting prisoners in the town of Oxford and John began preaching this in the churches. And to us, that sounds like a great thing – but in that particular time in history, it caused Wesley to face incredible opposition in London. He was banned from preaching at most churches because he preached harsh and presumptive words that offended people. Words like – tend to the sick, visit those in prison, and care for immigrants! Wesley took to preaching outdoors in fields and the naysayers followed and taunted him for over 19 years – he was pelted with rotten tomatoes, stones, and even manure - but he refused to give up.
​
By 1757, John Wesley had preached thousands of sermons and the angry mobs had largely ceased. He realized it would be easy for him to play it safe - to just go around and preach in the pulpits where he had been invited. But he realized it was precisely because of his stature and influence, that he had to speak up. Wesley began to speak out against the slave trade that was prevalent in England. The ships often set sail from Bristol, a hub of Methodism, then traded for slaves in Africa. Wesley published his first pamphlet, “Thoughts Upon Slavery,” in 1788 at age 85, and he took the pulpit at City Road Chapel to preach against slavery. Because many within the Methodist movement were profiting from the slave trade – his words were not welcome. John Wesley persevered… and he was successful in working with William Wilberforce and John Newton to end the slave trade in England.
​
Early Methodists were also among the primary advocates for the organization of labor unions, ending the debtors’ prison system, creating new systems of care for poor children, and building hospitals in many cities. The people called Methodists have been actively involved in social and political matters from their founding and as The United Methodist Church, we continue that tradition today.
​
For over one hundred years, the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C. has been a center for faithful advocacy. It is the only non-government building on Capitol Hill and stands adjacent to the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court. As a public witness to justice and peace, the United Methodist Building offers an ecumenical and interfaith setting for rich dialogue and social action.
Over time, United Methodists have continued to advocate for many social and political issues such as women’s right to vote, civil rights, health care, and care for the environment, to name just a few.
​
Our United Methodist Social Creed and Social Principles express our commitment to fully participate in building a more peaceful and just world and speak to our duties and responsibilities on issues like the stewardship of creation, global warming, poverty and income inequality, responsible consumerism, bullying, human sexuality and the affirmation of the LGBTQ community, gender equality, racism, civil disobedience, health care, immigration, and many more.
​
The UMC regards political participation as the privilege and responsibility of citizens and states that our faith requires political engagement. Our Discipline states that “We believe we should continually exert a strong ethical influence upon the state, supporting policies and programs deemed to be just and opposing policies and programs that are unjust.”
As a lifelong United Methodist, I cannot separate social justice, advocacy, and action from my faith. We are living in times where it is once again dangerous to speak out against the inhumane treatment and the loss of rights for women, people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community yet The United Methodist Church remains on the front lines.​
​
So in the end, given what I know about all the wonderful advocacy, education, and work of the SUUF community – I don’t think we are that different at all. We are so blessed to have you as our partners in these crazy times and in this amazing world we share!