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Hello-Goodbye sermon series - June 6, 2021
Like a variety of the scriptures we’ve studied this Spring, I feel this one needs to come with a preface: many scholars claim John 21 is a later addition. That the original gospel finished with the resurrection and the visits to the disciples in the upper room and that chapter 21 came later as a redaction or addition. And yet, even if it was added later, it carries the thread of the Gospel, such that it doesn’t read as an imposter chapter, and it stuck, like the last half of Mark chapter 16, which is also understood as a later edition. I’m not sure arguing about original texts is worth it, at least not for today’s sermon, but it does seem worth mentioning since we don’t often tell this story and hear this scripture passage. You are educated Christians who enjoy learning, asking questions, and looking for a different
Hello-Goodbye Sermon series - May 16, 2021
Jonah (various)When I’ve read this story a lot over the years. Normally I look from the perspective of Jonah. What was it like for him to be called to a people he classified as “enemy” and asked to condemn their sins and invite them to repentance. From his actions, we see, he wasn’t into it. He did NOT want to go to Nineveh. He definitely did not want to name their wickedness. And so he ran.
Jonah was very clear he didn’t want any part of the Nineveh business. He knew about the people of Nineveh and it seems he had given up on their potential for change. And, it seems from his call, that God had not. In fact, God was so convinced that even when Jonah ran, when he
Hello-Goodbye Sermon series - May 9, 2021
Isaiah 43What do you think of when you hear the word discipline? Is it a positive thing? Or a negative thing? Or a neutral thing? It likely depends on how you were raised. Was discipline a threat? “Just wait ‘til your father gets home.” A spanking or a belt? Added chores? Lost privileges? Time out? Being grounded? It’s likely that among us we represent all those things and more. And it’s likely our notions of discipline probably carry a negative connotation, which then influences how we hear this passage about God’s discipline. It’s also likely that whatever church we grew up in (if we grew up in one) influenced how we understand God (did they talk about God
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Current Church News
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National Day of Prayer May 7th, 2026
Join us as we partner with the Moscow Interfaith Association for the National Day of Prayer on May 7th, 2026. We will be joined by many different faiths and traditions at the Moscow First United Methodist Church at 7pm. Everyone is welcome!
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Neighborhood Theatre Presents "Our Town"
Mark your calendars for Our Town, a benefit staged reading for Family Promise – May 3, 2pm!
Heralded as “the greatest American play ever written,” three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thornton Wilder’s Our Town shows us that even the most ordinary life, is an extraordinary thing indeed.
Synopsis: set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners (a closeknit community much like our beloved Moscow) between 1901 and 1913, the play is divided into three acts: an ordinary day, a wedding, a death. The story follows two neighboring families, the Webbs and the Gibbs, and their children who grow up together, fall in love, and are married ‘until death do them part’ (act 3).
Please join us, The Neighborhood Theatre, for a staged reading of this thought-provoking and heartfelt classic. The production is FREE though donations are welcome with all proceeds benefiting Family Promise hosted at Moscow First United Methodist Church. Bonus: with any donation amount, folks will be entered into a raffle for a beautiful handmade quilt generously provided by local artisan Sue Anderson.
When & Where: Sunday, May 3, 2pm @ Moscow First United Methodist Church
Who’s invited: EVERYONE! ALL congregations that collaborate for Family Promise and any friends, family, neighbors, etc. are most welcome so please spread the word! This event is intended as a celebration of our work together and a show of gratitude to our Family Promise partners.
Please note… The whole event will last up to 3 hours. There will be two intermissions, including one longer break with light refreshments provided. While the script is appropriate for all ages, the length and complexity of topics (marriage; death) may be challenging for some younger viewers.
Get Directions
Sunday morning parking at the church is available in the high school parking lot on Third Street across from the church and in the city lots west of the church. These lots are available only on Sunday mornings. A small lot for handicapped parking is available just off of Adams Street on the north side of the church, with an accessible entrance directly into the sanctuary. A lift operates between the Fellowship Hall (3rd Street level) and the Sanctuary. William Sound System Receivers and Headsets are available to assist with hearing problems.
322 East Third Street
Moscow, ID 83843
Church Mission
The First United Methodist Church of Moscow, Idaho takes as our mission to be the body of Jesus Christ, ministering to a community which draws strength from its diversity. Our mission centers on the worship of God, expressed through varied forms of prayer, preaching, music, and ritual. See more...