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Christmas Eve Communion Service- December 24, 2020
Sermon
Focus on the intersection of incarnation and crucifixion and resurrection
Kneeling in Bethlehem ~Ann Weems
THE CROSS IN THE MANGER
Read more: Christmas Eve Communion Service- December 24, 2020
Advent Week 4 - December 20, 2020
Matthew 1: 22-23Sermon Catherine Lyle
(seminary student and candidate for ordained ministry)
Greetings everyone. I am honored to be with you all again as we are so very close to Christmas. Christmas comes whether we are ready or not and that reality will probably always be a fact - even if we are not in a Pandemic. This year many wait on gifts to come in the mail. Many wait on the status of their jobs and livelihood. Many children wait to return to school or have big birthday parties again. Many college students wait to return to campus. We wait for Executive branch changes that will affect our lives and shape our discussions. Many medical personnel is waiting for a time they can leave their place of work to heal and find joy again. And this year many vulnerable people wait on a vaccine that could save their life and help them to safely hug their ones again. We are pretty much sick of waiting. As the counselors, today describe these phenomena as “Covid fatigue” none of us need an expert to describe this mental season. We are tired, we are restless, we have broken hearts, and we are not ready for Christmas. Let us be honest, we may be looking forward to a home decorated with family heirlooms from special memories, we
Advent Week 3 - December 13, 2020
Christmas is NOT the same this year. And really, it should never be. And honestly, it NEVER is. Even with the same people gathered in the same house, serving the same food--it’s never actually the same. The same is an illusion. Change is a constant. In us, in our relationships, in our world. Change is everywhere and the same really doesn’t exist.
Who we were in 2019 was different than who we were in 2018. Right? Our perspective, our challenges, our motivations--all different. Some years the changes felt slight, and some moderate, but some years, the changes felt huge.
That’s the case every year.
I’m not trying to be dismissive of what’s changed this year and all we’re missing. This is a year of HUGE change and dramatic loss. I miss
Advent Week 2- December 6, 2020
Stories get truncated. They get softened. They get polished. But behind a great photo or a memorable quote is a story and behind a story is a person with feelings, opinions, doubts, and character. And behind the simplicity of this story is the real story—the story of a man full of emotion, thoughts, opinions, and character. We heard the nice version, the scripture account, with the simple telling of Joseph’s story.
We don’t know all the specifics but we can imagine ourselves in those shoes. Imagine yourself engaged—excitedly awaiting the next chapter of your life—you’re getting married. That means you could have a family. You could teach a trade. You could raise your son just like your father
Advent Week 1 - November 29, 2020
Luke 1: 5-15, 24-25, 57-60I have to be honest, for years, I have ignored Elizabeth. It hasn’t been intentional. It’s just that Zechariah reads as the center of this story. It’s about him, the holy of holies, the angel, being made mute…yeah, we skipped all those parts this time because that’s what we normally hear. But Elizabeth…not so much. I have talked about her when Mary goes to visit and stay, but not here. I’ve never spent much time listening to hear her story and her perspective. From the scriptures, we get the sense that she’s older and obviously barren. The scriptures are sure to tell us that both she and Zechariah were fully righteous before the Lord, which in biblical terms means her barrenness wasn’t a punishment for her lack of faithfulness. I know that’s the kind of theology I balk at. Of course, God isn’t punishing anyone with barrenness because they weren’t faithful. I mean, if sinfulness or unrighteousness meant you couldn’t have babies, none of us would be here, would we? I mean, our parents weren’t
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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...