This Sunday, we light the Candle of Joy and remember Mary—the young woman whose faithful “yes” made space for God to enter the world. When the angel’s message disrupted her life and filled her with questions, Mary chose to trust that God’s promise was bigger than her fear.

In a season that asks much of us, we are reminded that joy is not the absence of fear but the presence of God in the unknown. Come, beloved community—let us listen for God’s call, find courage in our questions, and say “yes” to the hope being born among us.

This Sunday, we light the Candle of Love and remember the shepherds—the ones dismissed, unseen, and uninvited—who were the first to hear heaven’s song. In a field under the stars, ordinary people were chosen to proclaim extraordinary news: ‘Emmanuel, God with us.’

God’s love reaches those on the edges and invites each of us to take our place in the story. Come and worship the One who transforms the forgotten into messengers of joy, and who meets us in the ordinary moments of our lives.

This Sunday we enter the holy season of Advent—four weeks of preparing our hearts to welcome Jesus, the Messiah, God With Us.  This year we journey alongside the people who first waited for and welcomed Christ into the world. Through their stories, we will discover anew how God is with us here and now.

We begin with Joseph, the Dutiful (Matthew 1:18–25).  The Christmas story starts with a dilemma: Mary is pregnant, and Joseph knows the child is not his. Out of duty and decency, he plans a quiet divorce. But God interrupts his dutifulness with revelation—inviting him not just to “do the right thing,” but to participate in God’s extraordinary plan.

Come join us as we enter Advent through Joseph’s faithful yes.

This week we continue exploring our Core Value of Christ—what it means to truly live and love like Jesus. Drawing from Colossians 1:11-20 and Luke 23:33-38, we’ll reflect on Christ who holds all things together and how He shapes every aspect of our lives. Indeed, our identity is forever transformed when we become His followers, leaving behind our old selves and embracing the new life He offers.  Your former pastor, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez is preaching the last session of the Core Value of Christ.  Come and join us.

This Sunday, we continue reflecting on one of our core values — Christ: striving to live and love like Jesus. In a world where self-interest often takes center stage, we turn again to the heart of our faith — the way of humility, compassion, and service revealed in Christ.

Our guest speaker, Chris Logan, will share a message based on Philippians 2:1–11, inviting us to rediscover what it means to “have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus.” Come, be inspired to live and love as Jesus did — with courage, humility, and joy.

This Sunday, we continue our series on the core values of Lake Merritt United Methodist Church. Our focus is on Christ — we strive to live and love like Jesus.

Siblings, why do you follow Jesus? What draws you to strive to live and love as he did when our world seems to be living in scarcity and fear as the federal employees are working without pay, furloughed workers are taking out bank loans to pay their bills, healthcare premiums are skyrocketing, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are at risk?

In a time when faith can feel fractured or co-opted by fear, we return to Jesus’ radical compassion and love and how he taps into God’s divinity in him. Come and join us as we seek together the way of Jesus—grounded in love, guided by grace, and open to transformation.