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John Wesley by William Harrington. Painting given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1871. As we stand at the threshold of 2026, the church faces not just the turning of a calendar year but a spiritual opportunity: the renewal of our covenant with God. In United Methodism this practice has a rich history and deep theological significance. It calls us beyond mere resolutions to a disciplined life of grace, obedience, and mission centered in Jesus Christ. The Heritage of the Wesley...

Every year, the Church returns to the familiar story of angels and shepherds, dreams and danger, a child laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. For many, the Christmas story is so well known that it can feel almost automatic—something we recite by habit rather than expectation. And yet, the Church insists on telling it again and again, not because we have forgotten the words, but because we continually need to remember what they mean. The Christmas story is not merely history...

The fourth Sunday of Advent invites the church to reflect on love —not as sentimentality or romance, but as costly, faithful commitment shaped by God’s presence among us. Matthew 1:18–25 offers a profound picture of this kind of love through an unexpected lens: Joseph’s dream . Joseph does not begin this story with certainty or joy. He begins with confusion, disappointment, and the slow ache of plans undone. Matthew tells us that Joseph is “a righteous man” (Matt. 1:19), meaning he is...