Pastor's Midweek Message

January 11, 2026

Sisters and brothers,

What a wonderfully Spirit-filled worship we had this weekend. I praise God for showing up so powerfully for so many people! If you missed it, be sure to watch our service on Facebook. Kathy Mitchell commented the week before about how wonderful it was to sit as the lay reader, and see everyone’s faces as they come for Communion; I know exactly what she means, and this week, everyone was touched by being able to come forward and remember their baptisms in the waters. God is moving in a powerful way here at BHUMC, all you had to do was be here to see it.

For this week’s message, though, I wanted to pick up on another theme we talked about this weekend. At Jesus’ baptism, we have the whole of the Trinity present: God the Father speaks words of love over Jesus, the son, who is at the Jordan River, while the Holy Spirit as a dove comes to alight on him. This is special, and unique in scripture, for the whole of the Trinity to show up at once. I wonder if we’re meant to pay special attention, then?

Well, what are we to pay attention to? Jesus’ baptism, certainly; his anointing as the Spirit-bearer as he begins his ministry, sure. But I wonder as well if the Father’s words are especially compelling. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels, the Father introduces Jesus as his son, whom he then calls, “the beloved.” The same Greek word is used in all three, “ho agapaytos.” Do you see in there the root word, “agape”? The selfless, self-giving love of God?

Believe it or not, God speaks that same word over you. Yes, you. You, too, are beloved of God—and not merely beloved, but “agapaytos,” loved with a selfless love, a love without agendas, a love without strings attached...a perfect love, in other words.

Someone recently asked me what was the biggest lesson from five years in seminary. For me, it wasn’t the Greek or the Hebrew, it wasn’t the Wesleyan theology or even comparative modern religions. The biggest stretch for me was in my Spiritual Formation classes, which I loved—but they pushed me, spiritually, every single time. And most of that push was around the question of, “Do you recognize your own belovedness?”

I think that was a focus for us because it’s a danger for pastors—that we’re the ones always loving others (heck, it’s a core part of the job), but do we ever recognize our own belovedness? And then I think further, it’s not that much of a stretch to say it’s a danger for all of us. Because I think we’re all naturally wired to want to love others, to see the “agapaytos” in others...but we struggle, perhaps, with seeing ourselves that same way.

But you are. I am. We are all beloved, and simply because we are, not because of anything we’ve done. That’s the lesson of the Father’s words of love at the very start of Jesus’ earthly ministry—that our belovedness exists independent of our achievements. It’s a lesson some of us recovering Type-A personalities still need to learn, some days. Nevertheless, it’s true, and the truth of it becomes the starting place for some very powerful changes that can happen in us, and in our world. It’s a lesson I pray we can all learn, and then live into. How about we start today?

So let’s go.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Eric