Westminster Podcast
Westminster Podcast
Senior Sunday | The Graduating Class of 2026 preaching | 05.03.26
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Our gospel reading today is John 14, verses 1 through 14. Hear the word of God. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak of my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. But if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
SPEAKER_03It is not every day that your bus breaks down in on the side of the road in the middle of Taysville, Virginia, at 8 p.m. after driving for hours from Nashville that day. It is also not every day that you get to explore a sketchy hotel with a random assortment of new church friends before being told by the police that he wouldn't even let his dog stay there overnight. Well, although this doesn't happen often, it happened to me and our West Virginia mission trip group. Some might think that the first two days we spent waiting in a less shady hotel for the bus to be fixed so that we could continue on to Panther, West Virginia, had me doubting my faith and my decision to come on this trip. But really that is not the case at all. As soon as we arrived at the hotel around midnight, we had a group worship session and my attitude was fully flipped around. The trip leaders, Adam, Nathan, and Stephanie, persevered through this inconvenience and turned to God to help them figure out what to do and to keep our group from falling apart. Seeking God's comfort and having the familiarity of my mom and sister there helped assure me that things would work out. This was a key example of how faith is consistency and God is our rock and refuge. Instead of letting our hardships deter us, we turned to God on a random night at a random hotel and found strength and reassurance through Him and each other. In the passage, Psalm 31, it says, Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. You are indeed my rock and my fortress. For your name's sake, lead me and guide me. This passage perfectly sums up how we turn to God as our refuge and our situation on our mission trip, but is also applicable to many more and more common aspects of life. The first thought that comes to my mind when I think of consistency is running. And I think it is a good comparison for the importance of consistency and faith as well. I go to camp every summer for five weeks, and since it is right before cross-country season starts, I have to wake up every morning to run before everyone else wakes up for breakfast. I actually think that every single morning this summer when my alarm went off for me to run, I almost turned it back off and went back to sleep. I say almost, but I did honestly do this several times. Other than those times where I chose rest, I got up, tied my shoes, and set off down the camp road. Every single morning without fail, when I would finish my runs, I would feel refreshed, ready for the day, but also much closer to God. I have always felt God's presence when I'm outside, whether I'm exercising or just relaxing. Seeing the beauty of God's creation always brings me peace and contentment. Just how it is important to be consistent and run every day, even if I don't feel like it, I have learned that it is also important to be consistent in your faith. It is easy to get into the routine of only thinking about God and Christianity on Sundays when we are at church, just like it is easy to turn off your alarm in the early morning. In the past couple years, I have learned that I can find God in every single day. Whether it is a run outside, a Friday morning with my small group, my favorite song coming on, a prayer, or sitting in the pews listening to the sermon, I can feel steady and consistent in my faith. Just as God has steadfast love for us, we can have steadfast love and faith in Him. Another memory from West Virginia was talking to Barbara and Bill, two amazing people who lived in Panther and who we were building a front porch for. These two people were the quintessence of consistent faith, and it was truly inspiring to listen to their stories. They had so much hardship but also so much joy in their lives, and they had such a deep and personal relationship with God that was evident through the way they spoke and their kind and selfless actions. It is such a gift to be able to speak about your beliefs with others around you, and I'm so glad that I've been lucky enough to be able to do this. Although I believe everyone's relationship with God is different, it is so eye-opening and reassuring to share your faith with others and really helps you feel connected to them. As we seniors go off to college in just a couple months, there is another line from Psalm 31 that I think we should all keep in mind. My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. As we go through change and uncertainty, it is so comforting to know that God is there for us to support us and guide us and that our times are in his hands. I hope we all remember that faith isn't just for Sundays, and that no matter where you are, whether it's a sketchy hotel in Tazewell, Virginia, or getting angry at your alarm in the early morning, God is with you.
SPEAKER_00Been going to Westminster since I was in third grade, and during my time here, I've played churchfall, spent time in a small group with the amazing Mr. Wade, and uh caused some trouble for the youth leaders. I apologize, Adam. When I was younger, my dad gave me what he called the trick to an easy life. Whenever my mom told me to do something, just say yes, ma'am, and do it. If I did just that, he assured me that my life would be quite easy. To my dad, he had just given me the golden ticket to the freedom that every teenage boy craves. All I had to do was say yes, ma'am, do it, put a smile on my face, and proceed to do the bare minimum. To the mind of a teenage boy, however, this concept was a little more complex. I would have to suppress my stubborn desire to be right, to do things my own way, and to sub and I would have to submit myself to my mother's ultimate authority. Even if what she wanted of me hampered my personal ambitions. So, as I'm sure you can imagine, I did not make life easy on myself. I put off chores, missed curfews, and made my life quite difficult. But this is not a story of my life. Let's take a step back and consider the story we just heard of Stephen. In the face of being stoned to death, he turns and tells the Sanhedrin, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. In the face of death, Stephen shares the good news. Jesus rose from the dead to take the weight of our sins, accept him as the Lord and Savior. He gives the leaders the opportunity to believe. But what do they do? They cover their ears and rush at him and stone him. To any lay person reading this text with no context of Christianity, these people have an easy choice. They are given the perfect opportunity to save themselves before committing an evil crime. Why not drop to their hands and knees saying, Lord, I believe? Why not just make life easy on themselves and say, Yes, ma'am, and do it? Instead, they choose the hard path. They make life more difficult for themselves. They are given the perfect chance to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but they say, No, stone this man. A lay person cannot comprehend why they make such a choice. I mean, after all, didn't Pascal say you might as well believe? If it's a betting game, God's got the winning ticket. But the reality is, what no lay person can understand, is that being a Christian is not just as simple as checking a box. Boom, done. I will see you in heaven whenever you are ready, God. Faith is a journey. There are highs, lows, plateaus. Just when you think you have it figured out, God throws you a curveball you cannot adjust to. Or so you think. The truth is that yes, he throws you a curveball. But that is only because he wants to help you adjust to it. To get through it with you. God has a plan for you. He wants to see us develop the courage as Christians to be like Stephen. In the face of death, use final strength to beg of forgiveness for the enemy. When he had said this, he died. I know, however, that many more times I act like the Sanhedrin. I cover my ears and rush forward because my ambition is too great. I will not fold and say, yes, man, and do it. Instead, I will do it how I see fit. But every time, at the end of the day, even though she may be upset, hurt, or disappointed, my mom is standing with her arms wide open, waiting to give me a hug and tell me she loves me. In a similar way, God wants us to come to him and repent, to accept the forgiveness that Stephen pleaded for, and that Jesus Christ died for. As imperfect beings, we humans make mistakes. We are full of sin. And unlike dealing with my mother, there is no easy path to being a Christian. It is hard to choose not to cover one's ears and rush forward when the world wants you to. But those are the tough decisions that God wants us as Christians to make. So, Westminster, I urge you to uncover your ears and follow God.
SPEAKER_02My name is Evelyn McKay. Between school, sports, spending time with friends, and everything in between, it often feels as though there was always something to be done or another place to be. But I'm lucky enough that in my family, once a week the rush has stopped. Homework and chatter take a pause at five o'clock on Sundays to share a meal with cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and everyone in between. What was once a time to choreograph dances, make s'mores, and play woofball games is now more of a moment for conversation, to hear about dances, games, and trips, a time carved out of the week to take interest in each other's lives and stay connected. It is the consistency of this tradition and the relationships that I have strengthened over the past 15 years that has had the greatest impact. Even when homework or dinner plans felt more urgent, it has always been an anchor in my week, a comfort. John 14, verses 1 through 14 explores what we do when what is known and is comfortable is suddenly changing. The chapter comes just after the Last Supper, when Jesus has revealed that he will soon leave the disciples, adding that one of the disciples will betray him. At this moment, there is a lot of fear and uncertainty amongst the disciples as their entire world is about to be changed. Jesus understands their troubles and fears and offers words of comfort and support in this piece of scripture. The scripture begins with Jesus saying, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. This reminds the disciples that although their journey may be difficult and trying at some point, by putting their faith in God, they will be able to endure these challenges and navigate this change. After Jesus' initial reassurances, Thomas asks, Lord, we do not know where we are going. How can we know the way? Without knowing where Jesus is going, how will they know where to meet him? The path ahead isn't always certain or easy, and it can be difficult to have faith when you do not know where to go next. As seniors, we find ourselves on the brink of what will be for many the biggest change that we have ever experienced. We will move cities and states and learn to navigate life on our own. We will not be able to know exactly where we are going or what the future holds. And this uncertainty is scary. Jesus knows this. He sees that his disciples are worried, and he reminds Thomas and the other's disciples, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. The road ahead will be rocky, have unexpected twists and turns, but by maintaining faith in Jesus, we will be able to endure whatever may come. Jesus tells the disciples that this way that they are looking for is not a well-marked path, but rather the way is Jesus and their relationship with him. In just a few short months, the Sunday evening tradition that has anchored my week for years will soon have to be replaced with new traditions. All this change coming so quickly will be challenging, especially because it means leaving what we've become accustomed to, what feels comfortable. But as we move away and take our next steps, it is these relationships that we have built within the congregation, our families, and with Jesus that will continue to support us and help us find our way.