What are you looking for? As a new year begins, this Epiphany sermon invites us to sit with that question alongside the Magi—outsiders, seekers, and learners who followed a star into the unknown. Drawing on Matthew 2:1–12, this reflection explores the social and political realities of Jesus’ world, the courage it takes to keep searching in the face of fear and power, and the surprising truth that God often meets us beyond the paths we already know. The Magi encounter both grace and resistance along the way—but their search is not deterred, and their lives are changed.
Today on The Momologian, we’re stepping into the Advent story through the eyes of someone who rarely gets the microphone — Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Her story is one of silence that startles, promises that unsettle, and a peace that arrives not because the world is calm, but because God shows up right in the middle of the storm.
In this episode, we’ll explore what it means to carry hope in a world that feels occupied by fear, to trust God when nothing makes sense, and to discover a peace that isn’t fragile or passive — a peace that finds us even before we feel ready to receive it.
If you’ve ever wondered where peace is supposed to live when life feels uncertain… if you’ve ever held both joy and trembling in the same breath… if you’re longing for a reminder that God’s shalom still breaks into weary places — this one’s for you.
This week we begin the Advent season with a question at the heart of our hope: “What child is this?” Not a sentimental Christmas card version of Jesus, but the Christ who enters a world that feels—then and now—like the book of Lamentations: weary, anxious, grieving, longing for something better. In this episode, we explore how the birth of Jesus interrupts the shadow of empire with a defiant flicker of hope, and why Advent invites us not to escape the world’s pain but to look for God breaking into it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the news, exhausted by uncertainty, or wondering how hope fits into this moment of history, this message is for you. Let’s begin our journey into Advent together.
On this Thanksgiving and Reign of Christ Sunday, we turn to Isaiah’s breathtaking vision of a world made new — a world where joy overflows, children thrive, elders flourish, and peace is not imagined but lived. In a time when many of us feel weary, scattered, or discouraged, this sermon invites us to see gratitude not as sentiment, but as spiritual resistance — a way of proclaiming that despair will not have the final word. Standing on the threshold of Advent, we explore how God is already planting seeds of new creation in the midst of our uncertainty, and how practicing gratitude helps us join Christ in building a world of justice, compassion, abundance, and joy.
On this All Saints Sunday, Rev. Alicia Vélez Stewart invites us into the thin space between heaven and earth — where memory, grief, and hope intertwine. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 5:1–8, she reflects on Paul’s image of our earthly lives as “tents” — temporary, fragile, yet sacred places where God chooses to dwell.
Through the wisdom of John Wesley and the witness of generations who have gone before us, this episode explores what it means to live as saints in our own time — not waiting for perfection, but daring to embody resurrection right here and now.
In this week’s Holy Ghost Story, we find ourselves at the edge of town — staring up at a house everyone thought was abandoned. The windows are dark, the air is still, and the stories say it’s haunted. But what if it’s not haunted by something to fear… but by the Spirit of God, still waiting to breathe life into what’s been forgotten?
Inspired by Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, The House of Dry Bones is a story about renewal, courage, and faith in the face of desolation. It reminds us that what feels lifeless can still be revived, that God’s breath can still move through our communities, and that sometimes, resurrection begins when we find the courage to open the door.
This episode invites us to see our faith, our churches, and even our weary hearts as places still haunted — not by ghosts of the past, but by the lingering presence of a living, loving God.
In this week’s Holy Ghost Story, we step into the crowded streets of Philippi, where a woman with a sacred gift dares to speak the truth too loudly. Her voice, filled with divine clarity, cuts through the noise — but her courage comes at a cost. Paul and Silas find themselves swept up in the aftermath of her silencing, imprisoned for disrupting a system built on profit and power. Yet even in the darkness of that prison cell, the Spirit refuses to stay quiet. Chains break. Hearts change. The gospel moves forward — through trembling voices and holy unrest. This episode invites us to listen for the voices we’ve ignored, to see the prophets we’ve overlooked, and to believe that the Spirit is still speaking — still breaking chains, still haunting the comfortable, still calling us toward freedom and truth.
This week, we follow Jesus across the water to a place no one wanted to go — the land of the tombs. It’s a chilling story of a man haunted by voices, chained and forgotten by his community… until Jesus steps ashore. In this second installment of Holy Ghost Stories, we’ll explore what happens when divine mercy meets human fear, when freedom is mistaken for danger, and when the one who was once cast out becomes the storyteller of grace. It’s a story about breaking chains, finding peace, and learning to tell what God has done for you.
It’s October — the season of cider donuts, campfires, and ghost stories. So what happens when we tell the Gospel like a story you’d hear around the fire? In this first episode of Holy Ghost Stories, we step onto the Road to Emmaus with two weary travelers, a mysterious stranger, and a table where everything changes. Hearts burn. Eyes open. And hope comes back to life. Come listen in — if you dare — to this holy ghost story that just might change how you see Christ on the road beside you.
This week on The Momologian, Rev. Alicia Velez Stewart takes on one of Jesus’ most puzzling parables — the story of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1–13. Why would Jesus tell a story where a corrupt steward is praised for being “shrewd”? Who are we supposed to root for here? And what does it mean for us as people of faith today? The parable doesn’t give us easy answers, but it does point us toward God’s grace — grace that shows up in the gray areas, grace that can transform mixed motives into acts of compassion, grace that is always good, always just, always loving. In a time when life feels increasingly complicated and uncertain, this sermon reminds us that God’s grace is steady, and that even in the messiest places of our lives, redemption and transformation are possible.
In this episode, Rev. Alicia reflects on Luke 15:1–10 and Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep and lost coin. Too often these stories have been misused to make some feel less worthy of God’s love. But the truth is, God’s joy has no hierarchy — whether your faith has been a steady walk or a winding road, you are of sacred worth. Join us as we explore what it means to be fully embraced by God’s boundless love, and how we are called to carry that joy into a divided world.
Jesus’ words about counting the cost of discipleship aren’t exactly what you’d expect for a warm, welcoming Homecoming Sunday — but they’re exactly what we need to hear. In this episode, Rev. A explores what it means to move from being fans of Jesus to true disciples, willing to risk comfort, security, and even popularity for the sake of justice, mercy, and radical love. From the crowds in first-century Judea to the vibrant, affirming community of Brunswick UMC today, this is a call to risk-taking faith — because the way of Jesus is worth it.
In a world shaken by tragedy, how do we hold on to hope and live as people of the kin-dom? In this week’s message from Luke 14:1, 7–14, Rev. Alicia Velez Stewart reflects on a dinner party with high stakes, the social games of Jesus’ time, and the radical reversal of God’s table. With honesty about grief, challenge for the status quo, and a reminder that death never has the last word, this sermon calls us to be bearers of light in the shadows.
Step into the shoes of the bent-over woman from Luke 13, hearing her story of unexpected healing and liberation at the hands of Jesus. Together, we explore how this act of compassion became a public act of resistance, revealing a love that refuses to wait when someone is suffering. Rooted in both pastoral care and prophetic challenge, this reflection invites us to live out disruptive compassion in our own communities today.
On today’s episode of Momologian, we wrestle with one of Jesus’ hardest sayings: “I came to cast fire upon the earth.” Far from words of despair, this fire is a refining call to confront injustice, resist false peace, and stand with the marginalized.
Jesus reminds us that true spiritual wealth is found not in possessions, but in generosity, watchfulness, and a life oriented toward justice and love. In today’s world of fear and distraction, we are invited to live awake and alert to God’s kingdom already among us.
This week’s message invites us to move from fear and self-protection toward deeper trust in God and connection with others. Hear Rev A speak to the parable of the rich fool, how it is a story about the illusion of self-sufficiency and calls us to live generously and courageously, building community rather than storing up for ourselves.
Jesus’ response to the disciples’ simple yet profound request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Through the Lord’s Prayer, we discover more than a set of words—we find a communal rhythm for intentional living.
It’s been a quiet few weeks here on the podcast, and that’s because I’ve been in the midst of a big transition—moving to my new appointment as pastor of Brunswick United Methodist Church in Brunswick, Maine. Today, I’m excited to share my very first sermon in this new season of ministry. We’re diving into a familiar and maybe slightly frustrating moment from the Gospel of Luke—Jesus’ visit with Mary and Martha. If you’ve ever felt torn between doing all the things and just being present, this one’s for you.
In this heartfelt message, Rev. A shares her last Sunday as pastor at Weston United Methodist Church in Weston, MA, and reflects on leading the congregation through seasons of healing, transformation, and radical welcome. Join Rev. Alicia as she closes one chapter and opens the next—with gratitude, love, and hope that the gospel continues to unfold through all of us.