The Best of Rev. Jessica Moffatt
"In Backwards!"
April 23, 2017 • Rev. Jessica Moffatt
38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
"Marvel: Rolling Stones"
April 16, 2017 • Rev. Jessica Moffatt
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
A Leap of Faith!
June 26, 2016 • Rev. Jessica Moffatt
Rev. Jessica Moffatt, a native of Tulsa, began her collegiate career at Southern Methodist University, studying music and fine arts, before graduating from the University of Tulsa with a bachelor of fine arts in public relations and communications. She continued her education at Emory University, graduating magna cum laude, with a master of divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology and was presented the John Owen Award for Excellence in Preaching. In addition, she completed the graduate degree program at the Chateau de Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland where she worked with the World Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute in the area of international church relations, addressing intercultural issues of race, violence, and poverty. Rev. Moffatt previously served at First for twelve years as Minister of Community Ministries, Executive Minister, and Preaching Associate. She was ordained with the United Methodist Church as a deacon in 1986 and as an elder in 1988. Her first appointment as senior minister was to First United Methodist Church of Bixby, where she served from 1997 to 2009, before being appointed to her most recent position as senior minister of Ardmore First United Methodist Church. Join us in welcoming Rev. Moffatt to First Methodist’s pulpit as our new Lead Pastor!