Dulin Weekly Podcast

James Henry
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity

A weekly thought and word of encouragement from the Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia

  1. 1d ago

    You Are Someplace

    When a car delay turned into a week of walking instead of driving, Pastor James Henry discovered something worth sitting with: a car gets you somewhere, but walking reminds you that you already are somewhere. In this reflection, James traces how an ordinary inconvenience — losing access to his own car for several days — opened up unexpected encounters with neighbors, pollinator gardens, and six different Lyft drivers, each with a story of their own. He weaves these small moments into a bigger point about presence: how easy it is to treat life as a series of destinations to reach rather than places we're already standing in. Whether you're behind the wheel, walking to the grocery store, or simply moving through your day, James invites listeners to notice that the path itself — not just the arrival — is where we live out our journey alongside Jesus. You are on the path with Jesus. So is everyone else you meet along the way. In This Episode: Why a delayed car delivery became an unexpected spiritual practiceThe difference between a car that gets you somewhere and walking that reminds you you are somewhereNoticing a neighbor's pollinator garden — something invisible from behind a windshieldSix conversations with Lyft drivers and the stories they carriedReframing life as a path with Jesus, not just a destination to reach

    You Are Someplace

  2. Jul 16

    Begin with Gratitude: A Gentler Way to Enter the Day

    What if the way you start your morning could reshape your entire day? In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry of Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, shares how renewing his daily gratitude practice — noticing the aroma of coffee, the warmth of a cup in his hands, the simple gift of a new day — has grounded him in a season that had started to feel rote. James walks through his own morning ritual of naming at least ten things he's thankful for, and how that small discipline carried into a coffee gathering with local clergy, a walk to the office, and the ordinary rhythms of a Wednesday. He connects gratitude to enoughness: when we start from thankfulness, we stop grasping for more and recognize what's already ours to hold. This episode offers a gentle, practical invitation for anyone feeling spiritually depleted or stuck in autopilot — pick a number, start small, and let gratitude reshape how you receive your everyday life.

    Begin with Gratitude: A Gentler Way to Enter the Day

  3. Jul 9

    Going on to Wholeness

    What did John Wesley really mean by "perfection"? In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry unpacks one of Methodism's most misunderstood questions: "Are you going on to perfection?" Drawing on the Greek word teleios(meaning "complete" or "whole" rather than "flawless"), James explores how reframing perfection as wholeness, healing, and living from a foundation of love can transform how we understand discipleship, grace, and our own imperfect journeys. A reflective, honest look at what it means to grow in love—not flawlessness—in this life.

    Going on to Wholeness

  4. Jul 2

    Dreaming Dulin Together

    What does it look like when a church dares to dream together? In this milestone episode marking his one-year anniversary as pastor of Dulin United Methodist Church, James Henry invites the congregation into a season of collaborative vision-casting. Drawing on the prophet Joel's words about dreaming dreams and seeing visions, James reflects on a year of ministry — from the Ministry of Hope food outreach that serves over 300 people monthly, to Appalachia Service Project trips, to partnerships like Rebuilding Together and a possible collaboration with Habitat for Humanity — while looking ahead to small-group conversations and a congregation-wide survey launching this fall. Rather than dictating a top-down plan, James frames discipleship and outreach as a shared discernment process: what is the Spirit stirring up in this community, and how can everyone help "be Dulin Church" both inside the building and out in the world? A warm, forward-looking reflection on collaborative leadership, congregational vision, and what it means to grow together as the body of Christ.

    Dreaming Dulin Together

  5. Jun 25

    Connected for Good, Part 2

    What does mission really mean — and why does relationship matter as much as the work itself? In this episode of the Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry checks in from Greenbrier County, West Virginia, where he and fifteen others from Dulin United Methodist Church are serving alongside Appalachia Service Project (ASP), making homes warmer, safer, and drier for families across Appalachia. James reflects on ASP's origin story — one neighbor helping another — and how that simple act of love grew into a ministry now reaching thousands of volunteers and families each summer. He explores ASP's core identity as "a relationship ministry with construction on the side," drawing parallels to how Jesus modeled healing not through distant miracles but through personal connection — with the marginalized, the excluded, and even a Roman centurion. James shares how, time and again, it's been him who is transformed by these mission encounters, not just the homeowners being served. The episode widens out from Appalachia to ask what mission looks like at home: volunteering with Ministry of Hope, teaching Sunday school, serving coffee fellowship, tending the memorial garden. James reminds listeners that the call to "be Dulin Church wherever you are" isn't reserved for week-long trips — it's lived out in everyday acts of welcome, presence, and love for neighbor. In this episode, you'll explore: The history and mission of Appalachia Service Project (ASP)Why ASP describes itself as "a relationship ministry with construction on the side"How Jesus's ministry models relationship-centered healing and inclusionThe mutual transformation that happens in mission work — for the served and the serverPractical, local ways to live out mission at Dulin Church (Ministry of Hope, Sunday school, fellowship, hospitality)Loving God and loving neighbor as the twin center of Christian faith

    Connected for Good, Part 2

  6. Jun 18

    Connected for Good

    What does it mean to be part of something bigger than your own congregation? In this episode of the Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry reflects from afar — recorded ahead of his trip to Virginia Annual Conference at James Madison University, where he and lay delegate Alan Chin represent Dulin United Methodist Church in the wider connection of United Methodism. James unpacks the often-misunderstood structure of the United Methodist Church: how Dulin fits within the Northern Virginia District, the Virginia Annual Conference, the Southeastern Jurisdiction, and the global denomination — and why that "connectional" system matters in practical, everyday ways. From how United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) gifts get fully funded to disaster response, to how apportionments support bishops, district superintendents, missions, and United Methodist higher education, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when the wider church gathers — and why it's worth caring about even if you never attend. Drawing on over forty years of his own Annual Conference experience (starting in 1983), James shares candid reflections on holy conferencing, representative ministry, the rhythms of voting and worship, and what it feels like to watch familiar faces age, retire, and pass on within a denominational family. A reminder, in the end, that no local church stands alone. In this episode, you'll learn about: The structure of the United Methodist Church: local church, district, annual conference, jurisdiction, and general churchHow UMCOR funding works and why 100% of disaster relief gifts go where intendedThe role of lay delegates and clergy delegates at Annual ConferenceWhat apportionments fund and why they matter to local congregationsJohn Wesley's vision of "holy conferencing" and connectional ministry

    Connected for Good

  7. Jun 11

    The Tribe That Remembers

    What does it really mean to honor your father and mother? In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry of Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, takes a fresh look at one of the Ten Commandments — and finds something much deeper than childhood obedience. Drawing from his own recent experience of losing his father and caring for aging parents, James explores how this ancient command was never just about kids listening to their parents. It was a radical countercultural declaration: there are no disposable people. For anyone navigating the care of aging parents, grieving a parent's death, or wrestling with how our culture measures worth by productivity, this episode offers a grounding, compassionate perspective. The tribe that honors its elders — their wisdom, their memory, their stories — is the tribe that endures. A thoughtful, personal reflection on eldercare, intergenerational respect, and what it means to live in community across every season of life.

    The Tribe That Remembers

  8. Jun 4

    Presence Beyond Productivity

    What if your worth isn't measured by what you get done? In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry of Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, reflects on the difference between productivity and presence — and why a culture obsessed with output so easily misses what matters most. Drawing from his own practice of meditation and contemplative spirituality, James explores how learning to be fully present opens us to the beauty, relationships, and sacred moments that busy, distracted lives tend to overlook. This is a short, honest reflection for anyone feeling the weight of a never-ending to-do list, wondering if there's more to life than checking boxes. The invitation is simple but challenging: practice being fully where you are. Your value comes not from what you produce, but from the gift of who you are.

    Presence Beyond Productivity
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About

A weekly thought and word of encouragement from the Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia

Information

  • Creator
    James Henry
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 James Henry
  • Show Website
    Dulin Weekly Podcast