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. 3d ago

    The Grace of a Reset

    As summer winds down and Labor Day passes, Pastor James Henry explores the idea of the "reset" — those natural turning points in the calendar (a new school year, a new Christian year, a new calendar year) that invite us to look honestly at our lives and consider what needs to change. James shares a personal story about building a Centering Prayer habit ten years ago, and how missing a day doesn't mean starting over — it means asking what you learned and trying again, without turning the slip into another reason for self-criticism. He connects this to Jesus's invitation to the disciples to "come and follow me" — not a one-time decision, but a daily choice that itself is an ongoing reset. In this episode: Why Labor Day (and other calendar markers) function as natural reset pointsHow to build a new habit without weaponizing failure against yourselfA personal story about starting a Centering Prayer practiceWhy following Jesus is a daily reset, not a one-time decisionAn invitation to identify what you want to reset this fall

    The Grace of a Reset

  2. Sep 3

    Good Is Enough

    In this week's Dulin Weekly Moment, Pastor James Henry gets refreshingly honest: he re-recorded this episode because he wasn't satisfied with his first take — and then caught himself in the very perfectionism he's about to talk about. That moment becomes the doorway into a reflection on one of the most common ways discipleship gets derailed: not by unbelief, but by the paralyzing pursuit of perfect. James points out that Aramaic, the language Jesus actually taught in, has no word for "perfect" in the Platonic sense we've inherited. Instead, it carries ideas of fullness, wholeness, completion, and healing. "Be perfect as God is perfect" may be better heard as "be whole as God is whole." Drawing on the Genesis creation account — where God repeatedly calls creation "good," never "perfect" — and speaking as a self-described "recovering perfectionist," James invites listeners to trade the paralysis of perfectionism for the freedom of doing their best and trusting God to close the gap. He's candid about his own Wesleyan vow toward perfection in love, and why that's a very different thing from flawlessness. If you've ever been stuck reworking something because of one small imperfection, or beaten yourself up for not measuring up to an impossible standard, this episode offers a gentle, theologically grounded permission slip: strive for excellence, but let good be good enough. In This Episode Why James re-recorded this episode — and what that taught him about perfectionismThe Aramaic roots of "perfect" — wholeness, fullness, healing, not flawlessnessWhat Genesis 1 actually says about creation (hint: never "perfect")Wesleyan "perfection in love" vs. Platonic perfectionismHow perfectionism paralyzes discipleship and serviceTrusting God to bridge the gap between your best and what's neededAn invitation to reach out if perfectionism is something you're wrestling with

    Good Is Enough

  3. Aug 27

    Stories

    In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry closes out the "Be Like Jesus" series with an invitation: tell more stories. Rather than answering hard questions with flat declarations, Jesus consistently taught through story — and James unpacks two of the most striking examples in scripture. First, the parable of the Good Samaritan, told in response to the question "who is my neighbor?" — a story built specifically to disarm its first-century audience by making the most despised person in the room the hero. Then, the story of the prophet Nathan confronting King David after his affair with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah — a story so effective it got David to convict himself before he realized what was happening. James reflects on why storytelling — not just declaration or debate — is often the more faithful, more disarming, and more human way to communicate what we believe, and invites listeners to try telling more stories about how they arrived at their own convictions. A brief weekly reflection from Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, on faith, community, and everyday discipleship. 📩 Have a topic you'd like covered in a future episode? Email James at pastor@dulinchurch.org

    Stories

  4. Aug 20

    Like Jesus: Ask Good Questions

    In this week's Dulin Weekly Moment, Pastor James Henry continues the "Like Jesus" series with a look at something Jesus did constantly throughout the Gospels: asking good questions. Rather than always answering directly, Jesus often turned a question back on the person asking — inviting them into their own discovery rather than handing over a ready-made answer. James reflects on what it means to follow that same pattern in everyday faith and relationships. He draws a parallel to the early stages of any close relationship — how the simple, sometimes "inane" questions we ask when getting to know someone are really how we begin to understand who they are. He applies that same posture to prayer, sharing how he brings his own big, unresolved questions honestly to God rather than rushing past them for comfort. At the heart of this reflection is a reframe of what faith actually asks of us: not certainty, and not a stockpile of tidy answers, but a willingness to sit with the questions — about who God is, who we are, and how we're meant to live in relationship with each other. As James puts it, a life well lived may be a life well questioned. In This Episode: Why Jesus so often responded to questions with more questionsHow curiosity builds deeper relationships — with people and with GodBringing honest, unresolved questions into prayer without rushing to resolve themWhy faith rooted in ongoing questions can be more durable than faith built on fixed answersAn invitation to reach out with your own questions or topic ideas for future episodes

    Like Jesus: Ask Good Questions

  5. Aug 13

    Be Like Jesus: Enjoy Your Life

    In this week's Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry continues the "Like Jesus" series by exploring a side of Jesus that often gets overlooked: his capacity for joy and enjoyment of life. From attending dinner parties to turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana, Jesus modeled a faith that wasn't only about seriousness and sacrifice — it included genuine delight in food, friendship, and celebration. James reflects on how observing Jesus was central to discipleship for the original followers, and how that same practice applies to us today. He weaves in a personal story about rediscovering the joy of reading during a recent trip, and connects it to the wider cultural epidemic of loneliness, making the case that gathering with others and savoring ordinary pleasures is itself a spiritual practice. The episode closes with a meditation on eternity beginning now — the idea that fully inhabiting the present moment, with all its play, rest, and connection, is itself a taste of the eternal life Jesus promised. In This Episode: Why Jesus attended dinner parties and weddings — and what it teaches us about discipleshipThe story of Jesus turning water into wine at Cana of Galilee (John 2)How observing Jesus' daily life shaped how the disciples followed himA reflection on loneliness and the importance of gathering with othersWhy "balance" may be the wrong goal — and what to pursue insteadHow enjoying the present moment connects to eternity

    Be Like Jesus: Enjoy Your Life

  6. Aug 6

    Like Jesus: Pause

    In this episode of the Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry launches a new series called "Like Jesus," exploring how the practices and postures of Jesus can shape everyday discipleship. This week's focus: the pause. James turns to John 8, the story of the woman caught in adultery, where religious leaders bring her before Jesus and demand judgment under the law. Rather than answering immediately, Jesus kneels and writes in the dirt — a deliberate pause before he speaks. James reflects on what that moment reveals: not passivity, but restraint born of intention. Jesus may well have felt anger at how the woman was being used as a prop in an argument, but he chose to respond rather than react. From there, James offers practical, everyday ways to practice the same kind of pause — taking a breath, counting to yourself, naming that you're not ready to respond, or simply stepping away from a conversation until you can return to it with clarity. He's honest that this isn't always easy, and that sometimes patience runs thin. But the invitation stands: when we pause long enough to notice what's underneath our anger — hurt, fear, defensiveness — we create space to respond the way Jesus did, in a way that disarms rather than escalates. This is a short, practical word for anyone who's ever said something in the heat of the moment they wished they could take back — and a gentle nudge toward a more intentional way of engaging conflict, news, and difficult conversations. In This Episode The launch of the "Like Jesus" series on the Dulin Weekly PodcastJohn 8 and the story of the woman caught in adulteryWhy Jesus paused before responding — and what that pause accomplishedPractical ways to pause: breathing, counting, naming your limits, taking a breakHow pausing helps you recognize anger, hurt, or defensiveness for what they areAn invitation to practice presence over reactivity in daily life

    Like Jesus: Pause

  7. Jul 30

    Like Jesus: Be Where You Are

    In this episode of the Dulin Weekly Podcast, Pastor James Henry launches a new series exploring what it looks like to follow the "Jesus model" of everyday discipleship. He begins with a practice that sounds simple but proves surprisingly hard: being fully present where you are. Drawing on Gospel stories of Jesus stopping for Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus, James explores how our minds constantly wander — on autopilot in conversations, in prayer, even while driving — and what it takes to truly listen, both to the people in front of us and to our own bodies. He shares honest moments from his own pastoral life, including the pull to greet a first-time visitor while someone else has stopped him to talk, and invites the Dulin community to call him out when he seems distracted. It's a practical, personal look at presence as a spiritual practice modeled by Jesus himself. In This Episode: Launching a new series on practices Jesus modeled for everyday discipleshipWhy "being where you are" is harder than it sounds — autopilot minds in conversation, prayer, and drivingHow Jesus was fully present with people like Zacchaeus and BartimaeusListening to others without listening "in order to respond"Listening to your own body — tension, tiredness, hunger — as a form of presenceA candid, personal example from Sunday mornings at DulinAn invitation for the congregation to call James out when he seems distracted

    Like Jesus: Be Where You Are

  8. Jul 23

    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
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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
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 James Henry
  • Show Website
    Dulin Weekly Podcast