The Mystery of Me | Why We Are More Than the Voices in Our Heads

In this episode the Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon reflects on what it means to live with the complicated mix of mind, body, spirit, memory, labels, expectations, and inner criticism that shape how we see ourselves. Drawing from Paul’s words in Romans, Jesus’ words in the garden, the Heidelberg Catechism, and even the familiar question, “Why do I do that?”, this message explores the struggle of being human and the comfort of knowing we are not defined by our worst thoughts, our old wounds, or the voices we have internalized along the way. At the heart of this sermon is a simple but powerful reminder: before anything else, before every label, every insecurity, every failure, and every attempt to become enough, you are beloved by God. *To support our mission to create more podcast content like this ⁠Donate using our secure portal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onrealm.org/uccmedina/-/form/give/now⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR Texting UCCMEDINA to 73256 Works Cited Paul D. MacLean, The Triune Brain in Evolution: Role in Paleocerebral Functions (New York: Plenum Press, 1990); Joseph E. LeDoux, The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Conscious Brains (New York: Viking, 2019). Daniel Rojas-Valverde et al., “Examining the Interaction between Exercise, Gut Microbiota, and Neurodegeneration: Future Research Directions,” Biomedicines 11, no. 8 (2023): 2267, ⁠https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11082267⁠; Vincenzo Monda et al., “Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects,” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2017 (2017): 3831972, ⁠https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3831972⁠. Lee C. Barrett III, trans., The Heidelberg Catechism: A New Translation for the 21st Century (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2007), 29. Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology, trans. Hazel E. Barnes (New York: Washington Square Press, 1992). Who is the Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon? The Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon serves as the senior pastor of United Church of Christ Congregational in Medina, Ohio. Prior to coming to Medina in April 2017, he was the associate pastor at Sylvania UCC in northwest Ohio. Luke earned his Doctor of Ministry through the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with an emphasis on transformational leadership in 2022. His thesis was on adaptive leadership and ecclesiology. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University. Before seminary, Luke worked as a tool and fastener sales representative and store manager for Capitol Building Supply in Washington, D.C. Luke and his wife, Kate, have two children. Luke grew up in Dennison, Ohio, and enjoys sports, music, and Dungeons and Dragons. He is a member of the UCC Next Generation Leadership Initiative.