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 discipleship
• The story of Jesus turning water into wine at Cana of Galilee (John 2)
• How observing Jesus' daily life shaped how the disciples followed him
• A reflection on loneliness and the importance of gathering with others
• Why "balance" may be the wrong goal — and what to pursue instead
• How enjoying the present moment connects to eternity

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 Podcast
• John 8 and the story of the woman caught in adultery
• Why Jesus paused before responding — and what that pause accomplished
• Practical ways to pause: breathing, counting, naming your limits, taking a break
• How pausing helps you recognize anger, hurt, or defensiveness for what they are
• An invitation to practice presence over reactivity in daily life

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 discipleship
• Why "being where you are" is harder than it sounds — autopilot minds in conversation, prayer, and driving
• How Jesus was fully present with people like Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus
• Listening to others without listening "in order to respond"
• Listening to your own body — tension, tiredness, hunger — as a form of presence
• A candid, personal example from Sunday mornings at Dulin
• An invitation for the congregation to call James out when he seems distracted