Are you in it for the Long Haul?

Driving by Baylor this morning on my way to Common Grounds Coffee House, I noticed a field of yuong, recently planted oak trees.  Here is a picture of one of them.
Upon seeing this field, I remembered, for some reason, that it had once been occupied by a building. This building had once been a set [...]

We Are Missing the Point

“I hope I won’t go to hell for that,” said the teenager.
It broke my heart to hear this young woman who has grown up in the church, who is a leader and who, in all she says and does seems to “get it” still wonders in her heart if she will end up in hell.
Grace.
Jesus [...]

A Different View without Control

As I like to do in most cities I visit these days, while I was in Nashville I checked out the public transportation.  Nashville MTA was efficient, on-time, and clean.  The drivers I met were friendly and eager to help me and others with our questions..
As I waited at one bus stop, traffic was thick.  [...]

Healing Drought

What’s the best way to water your lawn?
The American Lawns website recommends 3/4 to 1 inch of water per week, and applying it “as infrequently as possible.”
I’ve known this for some time and have been practicing this summer.  We try to limit watering any part of our yard to once per week, and watering deeply [...]

More Thoughts from Memorial Day

It didn’t help that I read Mark Kurlansky’s Nonviolence over the Memorial Day weekend.  I recommend the book. Yes, some of you would slough it off as revisionist; I had that mindset for the first several pages.  But he tells a compelling story of a different way to look at war and politics.
I was reminded [...]

Addicted Land?

As I’ve probably shared here already, Rachel and I gave up meat for Lent this year.  It was a very interested time for us; Rachel has barely gone back to eating meat, and I am eating far less than I used to.
I posted a facebook status Tuesday afternoon that I hadn’t “eaten meat since Sunday [...]

Rohr Roars Like a Lamb

I have committed myself to joy. I have come to realize that those who make space for joy, those who prefer nothing to joy, those who desire the utter reality, will most assuredly have it. We must not be afraid to announce it to refugees, slum dwellers, saddened prisoners, angry prophets. Now and then we [...]

If I would have preached…

Yesterday I took a very rare sick day.  I woke up  not feeling very well.  I expected it might pass in time for me to preach, but I have an excellent intern from Perkins School of Theology, so I called him in, with 1 1/2 hours notice, to preach for me.
All reports are that he [...]

Making Disciples AND Transforming the World

As I’ve already shared, the United Methodist Church has adopted a new mission statement: “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The decision to adopt this happened Tuesday, April 29th.
At least twice since then, I’ve heard reference made to the “dual purposes” of the church. Sometimes these are [...]