Not against religion

I just can’t take it anymore. The next time I hear someone say “Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship,” well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I won’t remain silent any more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve said this myself! I’ve said lots of things. only some of them have been

Thoughts and Prayers

Over the years, I have gotten to the place where I don’t blog in a reactionary way as I once did. But the school shooting in Florida last week has gotten me thinking. Ok, that’s not exactly right. The Parkland High school shooting has gotten me praying and thinking – trying to find something to do

Loving Las Vegas

I’ve never been to Vegas, but after the mass shooting there last night, they’ve been on my mind and heart this morning. Enough that I posted this to Facebook this morning: Praying for #LasVegas, and for a country that can seemingly agree on nothing except that we should pray. Maybe that’s the best place to

Does God agree with you? with me?

In the face of all the many disagreements, and further, in the face of what seems to be a lack of ability to communicate in civil and well-intentioned ways, I thought this morning of these words from Isaiah 55:8-9 My plans aren’t your plans,     nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

Which world do you live in?

What is our product?

Sermon #5 in our Branded Series. This sermon concludes the series. “If I only had a brain….” That’s the earworm that Lee Swann stuck me with last Sunday. Thank you! Maybe now you’ve got it playing over and over, too. If so, you’re welcome! I remember growing up watching “The Wizard of Oz,” by Frank

STOP looking at Jesus!

This picture did it. Threw me across the line I’ve been toeing for several days, if not weeks. Seems pretty harmless, right? Maybe even encouraging? Even if you realize, as I did the moment I saw it, that this is a picture of Barry Gibb, one of the Bee Gees. Today we celebrate the Ascension.  The

The Hatefulness of not playing favorites

I’m a terrible person.  Or so I am tempted to believe as a result of a phone conversation that ended a few minutes ago. Of course, I can think of all kinds of reasons he was wrong, but all  of these reasons are playing less loudly right now than the reminder of his voice. “So,

W’s Qs #2

Part of John Wesley’s genius, as the founder of the Methodist Movement, was the way he organized to make disciples.  He established small groups everywhere he went.  When these small groups met, they would go through a list of questions at each meeting. The questions were designed to guide the group members into a deeper

You Don’t Preach Right!

“You didn’t begin your sermon with the reading of the scripture text. You are always supposed to read the scripture as the beginning of your sermon.” This is a very close approximation to something a colleague of mine was told recently.  This colleague is soon to go before the Board of Ordained Ministry for commissioning