A Parable Imagine you’re a high school physics teacher. You go to school; you work hard to pass your exams. You get certified. You’re no Einstein, but you’re no Joe Schmo either. Yes, you had plenty of support along the way, but in the end you worked hard to earn your position. You know about physics, and you know about school. Last year, the State … Continue reading Who’s in Charge? A Church Conflict Inquiry
There’s no such thing as Christian Nationalism. What we call Christian Nationalism is a rather naked thirst for power disguised as faith. A dragon in wolves clothing. It doesn’t take much scriptural exploration to see its heretical foolishness. The Gospels describe a scene at the outset of Jesus’ public ministry in which he travels the wilderness to fast. In fasting Jesus is tempted by the … Continue reading The Charlatanry of Christian Nationalism
What’s your church kitchen like? The church kitchen at Mount Vernon is “certified”. I thought that was a bit crazy to be honest. It certainly needs to be managed to stay “certified”. Otherwise, it’s fairly standard. The refrigerator requires those wooden-wedged door-stops to keep from rolling out into the memorial garden. Lately, we’ve been eating together a lot more. It kinda began in 2024 when … Continue reading On the Church Kitchen
Ministry is a series of mundane things interrupted unexpectedly with less-than-mundane things. Sometimes the mundane and the less-than-mundane are connected. Here’s a glimpse of a Sunday of such connections. 5:15am: Alarm worked! I get to my desk, heat up the tea and review my sermon for the day. I added a story to the message, checked the other elements and made a game plan for … Continue reading A Mostly-Typical Sunday
Worked out the major hook in Sunday’s sermon. Made a video for my Instagram Reading channel (uploading in progress) Served breakfast to the local elementary school staff Ate breakfast with the men’s fellowship Joined a clergy group conversation with our local sheriff’s department Spent an hour with my counselor Worked out electrical issues toward our Pallet homes project Helped a member work out a sketch … Continue reading Today in Ministry
At New Years, I did the thing I always do: I set a very ambitious program of self-improvement. A reading schedule, a writing goal, a walking routine, a strength-training regimen, etc. Last week, I found the chart I created to track it all. I have failed at most of it. So for Lent, I just decided to focus on one thing: reducing my phone usage. … Continue reading Reducing Phone Usage: My Lent Challenge
One more reflection from my time at General Conference 2020. On Monday, April 29, we heard a moving report on Africa University. It was founded in 1994 by United Methodists as a way to lift the entire continent in a substantial way. It’s founding was a dream 100+ years in the making. Is it the last major mission project we’ve completed? I couldn’t help but … Continue reading On Africa University, a reflection from General Conference 2020/2024
One of the highlights of attending a portion of General Conference 2020/2024 was to worship with the global church. The house band was excellent, often beginning a familiar hymn then singing it in French and Korean. There were several guest musicians including a Filipino choir, a large choir from a neighboring church and several Native American delegates singing Hallelujahs in their native language and scale. … Continue reading Memorials at General Conference 2020/2024
Today, I sat in on the first day of the last week of The General Conference of the United Methodist Church 2020/2024. Last week, delegates spent time in Legislative Committees pouring over nearly 1200 petitions. Much work has been passed out of committee and passed on the floor via consent calendar; notably, many petitions relating to “regionalization” of our church passed with little resistance. Today … Continue reading Monday at United Methodist General Conference 2020/2024
Dear Church, As General Conference 2020/2024 opens in Charlotte, I wanted to share why I have hope for the church. Let me begin by saying I am a friend and lover of the church. It has taught me everything I’ve ever learned about faith, hope and love. (It has also been the venue for tremendous ugliness, but that’s for another post on another day.) Please … Continue reading Why I Have Hope for General Conference 2020/2024
