It was 1979, I was 13, sitting on an uncomfortable pew at church camp. The preacher, who was not much older than us, pleaded “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to […]
I read in the New York Times how a Republican Representative has proposed adding Donald Trump to Mount Rushmore. The Times pointed out a few problems with this idea. 1) It might be better to wait a few decades to let history judge who we carve into granite. 2) Mount Rushmore is a completed work […]
“Open hearts, open minds and open doors” may be the best slogan the United Methodist Church has ever had. Is not keeping our heart open to wonder, our minds open to learning and our doors open to neighbors, essential to a life of faith? How can we grow in love of God and neighbor with […]
This past week our Tennessee Western Kentucky Annual Conference met at Colliersville United Methodist Church. Our gathering was upbeat, prophetic and hopeful. Bishop David Graves remarked “The Spirit of God is moving in this place, God is doing a new thing with us. There is such a good spirit in this place, I believe if […]
Back in the days before cell phones leashed us to work, commerce, and distraction, it was easier to vacate. Connie and I used to vacation along the Outer Banks of North Carolina: Ocracoke, Salter Path and Cape Hatteras. Below the dunes, cell coverage was spotty. So after the kids drifted off to sleep, I walked […]
We stood at the front of the church, mom’s photo resting on an easel next to the small cedar box our friend Ross had made to hold her cremains. The line of people stretched out the back of the sanctuary into the vestibule. As I surveyed the line, two women in white sweatshirts stood out. […]
Congratulations graduates, you have earned your degree. Take a breath. Praise a favorite teacher. Give thanks for parents, friends, and others who have traveled this road with you. Rehearse the happy moments. Celebrate your victories and obstacles you overcame. Share your wounds, disappointments and hurts: do not walk alone. Celebrate, linger in the moment, not […]
Congratulations graduates, you have earned your degree. Take a breath. Praise a favorite teacher. Give thanks for parents, friends, and others who have traveled this road with you. Rehearse the happy moments. Celebrate your victories and obstacles you overcame. Share your wounds, disappointments and hurts: do not walk alone. Celebrate, linger in the moment, not […]
On Tuesday, as part of my Sermon prep, I counted 33 dress shirts in my bedroom closet. That is not counting a few in the laundry room, summer shirts in a big tote in our basement, and an entire wardrobe filled with t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, outdoor and farm wear. If you added in pants, jeans, […]
As a preacher, I have been guilty of being so caught up in Easter Joy that I’ve run right past the details of the resurrection story, especially the grief. Luke kind of slow-walks the resurrection story, letting the Good News move from the angel message to the breaking of bread and then through the book […]
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