Twenty years ago, I was given a wonderful opportunity. A Vanderbilt seminary professor took ill and I was asked to fill in for almost five weeks in a class that explored, among other things, the liturgical year. It was one of the most freeing and enjoyable experiences of my life. […]
At what point do differences become irreconcilable? Visualize a normal bell-curve. At each extreme, there are polarized, immovable positions. Three to five percent are so committed to being right and having their own way, that they no longer engage in any interaction that might influence their opinion. These opponents are […]
Come on, people, is this any way for Christians to act? Do we live in a dangerous world? Yes. Are there people out there — of many faiths, colors, races, ethnicities, creeds, etc. — who are committed to doing harm? Yes. Are there overwhelming needs locally as well as globally? […]
I unearthed an old file from my GBOD (General Board of Discipleship; now, Discipleship Ministries) days, and I discovered an article I wrote that was never published. It focused on interviews with pastors, district superintendents, bishops, authors, and other key movers-and-shakers in The United Methodist Church, and it raised a […]
Systemic — pertaining to or affecting a whole system Ambivalence — holding two competing values in equal regard If the unexamined life is not worth living, then perhaps the unexamined institution is not worth having. And we try desperately hard not to look too closely at the institution we serve […]
Just saw Tomorrowland — the new George Clooney film (not great, but good fun, nonetheless). It triggered in me an odd reaction. I think our Council of Bishops and all the nay-saying, “gotta turn this ship around”, “death tsunami” consultants need to go see this movie and view it as […]
I always feel that I am serving some purpose when I blog and it turns out that I tick off everyone. By “weighing in” on all the talk of splitting the church (officially) I have “taken sides.” However, which side is a bit confusing and hard to determine. Consider these […]
While working for the General Board of Discipleship, I developed a resource that was never published called “Your New Appointment: The First Hundred Days.” Not a flashy title, but very descriptive. It was rejected because “it wasn’t practical.” I will outline it here and let you decide. It was predicated […]
Slowly, but surely, I am plowing through old files in a feeble attempt to clean and organize my office. This process is entering its third year, so success is a remote hope. However, I do come across some interesting artifacts as I dig through each new (old) layer. Just this […]
Okay, here it is — the answer to all our problems in The United Methodist Church. It is so simple, you probably won’t believe/accept it. It comes in two parts — the first part is fundamental conventional wisdom, the second part, not so much. It answers the question: “what is […]
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