Deserve — origin: “to devote oneself to the service of“ In the past few days I have heard people use the term “deserve/deserving” in troubling and distressing ways. In all cases, those identified either “deserved” something bad, or were “undeserving” of something good. In no case was the thought that […]
A question United Methodists seem to love to hate is about our rules. Are our rules, mainly delineated for us in our Book of Discipline, made to be followed or to be broken? Are rules absolute and unquestionable or are our rules evolving and bendable? Why have rules if we […]
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 […]
I was in conversation with some of my colleagues about the state of The United Methodist Church. We each took a Post-It® Note and wrote what we thought was the most pressing need/critical issue facing the church. Most of the notes were about declining numbers — not enough new members, […]
Unconditional love. It sounds holy, right and just. It is a concept embraced throughout the millennia, but with conditions. The struggle seems to come when the concept is applied to those with whom we differ, those we judge as unworthy, those we look down upon, and those we have decided […]
I know I’ve told this story before, but it fits so well with a couple of issues I am dealing with that I share it here again. In my travels, one morning I stopped for breakfast and sat in a booth near two women. When the waitress came to take […]
Though I am not overly superstitious, I DO try to pay attention to unusual coincidences. Over the last three days, I have been led, in one way or another, to look up four passages of scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20, I Corinthians 4:1-2, Ephesians 1:7-10, and 1 Timothy 3:16. Each of these […]
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 love hearing good news about the church I love, and the best news I have received in years is the return of Vance P. Ross to the leadership of Discipleship Ministries (formerly the GBOD, formerly General Board of Discipleship). Vance is one of the brightest, deepest, truly compassionate, and […]
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 […]
United Methodeviations 