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Where Do We Go From Here?

I don’t make it a habit to comment on every tragedy or circumstance that sends shockwaves through our country. One reason I often restrain from commenting is that there are plenty of strong, reliable voices who can say what I want to say and do it with grace and precision. A second reason is the conviction that I need to listen before speaking. Howard Thurman once urged people to search for the voice of the “genuine” rather than simply falling in love with one’s own voice. I appreciate the voice I have been given, but I want my voice to reflect something deeper than my raw emotions and immediate reactions. That’s why I’ve waited to comment on the killing of Charlie Kirk.  If you don’t know Charlie Kirk, he was a young (31 years old) political activist. Conservative in his politics and Christian in his faith, Kirk embraced the power and opportunity of freedom of speech and often took his back-and-forth dialogue/debate events to college campuses. There he would engage with young stud...

Making Disciples

Sunday evening I arrived home following a fruitful (and a bit tiring) Annual Conference. Joe represented our churches in a professional and prayerful manner.  Thanks Joe for your hard work and dedication!  This year's legislation passed without much conversation, which means that very few resolutions and petitions were of divisive subjects. Instead of turning into a weekend best described as polarizing and political, this year's Annual Conference was primarily peaceful and attentive to worship.  You might ask the question, "Did you accomplish anything this year?" And to be honest, I'm not sure how to answer that question.  Was there helpful legislation?  Yes.  Will the legislation turn into action? Maybe. Hopefully. Will that action result in vital churches and the making of disciples?  Hmm... The mission of the United Methodist Church (and thus the mission of the three local churches I serve) is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transform...

The Story- No Ordinary Man

No Ordinary Man        March 10 and 11, 2016 Scripture: Mark 5: 1-20             There’s a phenomenal story about Jesus in the Gospels that leaves his followers quite speechless. It would probably leave us speechless as well, maybe even a bit scared, but it’s an important story to know. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a storm whips up. With the wind howling and the waves crashing, the disciples run around trying to preserve their ship and save their lives, but astonishingly, Jesus is fast asleep. He must be the type of guy who can sleep through anything, even disturbing, life-threatening storms. Except this storm doesn’t seem to phase him. It phases every other person, but it does not phase him. When they finally get him awake, Jesus calmly walks to the upper level of the boat and tells the storm to calm down…and it does. The waves grow smaller, the wind dies down a...