As we all know, religious leaders find themselves in difficult positions when it comes to endorsing specific candidates for public office. Officially, the non-profit tax status of the communities that they serve can be put at risk when the leader fails to distinguish between a personal opinion and an official teaching of the church. … Continue reading The Non-Endorsement Endorsement
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By Water And The Spirit — The Spirit
This is sermon 4 of a 4 part series on baptism During the past four weeks, we have been talking about baptism. We have looked that our call by God found in the midst of the waters, a call which proclaims us as beloved by God and sends us forth to share that love throughout … Continue reading By Water And The Spirit — The Spirit
No Peeking . . . especially you NPR
Remember what I said in October? Okay, I barely remember what I said in October, so there is no reason that you should. Back then I was ranting away on the unhealthiness of the Britney Spears obsession. I suggested her mental status was such that we should avoid buying her albums and continuing to put … Continue reading No Peeking . . . especially you NPR
Communications: Making Connections in a Media Literate World — Part 2
Developing a Communications Plan: 3 Questions Basic communication is an encoding and decoding process. We arrive at a thought or concept and want to share it with another. We have to encode that thought into some form (a medium) that is transmitted to the other. That person then has to decode the information from that … Continue reading Communications: Making Connections in a Media Literate World — Part 2
Attention All Classic Rock Fans
Amazing Young Organ Player Rocks Out - Watch more free videos Is there any chance I can get this girl to play organ in our church?
By Water & The Spirit: The Initiation
Editor's Note: This is the third in a series on baptism in the United Methodist tradition. “If you want to be in the club, here’s what you have to do…” Have you ever heard these words? Surely, at some time in your life, you have stood in front someone and been asked to do something … Continue reading By Water & The Spirit: The Initiation
By Water & the Spirit: The Call
Editor's Note: This is the second sermon in a series on baptism in the United Methodist tradition. Have you gotten the call yet? It’s a question that we ask often, in many different contexts. Teenage girls and boys inquire of each other about whether so and so has called them yet, asking them out on … Continue reading By Water & the Spirit: The Call
By Water & The Spirit: Remembering Our Baptism
Editor's Note: This is the first in a four part sermon series on baptism in the United Methodist tradition. One of my favorite pleasures in the world is to rent a canoe or an inflatable kayak and head down a river. For me, there is nothing more enjoyable than being on the water, and letting … Continue reading By Water & The Spirit: Remembering Our Baptism
Two Dangerous Words
I sometimes wonder if the two most dangerous words for the Kingdom of God aren't:"I need..." "I want to give to you disciples," Annanias said, "...but I need to hold some back for myself." "I want to promote racial reconciliation in the church, but I need a place that meets my needs in worship." "Yes … Continue reading Two Dangerous Words
Communications: Making connections in a media literate world — Part 1
Defining Communications During the past thirty years of being involved with communications and technology in the church I have seen a consistent trend. Invariably some new technology will come along -- be it video, blogging, or something esoteric -- and every leader in the church who thinks that they are half way hip wants to … Continue reading Communications: Making connections in a media literate world — Part 1
Bye Fred
NAPLES, Fla. - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.ADVERTISEMENT"Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson … Continue reading Bye Fred
An Ode To the Beautiful Fool
Martin Luther who did you think that you were?Appointed by some higher upMerely mortal, your plans were unaffordableNo one wants to pay for love Oh you beautiful foolSwimmin up stream, kickin' up wavesDreams weren't meant to come trueThat's why they call 'em dreamsOh you beautiful fool Walter Cronkite pre-empted Disney one nightAnd all us kids … Continue reading An Ode To the Beautiful Fool
Bye Pedro
Metro Schools Director Pedro Garcia will get a year's pay — $216,000 — and money for unclaimed sick and vacation days to walk away from his job after 6½ years.The school board unanimously voted Saturday to release Garcia from his contract, which doesn't expire until 2010. Chris Henson, the district's chief financial officer, was named … Continue reading Bye Pedro
TULIP Blooming
That secret may already be out. Although only 10 percent of SBC pastors identify themselves as Calvinists, nearly 30 percent of recent seminary graduates do, a groundswell that could spark more Oklahoma-like conflicts. Some of the denomination's leading Reformed thinkers come from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, including its president, Al Mohler, and … Continue reading TULIP Blooming
Help with language…
One of the legacies of the modernity was (and is) the rise of the science and art of taxonomy, which is the categorization of species and things into specific identifying groups. While this taxonomic impulse certainly offers benefits to understanding the world, the down side of the call to name and categorize is that it … Continue reading Help with language…
Thanks Dianne
Some of the e-mails opine that the church is racist and so is Obama. A few claim he is a covert worshiper of Islam and that his middle name is Mohammed.It's the latest salvo in the e-mail wars - anonymous missives launched into cyberspace seeking to frighten voters away from candidates in the guise of … Continue reading Thanks Dianne
The time to speak out…
Editor's note: This post intentionally uses language that is offensive and characteristic of hate. I choose to use this language to help broaden the conversation on issues of race in our culture. One day, over ten years ago, I was talking with a man in the town where we lived. It was a rural, Southern … Continue reading The time to speak out…
Unity in the Body of Christ
For the past two years I have spent most every Thursday between 10:30 a.m. and noon with a group of pastors to pray for our community of Antioch. It's an odd group, composed of quite few Baptists, some independent church pastors, an Ethiopian missionary, a worker with international students, and me. As I look around … Continue reading Unity in the Body of Christ
Ministry on the catwalk?
I once was talking with a pastor friend of mine who was sharing their wisdom regarding the nature of serving as the senior pastor of a church. This person drew on an image that they had gleaned from one of the major church consultants of the Schaller, Easum, Bandy school, and suggested that it was … Continue reading Ministry on the catwalk?
Let’s get really crazy
David Brooks has another good commentary in this mornings New York Times on the similarities and differences between Obama and McCain: But they are very different men. Their policies obviously conflict, but their skills, world views and moral philosophies set them apart, too. One man celebrates communitarian virtues like unity, the other classical virtues like … Continue reading Let’s get really crazy
Only Wonder Understands 