Category: Faith

A Letter to Tony Jones from a United Methodist

This morning emergent guru and bomb-thrower Tony Jones used Bishop Willimon's latest UMR commentary as a justification for shutting down the United Methodist Church. He suggested that all young clergy should get out while the getting is good: I just hope that enough of you young UMC clergy have the temerity to stand up and … Continue reading A Letter to Tony Jones from a United Methodist →

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday,an odd descriptor for a man closer to 300 pounds than 200,the Tuesday before--     before sorrow,     before sobriety,     before repentance,     before reflection.On Tuesday, all is right with the world     (so we think),     Carnival,     Mardi Gras,     and the revelry that comes with them. But with the changing of the hour at midnight,     from the Tuesday … Continue reading Fat Tuesday →

Oh, I’m probably going to tick all sorts of people off….

Earlier today, a buddy of mine sent me a link to an interview on the Believe OutLoud website with Amy DeLong, who was recently tried for being an open lesbian and for performing same-sex marriage/covenant ceremonies. In the end, she was acquitted on the first charge for she refused to talk about her sexual practices … Continue reading Oh, I’m probably going to tick all sorts of people off…. →

The Dilemma Of Leading a Church in Decline

One of the hallmarks of my ministry as a solo pastor is that I have been sent to congregations that at sometime in their life have been growing and thriving places but due to  difficult pastoral appointments, changes in community community demographics, and poor decision making at crucial times along the way, these congregations now … Continue reading The Dilemma Of Leading a Church in Decline →

It’s Time to Help Mercedes

I was in a Justice For Our Neighbors meeting last week (an amazing faith-based organization that is providing counsel and assistance on legal issues to immigrants) when I learned about a young lady named Mercedes Gonzalez. Mercedes was brought to the U.S. when she was 2 and has been a successful newcomer to Nashville. She … Continue reading It’s Time to Help Mercedes →

8 Reasons That I Am Attending SoulFeast

Yeah, I sound like a broken record, but like any convert I want to encourage anyone who reads this blog, follows me on Facebook or Twitter, or who simply lands here by accident, to think about attending the Upper Room’s Soulfeast Conference at Lake Junaluska. No, it’s not as hip as the Wild Goose Festival, … Continue reading 8 Reasons That I Am Attending SoulFeast →

Take Another Look — A Sermon for Easter Sunday

Ever since I have been in parish ministry, my wife Kay and I have rarely worshipped together as we have served different congregations. However, with her being on leave this year we actually got to be in the same building on Easter Sunday. She said that she thought this sermon was pretty good and since … Continue reading Take Another Look — A Sermon for Easter Sunday →

Do United Methodists Believe in Hope?

During the past couple of weeks, in the midst of the conversation surrounding Rob Bell’s book and the dismissal of Chad Holtz from his position in North Carolina, I have found myself engaged in some though on hope. Some of this is due to teaching a class on N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope,  in which … Continue reading Do United Methodists Believe in Hope? →

When Will They Ever Learn? Some thoughts on the Rob Bell conversation.

I’ve been hesitant to offer comment on the ever swirling conversation surrounding Rob Bell’s latest offering, “Love Wins,” for there are more than enough words being thrown around from both sides of the debate. For my money, Tony Jone’s analysis of Bell was the among my favorites. Yet, in thinking about the whole thing this … Continue reading When Will They Ever Learn? Some thoughts on the Rob Bell conversation. →

An Open Letter to Tony Jones

Dear Tony, We’ve been friends for a while, and I have learned over time to pretty much ignore your rants on denominationalism, recognizing a disconnect with those expressions of faith. But given the latest ramping up of attack with your new Ecclesialeak feature, especially given that you’ve attacked my tribe first, I feel I have … Continue reading An Open Letter to Tony Jones →

New Devotional Blog on Common Prayer

I recently picked up "Common Prayer -- A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals" by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okorro and have started using it for my personal devotional practice. All three are folks that I have respected for some time, and the book is basically a daily office but with a perspective that recognizes … Continue reading New Devotional Blog on Common Prayer →

Engagement vs. Inertia – Discipleship Development

Worship guru Dean McIntyre raised the question in my last post as to how to differentiate between those congregations that are engaged (leading toward vitality) and those who are driven by inertia (surviving and perhaps even growing numerically, but disconnected from the source and power of vitality). He asked for practical descriptions of the differences … Continue reading Engagement vs. Inertia – Discipleship Development →

Engagement vs. Inertia – Discipleship Development

Worship guru Dean McIntyre raised the question in my last post as to how to differentiate between those congregations that are engaged (leading toward vitality) and those who are driven by inertia (surviving and perhaps even growing numerically, but disconnected from the source and power of vitality). He asked for practical descriptions of the differences … Continue reading Engagement vs. Inertia – Discipleship Development →