For being the technopastor, I have been rather low tech in regards to my cell phone. Even now I haven't made the jump to a smartphone due primarily to cost. I carry an IPod touch with me at all times as my PDA, but in the post Christmas price war, it seems time to make … Continue reading Smart Phone Questions…. →

Today represents the fiftieth New Year that I’ve experienced in my life, and I have to say that it doesn’t seem much different from what’s come before. Like most, I lean forward with anticipation that the coming year will be “better” than the past. And yet I also know that every generation somehow believes that … Continue reading Moving On To A New Year →

...Steve Earle sang one of the great Christmas songs in the past 25 years. Enjoy.

John asks some great questions and I offered several thoughts on the nature of certainty in his comments. Carry on the conversation there, but I commend this to your reading. In the new Circuit Rider (thanks to Katie Z for the shout out), retired elder Willard "Buzz" Stevens writes with pain and passion about doubt … Continue reading In praise of doubt? (via John Meunier’s Blog) →

Dear Jay, As your current District Superintendent I write to confirm your new appointment to Old Hickory UMC in the Cumberland District for th 2010-11 conference year... So began the letter that I opened a few minutes ago, a letter that is not unexpected, but surreal in my current context of coordinating flood relief efforts … Continue reading It’s Official →

At this time last week, I was clueless... I had no concept of what was to come. At this time last week, life seemed complicated... Little did I know how simple it would become the next day. At this time last week, I was a simple United Methodist pastor... I had no concept that in … Continue reading Flooding Thoughts →

If you follow my Tweets or Facebook status updates, you probably know by now that I enjoy and appreciate Dan Dick's United Methodeviations blog. Dan is a former consultant and researcher for the General Board of Discipleship who has moved on to be the Director of Connectional Ministries of the Wisconsin Annual Conference, and regularly … Continue reading What Does It Mean to “Grow”? →

I recently sat in a meeting where a congregation was thinking about their central mission focus for the coming year. The congregation had recognized that somewhere along the way it had become lax in reaching out and since their mission statement talked about the transformation of their community they recognized that they needed to identify … Continue reading The Relational/Missional Dilemma →

...and to all a good night.

Everyone seems to be piling on the Titans, but here is my game plan for their future. After all, what have they got to lose?

A few years ago I had the bright idea of doing a regular podcast on United Methodist related stuff. I did around 20 or so until I ran out of steam, but my favorite was one featuring the head of the TWIT Network and former TechTV host Leo Laporte. Leo was kind enough to post … Continue reading A Blast from the Past — Methocast with Leo Laporte →

Recently there has been a lot of stir, especially in the progressive community, over the Metro Nashville School systems failure to provide adequate books for students at John Early Middle School. This has led to an NAACP led law suit, which has garnered much press.  It also led to folks opposed to the MNPS rezoning … Continue reading The Nashville Book Fail →

I am trying to put together a daily devotional guide for our congregation’s stewardship covenant month and am looking for some stories about people receiving gifts. If you have a few minutes, would you be willing to submit your short (a paragraph or two at most) story about receiving a gift? This could include the … Continue reading Gift Stories Wanted →

I’m not sure when I first met Beth Luton. There is a sense that she’s always been around in my life, a prevenient presence that is comfortable from the beginning. Her family has been intertwined in my life for the past twenty years from the time I decided to visit the West Nashville United Methodist … Continue reading A Eulogy for a Friend →

Some of you have been seeing my tweets throughout the day originating from CMA Fest downtown this weekend. Before I go any farther in talking about my impressions as a Nashville native, I need to make a couple of disclaimers. First, take my tweets with a grain of salt for it is always easier to … Continue reading CMA Fest at the End of Day 1 →

I've been rekindling an appreciation of the music of John Michael Talbot, who I first encountered in the late '70's prior to his move toward Roman Catholicism. JMT's music always moved me, and The Painter (done with his brother Terry) is perhaps one of the finest albums ever. Here is one of the best songs … Continue reading He Feels Like An Old Friend →