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Guaranteed Pastoral Appointments - A Luxury We Can Afford Anymore? Revisited.
The Commission to Study Ministry will be recommending to the General Conference in 2012 to do away with guaranteed pastoral appointments. I wrote about this last year in this blog.One statement...
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Chasing Sunsets
Yesterday, I met a fellow biker for supper, and we went on a short ride. It was towards the end of the evening, and we were heading west. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen, and it...
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Standard: Does It Make Disciples?
I recently read an operational assessment of the United Methodist Church - a very critical look at our denomination and its effectiveness. In reviewing some of my former blogs, a lot of what I was...
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"Nurture and Cultivate Spiritual Disciplines and Patterns of Holiness"
"Nurture and cultivate spiritual disciplines and patterns of holiness..." That's not from The Rule of St. Benedict. Nor is it from an objective of a spiritual growth retreat. It is ¶304.1 (b) of the...
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Nurturing Community, Encouraging Family
As I've shared in previous blogs, I retired from the fire service in June of 2001 after serving for several years in paid, paid-on-call, and volunteer capacities. It gave me the opportunity to meet...
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The Future of Episcopacy in the UMC – Part 6
Bishops in the UMC have a thankless, lonely, and impossible job. Anyone who disagrees with that doesn't know much about the episcopacy in United Methodism. My own bishop is currently facing the task of...
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Clergy Salaries - Taboo Subject?
It is one of those things that no one likes to talk about - (a) how much does the preacher make? (b) Should the preacher get a raise? (c) Do we ask the preacher to leave the room when we talk about...
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Doing Your BEST for the Church
I have had many mentors in my ministry; some of them were unaware that they were mentors to me. One of them is Belton Joyner. While I am sure he doesn’t remember it, we were on the same legislative...
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Only God Can Fix It
Stop trying to protect, to rescue, to judge, to manage the lives around you . . . remember that the lives of others are not your business. They are their business. They are God’s business . . . even...
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Testimony and Faith
Everyone on the news has made a fuss of Stephen Colbert testifying in front on congress regarding immigration reform. Some pundits loved it, some could only complain about the tax dollars spent. Two...
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What It's All About
I've been involved in athletics all of my life in some capacity: player, trainer, groundskeeper, coach, official. There are certainly things about athletics that are less than wonderful. However, there...
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Restoring, Renewing, and Trying Something New - II
Four years ago, I wrote a similar post to this one. It is a reminder to me how we are all on a journey and pilgrimage where our salvation, sanctification, and witness are concerned.Restoring. About...
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Role Reversal
As a very young minister, I remember making one of my first nursing home visits. It was to the mother of a church member suffering from advanced dementia. The family asked me to bring communion one...
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Confessions of a New District Superintendent
As I write this, I am at an Emerging Leaders Conference for younger clergy. Before some of you snicker: yes - I am aware that I am not one of the younger clergy anymore. I was invited to attend to get...
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Idolatrous
Idolatrous (adj):Of or having to do with idolatry.Given to blind or excessive devotion to something: "The religiosity of the [group] is self-righteous and idolatrous. It perceives no virtue in its...
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A Good Blog Post
John Meunier posts yet another great blog: "Why so much sex and so little poverty?", which is actually a link to Mike Mather's blog.Shows where we miss the mark on priorities when it comes to...
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An Even Better Post
I wrote a blog last summer about seminary education and quoted Prof. Frederick Schmidt from Southern Methodist University. He has written an EXCELLENT article about the future of seminary education,...
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Laity Are Called Too
I am writing less and reading more these days. But this is an excellent blog to remind us that we are called by God and ordained into ministry by our baptism, and not clergy ordination. Thanks, John...
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Things That Have To Be Revisited
"After living with their dysfunctional behavior for so many years (a sunk cost if ever there was one), people become invested in defending their dysfunctions rather than changing them." — Marshall...
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