Six Questions for the UMC #6qumc

One mission.Three simple rules.Four areas of focus.Five practices.Six questions for the United Methodist Church.So here are my six questions:How are you raising up the next generation of leaders?How are we supporting emerging ministries? …

shine Your light, shine Your light

Tomorrow night we will gather with thousands of people to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.  We'll meet in sanctuaries and auditoriums, sacred and secular places, to join together in sharing again the story of the Christ child.  The…

what would it be like

Today I was asked, "what would it be like to hold the infant Jesus in your arms?  what would you say?"What would I say?Wow, what would I say?I told them I tell him a story, a story of other infants I've cradled in the crook of my arm…

Blue Signs in a Purple World

Regardless of which blue sign you favor in the upcoming election, the freedom we have in America is truly amazing.  Today I found myself standing in the midst of a crowd participating in the process.  Although the church I serve will never…

i am awake

“i am awake” i am awake to the cry of the city i am awake to the needs of the poor i am awake to the call of God i am awake to the possibilities for transformation i am awake to the work of the Spirit i am awake to the joy of serving i am…

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief…

I distinctly remember the hot, late July day I was driving to Michigan to spend the weekend with family, then on to Local Pastors School in northern Ohio and finally returning home for one day before heading to South Africa for almost two weeks.…

…and then some

Have you ever gone the extra mile? I bet if you have you were a blessing to others.I have a friend who is someone who always goes the extra mile. For her children, her husband, her church, her friends, she does whatever she can to be helpful.…

burden or blessing?

Matthew 14:13-21 When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully - someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where…

have you heard of beginue?

begin-ue (v.):  to begin and continueI learned a new word last night:  beginue.  Meaning:  to begin and continue.   Perhaps it sounds funny, but, it is speaking to me right now.  I'm beginning again.  I'm off to a new church on July…

Ordination at Lakeside, OH

On Wednesday, June 11, 2008 I was ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church.  I woke up in the middle of the night on June 12 and quietly said to myself, "I am ordained."  It didn't seem right.The journey to ordination took seven…