Browse Blog Post
7/6/2010
169. Growing Deeper
Methodism began as a way of life rather than as a denominational system. John Wesley’s passion was leading people to follow Jesus, and his genius was developing patterns and support systems to help people walk with Christ. Wesley believed we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our own spiritual
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6/14/2010
167. Reflecting on God’s Call
Our theme for the Missouri Annual Conference a couple weeks ago was Growing Deeper: Deepening the Spiritual Life for Leadership in the Church. Because the call to ministry represents a spiritual milestone of extraordinary significance for pastors and provides one of the most unifying and motivating
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4/9/2010
161. Reflections on Easter Services
Palm Sunday I enjoyed the privilege of preaching to a full house at Shiloh UMC. It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny, and the warm receptivity and great singing deepened my anticipation of Holy Week and Easter.
Since I began serving as Bishop, our family has adopted the tradition of selecting a
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3/30/2010
160. Life
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) I’ve often considered this one of Jesus’ most important teachings, and I’ve spent years trying to understand it. What does Jesus mean by life? Obviously, life for Jesus means more than physical life,
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2/24/2010
157. Training Inwardly
I’ve never considered myself much of an athlete, but I try to keep fit. I’ve been a long-time runner, walker, and marathoner, and still log more than 1000 miles each year. Two years ago I turned 50, and during a thorough physical examination the doctor suggested that while I have “
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2/15/2010
156. Creating Openings for God
Can it be Lent already? As a pastor, I was keenly aware of the movement of the church year—Advent, Lent, Pentecost, etc. Our church planned for special emphases, sermon series, retreats, church-wide studies and readings.
As a bishop, I sometimes find myself surprised to realize that a key spi
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1/12/2010
153. Renewing Prayer
With the start of the New Year, I reestablished various personal, spiritual, family, and professional priorities and recorded them in my journal. Some are tangible measurable goals (survive paying college costs for my sons!), some refer to daily patterns (write and exercise about an hour a day whene
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12/14/2009
151. Only if…
At our Annual Conference session in June, Rev. Emanuel Cleaver II (Assistant to the Bishop for African-American Leadership Development) provoked us to think in fresh ways about our human tendency to grumble and avoid work rather than to take responsibility and fulfill tasks. He showed us the thick r
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11/4/2009
145. I Didn’t Recognize It at the Time
As a birder, I keep “a life list,” a chronological listing of all the species I’ve seen and identified since I first began birding with intentionality. Since starting the list in 2004, I have seen 457 different species of North American birds.
The first 100 birds I added to the li
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9/29/2009
141. The Combination
When I arrived at the church to which I had been newly appointed, I found a stack of papers, notes and suggestions left for me by the previous pastor. He included the numbers to the combination for the old-fashioned heavy steel safe that protected the church records, checks, and petty cash. I carefu
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9/22/2009
140. From “They Ought” to “We Can”
Sometimes challenges seem so insurmountable and intransigent that there seems no way to make a positive contribution. How can one person, or a Bible class, or a congregation make any difference at all in the face of issues as huge as world hunger, poverty, child abuse, racism, or unemployment? Or mo
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9/15/2009
139. Called Accidentally
I’ve come to love all the bells and whistles on my iPhone. I download tons of weekly podcasts which I listen to as I drive and walk. I receive up-to-date news and weather reports. And I have an entire field guide of birds downloaded onto my phone that comes complete with photos, descriptions,
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8/12/2009
137. Come and See
While sitting in an airport lounge that had become crowded because of all the flight delays caused by a sudden storm, I couldn’t help but overhear bits and pieces of conversations around me. Two business women in their twenties were sitting in the seats next to me with their laptops, file fold
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6/2/2009
129. First Appointments and Safe Landings
During the last couple of weeks, our family has celebrated various milestones, such as the graduation of our youngest son from high school on the same night as my mother’s 64th high school class reunion. This week also marks the 25th anniversary of my first appointment after graduating from se
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4/21/2009
125. Blogs Become a Book: The Balancing Act
Eighteen months ago, I wrote my first entry for the Five Practices Blog. I’m now writing my 125th contribution. Hundreds of people receive copies of the entries by subscribing to an email blast that goes out after each new blog entry is posted. Other people find the www.FivePractices.org websi
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4/6/2009
122. Obedience
The Christian year provokes us to reflection upon many of the key words that shape our faith. During Advent we deepen our understanding of waiting, watching, anticipation, hope, announcement. With Christmas we explore joy, new birth, promise, and other delights. Epiphany opens our e
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3/3/2009
118. In the Long Run...
My sister finished the Austin Half-Marathon a couple of weeks ago, and I congratulate her for a job well done. She and I have completed several full marathons together over the years - Chicago, San Francisco, Marine Corps, Disney, and Houston among them. I’ve run a few on my own, and she&rsquo
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2/25/2009
117. Forty Days
A lot can change in forty days.
I listen intently to the news every day, mostly on the radio as I drive. It occurred to me how much can happen in just a few weeks. The world can turn upside down.
Last September, the economy was chugging along with its usual rises, falls, bumps, and cur
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2/24/2009
116. Failing Successfully
Recently I heard a campus minister speak about some of the unsuccessful ideas her students had experimented with, in their attempts to reach young people and invite them in. She said that they had come to view “failure as redirection.” Each failure was a learning experience that br
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2/16/2009
115. The Field
“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” (Galatians 6: 9 from The Message)
With binoculars in hand, I entered the field seeking a better angle to see the mix of sparrows
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2/10/2009
114. In the Midst of Winter
Last week, a huge ice storm hit the southern half of our state with devastating effect. For the last couple days I’ve been reading emails from pastors and relief workers about households without electricity, the closing of schools and churches, the irreplaceable loss of ancient trees, the
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2/9/2009
113. The Eyes Say It All
I heard my friend and colleague, Sally Dyck, preach an excellent sermon on Radical Hospitality which she began with the line, “It’s in the eyes. The eyes say it all.” She went on to tell about the way we look at people, and the messages we send by how we look at them. B
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1/28/2009
111. Five Temptations of Pastoral Leadership
A well-crafted book title captures the imagination, stimulates curiosity, and invites us to fill the gap between what we think it means and what the author really has to say. Recently I saw the title, "Five Temptations of CEO’s" at the bookstore. I didn’t pick up the
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1/26/2009
110. Missouri’s Largest Congregation
Yesterday I preached to the largest congregating of United Methodists in Missouri, a gathering of more than 2,100 persons at a single worship service. Any idea where I was? Manchester UMC? La Croix? St. James? Lee’s Summit?
Actually, I participated in the culminat
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1/22/2009
109. Paradox
I love writing. Nothing exhilarates the mind like the unexpected striking of a new idea. New ideas bring a powerful emotional/intellectual adrenalin rush, and I love to feel the eagerness to get a thought down on paper before it slips away, the quick abbreviated words on note cards, the
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1/14/2009
107. Balancing Act
I’m a rather eccentric journal keeper (as was Mr. Wesley, by the way!). I jot down daily notes into a cheap OfficeMax notebook, recording observations, experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Each New Year I choose a few things in particular to count and track, and I keep up with these in lists a
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1/12/2009
106. Connections
I’ve heard about the Congress on Evangelism for years, but last week was the first time I ever attended. I was invited to speak on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, and later on Risk-Taking Mission and Service. In fact, the Five Practices provided the umbrella theme for the e
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12/22/2008
102. Following our Hopes While Wrestling with our Fears
I recently heard a brief devotion focused on Luke 1: 26-38, the scene where the angels foretell the birth of Jesus to Mary. The pastor humorously reminded us that in scripture, whenever you hear the words, “Be not afraid,” then watch out! Something huge is about to happen.
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12/15/2008
100. Praying at Christmas
Last week during a bishops’ learning event on a college campus I took an evening walk and slipped into the chapel. I felt wonderfully fortunate to discover an excellent a cappella choir rehearsing and so I settled into a pew at the back. Immersed in the music, I felt myself opening to a
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12/1/2008
97. Staying Awake: The Practice of Spiritual Attentiveness
This past Sunday, I enjoyed the rare experience of attending worship with my family. Usually on Sundays, I’m on the road somewhere in Missouri, preaching or teaching. Some Sundays find me at hotel conference centers, speaking to large groups; and others find me at airports or on the
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11/17/2008
96. Recklessness of Faith
While attending a training event for bishops a few weeks ago, I heard someone quote William Sloane Coffin saying, “I love the recklessness of faith. First, you leap. Then you grow wings.”
At first hearing, this evokes a smile. Upon deeper reflection, I’m touched by
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10/13/2008
92. Don't Let Worry Win
When serving as a pastor, I learned that I usually make my biggest mistakes when I’m tired. When I don’t attend to patterns of rest, sleep, exercise, and time away, and just keep grinding away at work day after day, I become more likely to say things I wish I could take back, make
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10/6/2008
91. The Battle is Won or Lost in Your Lobby
Last week as I was on the road with my work, I stopped by a specialty pizza parlor. I was by myself and had my journal in hand, ready to pen some notes about the day while I waited for a personal-sized pizza. This is actually a little out of character for me; I usually grab something extremely
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10/2/2008
90. "How Can I Help?" means, "How Can I Fit In?"
Last week I was a presenter at the Leadership Nexus event in Shreveport, along with Rev. Tyrone Gordon of St. Luke’s Community UMC, David Wetzler from Natural Church Development, Bob Whitesel, Brian Bauknight, Jessica Moffatt-Saey, and several others. At these kinds of learnin
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8/25/2008
84. O My Lord, Please Send Someone Else
I’ve been working on a writing project during the past few weeks that has caused me to dig deeply into some scriptural passages about the call to God’s service. It never ceases to amaze me how God continues to show us new things through old and familiar texts.
I was rereading the
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7/24/2008
76. The Bear
I’m writing this while spending a few days with the family camping and hiking in Big Bend National Park, Texas. After driving over 600 miles to the Jurisdictional Conference in Dallas, we decided to simply keep driving for another 600 miles until we were deep in the West Texas desert.
W
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7/17/2008
74. Episcopacy and Itineracy
As you read this, lay and clergy delegates in equal numbers are arriving from fifteen annual conferences and eleven Episcopal areas covering eight states for the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in Dallas. While there are three days of agenda items, reports, and worship services, the on
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7/10/2008
72. Strong Youth Ministries and the Call to Ministry
The other day I was driving down the Interstate toward the St. Louis airport, when I pulled into a roadside rest stop. Just as I stepped from my car, a long bus pulled up that had a sign that ran nearly the entire length with the name of a United Methodist church from North Carolina. &nbs
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6/17/2008
66. When You Are Through Changing...
Recently as I sat in a pastor’s office, I noticed a small etched sign he kept on his desk. It read, “When you are through changing...you’re through!”
At first I smiled. This short aphorism reminds me of many I’ve seen before. I remember a poster from my high
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5/15/2008
64. Try!
I was listening to a National Public Radio story the other day about a nihilist poet, and the reporter read some of his poems. They were marked with existential angst of the most hopeless type. The more I heard, the worse I felt. As I was driving down the road, the poems were enough to mak
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4/16/2008
53. Labyrinth
While staying at a retreat center recently, I took a morning hike to search for birds with my binoculars in hand. Along the path, I came to an outdoor worship area and a large outdoor rock-lined labyrinth. I've seen labyrinths before at conference gatherings, clergy retreats, and spiritual
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