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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6/21/2010
168. It Takes What It Takes
I recently listened to a podcast interview with a Catholic priest whose ministry focuses on young people involved in urban gangs. Many of the tools he uses derive from the recovery movement, including wisdom gleaned from Alcoholics Anonymous. He used a maxim that I’ve heard before to describe
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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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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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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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12/7/2009
150. The Progress Bar
Every time I download a photo, upload a file, or scan my computer for viruses, I find myself mesmerized by the progress bar. The progress bar is the horizontal meter graph that moves from 0% to 100% as the computer processes a task to completion. With a small file on a fast computer, the progress ba
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11/17/2009
147. The Wall
This month, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On Nov 9, 1989, the gates were opened and crowds of people from East and West Germany intermingled freely for the first time in decades. They began to pick apart the wall, stone by stone, to the utter astonish
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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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10/19/2009
144. Work Without Boundaries
I noticed a beautifully designed sign at the entrance to a store in the mall that said, “Work Without Boundaries!” The shop sold electronics—smart phones, personal planners, pagers, wireless devices, and an array of gadgets, communications tools, and new inventions that help custom
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10/13/2009
143. Pruning
Recently while teaching in a congregation, I recounted many of the scriptures about fruitfulness. Vines, branches, seedtime, harvest, soils, vineyards, trees, fruits—the Bible is replete with stories that lift high the notion that God expects us to use what we have received to make a positive
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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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7/6/2009
133. Logjams
I regularly run along a bike trail that has a number of small bridges stretched across creeks and small streams. These former railway structures were built with thick steel girders that rise high above the creek beds. I often pause in the middle of a bridge to look down for fish, snakes, or turtles,
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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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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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9/22/2008
88. Practices of Vegetable-ful Congregations!
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve heard dozens of stories about small churches focusing on the Five Practices, and about the new ministry initiatives that have resulted. A few of my favorite come from right here in Missouri.
For instance, Marvin McMurry UMC in St. Joseph began to think a
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4/30/2008
62. A Daughter of United Methodism
General Conference Notebook, April 30
The highlight of our work together on Tuesday was a visit from United Methodist laywoman and President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Security was tight, the building was secured by local police, and the President's entourage arrived as Liberian Bishop
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4/21/2008
56. Looking Back, Looking Forward
General Conference Notebook, April 21
As I think about our ministry together as United Methodists over the past four years since our last General Conference, there are several ministries and initiatives that mark real progress. These are areas where I feel we've done particularly w
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