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3/1/2010
158. Sunday Mornings
I recently offered condolences to a friend following her father’s death. Her father had served as a pastor for many years. With gratitude to God she said, “My father loved Sunday mornings. He was born on a Sunday and he died on a Sunday, and that just seems appropriate. He loved getting
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1/19/2010
155. If One Member Suffers….
Update: For more information on how you can help the relief efforts in Haiti, visit umc.org/haiti and www.umcorhaiti.org.
On Tuesday evening, I was giving a presentation to a gathering of clergy from the Missouri Conference when a pastor reported a major earthquake in Haiti and asked for our prayer
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12/2/2009
149. Sabbath Business
I served as pastor of a congregation that included a significant number of civic leaders. In fact, the membership included several former mayors, a city councilman, school board members from three different districts, and various highly visible city workers. These people were frequently in the news,
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9/3/2009
138. What’s in a Word?
Since high school I’ve had an active curiosity about words, idioms, writing, and language, and how our perception of reality is limited or enlarged by the words available to us.
Recently I heard a linguistic philosopher speak on these topics, offering several interesting stories. For instance
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4/20/2009
124. As the Way Opens
One of our District Superintendents led a devotional with the Cabinet by recalling a period in his life when he enjoyed a significant engagement with Quakers, the Society of Friends. He shared questions that Friends reflect upon as part of their covenant with each other and with God. The q
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3/11/2009
119. Building Nests
As I was driving to Warrensburg on Monday, I saw a large Red-Tailed Hawk fly overhead carrying a long heavy stick. I smiled at this indisputable sign of spring arriving. The non-migratory birds of our area are beginning to build nests. A couple of hours earlier I had seen an American
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2/4/2009
112. Somewhere Out There
Somewhere out there is a five-year-old boy who doesn’t know that right now plans are being made by a passionate group of Christian leaders from a church he’s never heard of to offer a neighborhood Vacation Bible School that will change the direction of his life. The songs he will sing wi
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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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1/12/2009
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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