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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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3/15/2010
159. Paying Caesar and Giving to God
"Enter the figure from line 23 on line 28, unless it is larger than line 22, and then divide by whichever is the smallest number from lines 17a or 17b, and place the resulting figure on line 32."
After two evenings of reading instructions similar to those, I’m proud to announce that
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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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1/19/2010
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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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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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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10/6/2009
142. Recharge
I’ve learned to identify the power-hungry among us. I don’t mean the ambitious political self-seekers or self-serving control freaks. I’m talking about those people who meander through coffee shops, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and airport waiting areas looking under tables and behi
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7/27/2009
136. Impulses to Wordless Prayer
I’m usually more of a night owl than an early riser. This summer, however, I’ve found myself awakening early on many mornings. I step onto the back deck to fill the birdfeeders while soft streams of light emerge against the shadows. I enjoy the fresh smells, the glancing sheen of nascent
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4/27/2009
126. Silence Speaks
In my blog a couple weeks ago, I told the story about a deaf ministry in a congregation. This visit reminded me of another experience several years ago when I was studying Spanish in Costa Rica. One Friday afternoon I took a taxi to downtown San Jose. I visited a museum, walked through an
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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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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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2/4/2009
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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1/22/2009
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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