This summer, Pope Francis issued a letter to the world, “Laudato Si’” or Praise be to You which calls upon all people to care for our common home, our sister, Mother Earth. And while it made the news this summer, one of the first thoughts I had was that, as United Methodists, we had a…
Bible and Newspaper
current event discussion
Two Texts: Greece, Debt, and the Jubilee
2008 was a tough year for everyone financially. Wall Street had faltered, global markets took a tumble and nearly everyone felt the pinch. It was pretty much an accepted fact that there would be a long, tough, uphill battle to get back on track… not just in the United States, but globally as well. Just…
How long?
As I have sat each morning with my daily devotions it is wonderful to be immersed in one psalm for the entire week. What I find is that each day as I read it, a different verse or sentiment speaks to my soul. These past two weeks have included hopeful laments… the cries of the…
paying attention
Today, in my devotional reading this thought from The Spiritual Life struck me: To be human is to pray… prayer is the disciplined dedication to paying attention. As I sit here and try to write this morning, I must admit I am distracted. Distracted by the remnants of water in our basement (our backup sump…
The Shepherd King
Jesus, our King, is a shepherd at heart.
Even at the end, his concern is always for the flock. It is for the lost, and the least and the last. It is for those who have been forgotten.
The rules are only good in so far as they have led us to be shepherds alongside him in the world.
You see, Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Shepherd of Shepherds and as his people, as his body the church, OUR task is also to care for the flock.
The Side of the Road
I had an experience last week that deeply shook me. My dad asked me to come help him move farm equipment as he moved from one set of fields to another for harvest. In essence, I was a chauffeur and would follow the tractor or combine and then take him back to the farm to…
Where Have All the Young Girls (and Boys) Gone?
I’ve been taking guitar lessons at my local rec center. And with one of the simplest chord progressions – C, Am, F, G7 – the Pete Seeger song, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” is pretty easy to learn. In fact, I had been playing it the other afternoon before I discovered some really interesting…
More than we can ASK or IMAGINE
On the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, a lot of people are talking about dreams today. Dreams for racial equality. Dreams for unity. Dreams for access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dreams for our children. Dreams for reconciliation. Dreams for a future with hope and freedom, love and peace. As…