In September, Bishop Ken Carter visited the Iowa Annual Conference and helped us to have a holy and grace filled conversation about leadership, change, mission, and the elephant in the room: human sexuality and the lives of LGBT persons. One of the pieces I really appreciated is that he was careful to note that the macro…
Wheat & Tares
the church in the world: mission, justice, good news
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When I was in high school, my youth group went on an international mission trip to Peru. Forty youth plus chaperones set out from Cedar Rapids determined to make a difference in the lives of other people. We even made t-shirts. I remember the night that we came up with the slogan for the back…
J&MES: Faith & Action
This month in worship, we are going to be focusing on the book of James in the New Testament. It is all the way in the back of our bibles… just after Hebrews and right before a couple of shorter letters that lead into Revelation. This book is actually a letter written by James to…
Two Texts: Privilege and the Beloved Community
In my life, I have been pulled over by a police officer perhaps half a dozen times. One was for a broken taillight and the rest were for speeding. Every single time, my heart rate rose and my palms got sweaty. I was nervous. I felt guilty. I knew I was in trouble. But never,…
Two Texts: Pope Francis, the Environment, and Relationships
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…
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…
truth and reconciliation
I read a post earlier today that dives into the words Bree Newsome said as she was arrested this weekend: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? What I loved about the author’s wrestling is that she…