Spring is here in full force and that makes me want to be outside… but it also reminds me that winter has been a time of sloth. I got up this morning and worked out with wii fit. I did yoga and strength exercises and then finished with a little bit of cardio. I know…
Becoming Disciples Through: Prayer
Prayer is one of the ways that we support the Body of Christ that is the church. Caveat: in our vows, we talk about supporting the ministries of the United Methodist Church… but if we are thinking about this as a path to discipleship, and not merely supporting the institution of the church, then we…
torture, ethics, and the state
I commented at the end of my last post about a survey which shows Christians are more likely to support torture than non-church goers. Here is what my friend Matt has to say: The Truth As Best I Know It: The Danger of Supporting Torture: “We can give all the lip-service we want to the…
thinking ecumenically and maybe a little politically
Lately, I have been having quite a few conversations, theologically and politically with fellow pastors. It would be fair to say that my current colleagues are more conservative than my colleagues in seminary or college. And what amazed me was the fear that “liberal” colleagues expressed 8 years ago over the Bush administration are the…
FF: Ritual
From Rev Gals: I believe that we live in a ritually impoverished culture, wherewe have few reasons for real celebration, and marking the passages of life.So… 1. Are ritual markings of birth marriage and death important to you?Absolutely! They are how we make meaning out of these very difficult and beautiful transitions in our lifes.…
breakdown
it seems like every piece of electronic equipment at the church decided to fail in the past week. Last Thursday when the boiler inspector stopped by, she noticed that our hot water heater was squirting water everywhere! Monday the internet wouldn’t work at the church and I was on the phone with tech support for…
marriage: job of the state or of the church
…why it is that clergy are able to sign that piece of paper. It is because we are licensed by an approved body (the church). Or rather, it is because the state recognizes the license I already have. I could get licensed by the state to perform weddings, as a friend of mine did, but I already have a license. No need. Also – the only real “official” thing clergy does as far as the state is concerned is sign the piece of paper…
some thoughts on amendment one
The first amendment that comes before our Annual Conferences from General Conference this year is to change the wording of paragraph 4 in our constitution. There are a whole lot of youtube and blogposts and newsletter articles about this and suffice it to say – there are reasons to be in favor of it and…