For the second year, Tom and I attended the Childrens Service at Lewis Center United Methodist. We have been attending Lewis Center when we are in Ohio and enjoying this lively congregation very much. Nothing says life in a church better than the children. So the church is especially life and joy-filled for the Childrens …
From Worship Experiences
Complaining Less Lenten Discipline
This year for Lent I gave up complaining. I don’t usually give up something for Lent – I usually try to add some spiritual discipline. But as I read the “fruit of the spirit” list and prayed about what to add, I was convicted. Although I usually consider myself to be a “glass plenty full” …
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!
My absolute favorite holy day is Easter. As a pastor I love this culmination of all the work and toil of Lent. I love the joyous crescendo of Easter after the solemnity of Holy Week. Celebrating resurrection so close to the finality of death is a joy that never grows old. And my absolute favorite …
Wedding Cake for Communion
I’m sure you have seen, as I have, a picture of a beautiful wedding cake. Maybe you remember your wedding cake and how you had to have one that was just right. Perhaps you have been to a wedding with a really spectacular cake. Some of them are so beautiful that you feel like you …
Resistance to the Beast
My devotional book for the week is “Inspired” by Rachel Held Evans. I reviewed her book, “Searching for Sunday” in January. “Inspired” is a different kind of book. It is a Biblical Scholar meets storyteller book. The ideas are mostly scholarship that I have been dealing with since seminary (a long time ago). But Rachel’s …
St Simons United Methodist Church, Georgia
Last week, Tom and I were able to attend worship for the first time since January. As the only living history volunteers at Fort Frederica, we have been working every Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we had a big event, with another one Sunday evening, so we took Sunday morning off and went to church. Instead …
Quotes from “The Cost of Discipleship” by Bonhoeffer
I have been reading “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer for my devotional time in the morning. Reading this book slowly is a blessing because there is so much to think about in it. I think this is my third or fourth time through the book. It is more powerful because I know it …
Vertigo on the Straight Gate and Narrow Way
In Matthew 7:14, Jesus says, “Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV).” When I think about this straight gate and narrow way, I usually envision a narrow, but even path on level ground. A place I can stroll along without getting lost or …
Wesley Oak on St. Simons Island
As many of you know, General Conference 2019 was a challenging meeting of the United Methodist Church. Many people were unhappy with the outcome, especially here in the United States. People were hoping for change, but instead the decision was to keep traditional language that excludes homosexuals from being ordained. Some of my friends are …
Choices to Make, Choose Whom You Will Serve
We make so many choices in our lives every day. What will we wear? What route to take to work? Will we work as expected or goof off? Going to the grocery store means choosing from hundreds of varieties of beans, toothpaste, cereal, applesauce. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by our choices. Tom and I …