Author Archives: willwillimon

It was wonderful to be back at St. Luke’s Episcopal on Sunday with my friend, Robert Black. St. Luke’s is doing some excellent work in the community, particularly in the area of race and the church. https://www.stlukessalisbury.net/podcast/episode/22d4ced7/january-15-2023-the-second-sunday-after-the-epiphany

“It’s easy to come up with reasons for displeasure with the state of the church. Low hanging fruit. Only Christ gives us the inspiration and chutzpa to stick with the beleaguered body of Christ.” Take a minute to read and see why folks are staying in the UMC.I trust you’ll be encouraged for your ownContinue reading “Why are they staying?”

Just before Christmas, Patrick White was murdered in his law office by a client. Molly Brock White, my student, teaching assistant, Methodist preacher and Patrick’s spouse asked me to preach at Patrick’s Service of Death and Resurrection that was held at Hays Barton UMC in Raleigh on The Epiphany. Molly offered a wonderful prayer andContinue reading “A Service of Death and Resurrection for Patrick White”

Ministry Matters published my sermon resource for the upcoming Christmas Sunday. In a world all-too-full of sad chidings, let us join the heavenly hosts in proclaiming good tidings: “Rejoice! For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior—Christ the Lord.” “The good news is that Jesus wants more than aContinue reading “Pulpit Resource for Christmas Sunday”

It was a joy to preach at the Covenanting Service for Dr. Jason Byassee at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto. After a distinguished career teaching at Vancouver School of Theology, Jason has come to this historic Canadian congregation to give them leadership into the future. Taking John 3 as my text, I reflected aboutContinue reading “Covenanting Service for Dr. Jason Byassee”

When Christianity Today selected some of the best Christmas sermons, I was humbled that one of mine was selected, a kind of anti-Christmas sermon of a sermon https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2005/august/2084.html

It was great to join Bishop Ken Carter on Crackers & Grape Juice this week. He’s got a new book out titled God Will Make a Way: Spiritual Life and Leadership in a Contested Season. I hope you’ll listen, enjoy, and pick up a copy of Ken’s book! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crackers-and-grape-juice/id1100507919?i=1000588548272

It was great to visit St. David’s Denton last week. You’ll find the sermon and a discussion of Listeners Dare: Hearing God in the Sermon below. I hope you’ll enjoy these! Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzX6VM9cd0k&t=82s Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwq5DncxtLY

I wrapped up a series of conversations on Don’t Look Back: Methodist Hope for What Comes Next with the folks at Crackers & Grape Juice a couple weeks ago. We talked through the major themes of the book, and ended with Q&A on how we Methodists might move forward through this moment of division inContinue reading “Don’t Look Back Webinars”

I’m proud of my student, Smoke Kanipe, and his ministerial leadership. Here’s a sermon I preached at Smoke’s Shandon UMC in Columbia, S.C. last Sunday. My assigned text was Philippians 4:1-4, the theme for Shandon’s stewardship emphasis. Hope you will find it helpful as you think about disagreement and dissension in the church.