Category Archives: Blog Posts

Preparing to preach on Easter I note some curious truths. The first to experience Easter, and the first to preach Easter were women (take that, those who think that women preaching isn’t “biblical”!). And to whom do the women preach the resurrection? The disciples of Jesus. Preachers and lay leaders of the church please note.Continue reading “The Last to Believe in Easter”

Maundy Thursday Tonight we begin the enactment of a story, Jesus’ last hours. I don’t know what most impresses you about the story of the arrest, the trial, the crucifixion of Jesus. What impresses me is its sheer bloodiness, the violence. I pray to God that I’ll never get so hardened of heart, so inoculatedContinue reading “The Violent Bear It Away”

Bill Easum, our consultant in ministry in North Alabama, has a provocative word about the need to empower the laity to do ministry: “You know, one of the issues here is that everyone relies too much on the pastor to do all the ministry.” Before I could finish the man blurted out, “I’m aware ourContinue reading “The Point of Pastoral Ministry: Lay Ministry”

Most contemporary accounts of leadership imply that the leader is the one who asks questions, moves toward answers, and clarifies where we are and what we are doing. However, Lewis Parks and Bruce Birch note that the Christian leader may be the one who helps us live with mystery, to follow the Dream, to findContinue reading “The Dream of Pastoral Leadership”

Two people meet one another on the sidewalk. Their eyes meet. Will they greet one another, encounter one another, or only pass by silently? One person extends her hand, the other responds. They shake hands, embrace. “How are you getting along?” he asks. “Fine,” she responds. “And you?” The handshake, the embrace, the traditional wordsContinue reading “Meeting and Being Met by God”

United Methodists join with the majority of the world’s Christians in celebrating the sacraments of signs of God’s near and present love to us. “Don’t tell me, show me,” pleads a song in My Fair Lady. To say “I love you” is to say something wonderful, but sometimes we want more than words. We communicateContinue reading “Worship: Acts of Love”

During the Season of Lent, for the next three weeks, I’ll focus my e-mail messages on worship as the central art of church. Frankly, I just don’t get much out of the Sunday morning thing. A lot of the time, I like the music, particularly when it’s contemporary. But there is a lot that goesContinue reading “What’s the Point of Worship?”

In the past month, I’ve met with a couple hundred of you to think about “The Cross of Christ.” Our discussions have revealed the cross is at the heart of the Christian faith. Ash Wednesday, I’ll be with pastors at Huntington reflecting on Preaching the Cross. My friend, Barbara Brown Taylor provides some eloquent reflectionsContinue reading “Reflection by Barbara Brown Taylor”

“Take thou authority to preach the Word….” These were the words under which many of us were ordained into the pastoral ministry. The issue of pastoral authority is a troubling one for many of us. Here are some thoughts, in a recent book on pastoral leadership, that are instructive for us pastors.The Reverend John McFaddenContinue reading “TAKE THOU AUTHORITY”

George MacLeod, founder of the Iona Community of Scotland, said that he took the job of cleaning the community’s toilets so, “I will not be tempted to preach irrelevant sermons on ‘the dignity of all labor.’” I haven’t preached many sermons on the subject of work. When I do preach on work, I will tellContinue reading “Keeping Work In Its Place”