It has been quite a summer for human rights and human dignity. A very brutal summer, and a summer of hope. The Supreme Court has changed the way we talk about equality in America. A lost and murderous young man has broken our hearts in a Charleston Church. And that flag. It has been a […]
A Theology of Work (COMMENTARY)
June 15, 2015 By
I came to understand that part of my problem with work was the incessant need to prove something – in other words: to have, to do, to produce.
Grace is the Best Incentive
April 20, 2015 By 3 Comments
Some months ago, I received repeated “invitations” to register college students for a church “leadership” event. As the sponsoring organization counted down days prior to the gathering, a boatload of “incentives” was offered. There were potential prizes for those who registered early, discounts, and even points for joining the online discussion during the weekend. So […]
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy (COMMENTARY)
March 11, 2015 By 11 Comments
Every now and again I read about someone who has “gone to glory” and wish I had known them in the here and now. Lee Anna Starr is one of those saints. I imagine she would have been a wise and spirited friend.
We Don’t Get to Heaven on Someone Else’s Sins (COMMENTARY)
February 11, 2015 By 16 Comments
I can’t identify the original source of the statement, but it will certainly preach. My heart is perpetually tempted to construct a sense of self from someone else’s flaws.
Human Trafficking is about People (COMMENTARY)
January 12, 2015 By 2 Comments
Human trafficking seems like such an immediate, obvious, and practical crisis. However, we will never really address the problem until we meditate on that crucial distinction between people and things.
The Social Principles Today and Tomorrow
December 2, 2014 By 10 Comments
The United Methodist Social Principles are entering a new era. Many hard-working church leaders are hosting a global conversation about these principles. How should they be re-framed and re-configured for the future?
Commentary: When Praise and Participation Embrace
November 4, 2014 By 1 Comment
Praise and participation belong together. They unite in a new reality. A social creed is not an agenda slipped into worship, and we are not to separate worship from action.
The World is Still our Parish
October 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment
It is a cliché, at best, to say that The United Methodist Church faces a time of crisis. A great part of our difficulty revolves around institutional identity and how we should relate to the surrounding culture.
People and Things (COMMENTARY)
You have been given a chance to care, to think, to act, and to stand for that which is good—even when it may not be fashionable, perhaps especially when it is not fashionable.