As we announced during a recent worship gathering, Good Shepherd has added a new campus effective July 1, 2013.The former Zoar United Methodist Church is now the Zoar Road Campus of Good Shepherd Church.How did this happen and what does it mean for our...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Songs About America
It's Fourth of July week, which can only mean one thing: flags are everywhere.Which of course brings up another vital issue for Top Five Tuesday: what are the five best songs of the rock era that either deal with America or have American in the name?Great question!So...
Singing On A Sunday
On most Sunday mornings, I don't sing.Not because I'm a jerk or a skeptic or even tone deaf.But because I want to protect my voice.If I'm going to preach three times on a Sunday and then usually do some teaching on Sunday night, it's going to take a lot of...
Old School Conclusion — I Believe In The Holy Catholic Church
And there's the phrase that make some people object to the Creed: the holy catholic church.Does that mean this?Or something else entirely?Well you won't know for sure unless you come Sunday to find out.Old School's final class.Sunday. 8:30. 10. ...
Methodists, Light Bulbs, Directed Giving & Naming Rights
There is an old joke in Methodist circles that goes like this:Question: How many Methodists does it take to change a light bulb?Answer: You can't change that light bulb! My daddy gave it to the church!And that is why, following the lead of some churches we...
Help Me Understand . . .
For some time, I have had a question for those of you who stand to my theological left when it comes to the issue of homosexual intimacy and same-sex marriage within the United Methodist Church.I don't ask it to be flip or sarcastic but out of a genuine desire to see...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Verses For “His Word The Last Word”
In the summer of 2012, I learned an about an approach to the devotional life taken by The Navigators, a campus ministry known for their Scripture memorization techniques.It's called His Word The Last Word and involves a very simple concept: in the moments before you...
Revelation From A Seminary Professor In The Middle Of An Annual Conference
I spent a couple of days last week at the Western North Carolina Annual Conference meeting in scenic Lake Junaluska, NC.While there, I reconnected with preacher friends, saw congregants from Mt. Carmel UMC in Monroe (where I served from 1990-1999), and helped lead a...
De-Weirding The Holy Spirit
When it comes to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the Apostle's Creed spends a lot of time talking about the Father and the Son and relatively little in speaking about the Holy Spirit.In fact, it's: I believe in the Holy Spirit. And that's it.Which...
Grass Court Tennis, The What Ifs, & Church Leadership
So it's Wimbledon next week. It will be hard to stay at work when there's grass court tennis going on. Back in the day, grass courts suited my game better than any other surface. Grass courts tennis rewards hard serves and aggressive play, both of which...