If you are a Methodist preacher, Annual Conference is a vital part of your clergy year. Part family reunion, part revival, and part bureaucratic nightmare, the Western North Carolina Conference meeting has been a summer mainstay in my life since 1988. Here are the Top...
Yesterday's message was one of moderating and not moderating. For example, I originally had a bottom line that contrasted "diapers" and "Disney." But over the last week, Disney became known for the alligator who snatched the two year old boy, and so it just didn't...
As Preventology nears its conclusion -- it winds up on Sunday with How To Prevent Daddy Issues -- I thought it appropriate to reflect on some wisdom found beyond the book of Proverbs. Here's a sampling: You should always buy an umbrella when it's NOT raining. Ditto...
The Bible Study book Solve was released on May 17, 2016. The 2015 Solutionists series and the book that comes from it are both based on Nehemiah, one of Scripture’s neglected superstars. As I was involved in the creation and editing process, I wanted to reach out to...
I'm not going to lie. I liked yesterday's message a lot. I liked the set up for the sermon -- a song by Don Henley & Trish Yearwood called Words Can Break Your Heart. Don and Trisha weren't with us in person, mind you, but their roles were filled more than...
Anyone ever gotten in trouble because of something you said? Yeah, me too. That's why I think this week's Preventology message is one of the most important in the series. The book of Proverbs, our guide to preventing crises rather than managing them, has a lot to say...
Through the years, there have been some high profile athletes sporting #32 on their jersey. First there was Jim Brown: Then, OJ. You know, before: My favorite football 32 was not so well known . . . unless you grew up in Dallas and loved the Cowboys:...
Maybe it's because my own 32nd anniversary is coming up on Thursday. Maybe it's because I have a spate of weddings over the next few months. Maybe it's because that spate includes that of my own son & his fiance. But I've been thinking about what makes a good...
So is this what our future looks like? Is it inevitable? Will it be impact everyone? Or . . . will it be Donald's fault? Hillary's? Or the Libertarian candidate's? Or is there a completely different way to approach money, resources, and national crises? I...
If you Google the words “Shouting Methodist,” you’ll discover that the phrase is not an oxymoron. Instead, you’ll read these words in the first article: One name commonly applied to early nineteenth century Methodists was “shouting Methodists” – a name Methodists were...