This year’s presidential election has highlighted concerns over illegal immigration. According to the Pew Research Center, there were about 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in 2014. About half of these were Mexican. While Mexicans make up the highest number, however, in many parts of Latin America people are fleeing their homes, attempting to…
The Wesleyan Covenant Association has become a source of controversy among some in our denomination. Only in times such as these could a group that affirms all of the central teachings of United Methodism, is led primarily by pastors who have kept their ordination vows and pay their apportionments, and has publicly disavowed the intention…
This is a brief section of a book on biblical interpretation that I’ve been working on. If you have constructive comments and criticism, I’d be glad to receive feedback. We need to know who the true God is and what this God has done for us. We need to know this because it is more…
When I was a grad student, I wrote to a couple of different biblical scholars for some additional information on pieces they had written. One–whose name I won’t mention– responded with a dismissive one-sentence reply, as if he could hardly be bothered to spend another second dealing with someone as unimportant as me. The second…
Some time back I published an article suggesting that evangelicals should not support Donald Trump. One of the most common responses I received was, “He’s better than Hillary Clinton!” Whether or not that’s true, the Republican primary was still ongoing at the time, so it was not a foregone conclusion that Trump would be his…
There was a time when many mainline Protestants would simply not have been open to the idea of “miracles,” or God’s direct intervention into the matrix of events in our lives. These days that seems to have changed. Many westerners today seem more willing than ever to acknowledge the existence and activity of an “unseen…
Not long ago I wrote a post on faith and disability resources. A friend of mine was kind enough to point out some resources I had left out. (Thanks, Lynn Swedberg!) The first list wasn’t supposed to be exhaustive by any means, but these additional resources are important, and I’m glad to provide links to…
Many of us are, says Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Particularly since the internet has become a part of our lives, our tendency is to multitask almost all of the time. For example, I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve written with my email inbox open.…
Some time back my friend Andrew Thompson called me and asked if I would be interested in writing the introduction to a very interesting volume. It would include, first of all, John Wesley’s journal entry of May 24, 1738, which recounts his “Aldersgate experience”–you know, the one where he felt his heart “strangely warmed.” You may remember…
This year I have the privilege of presenting at the clergy and laity sessions of the West Ohio Annual Conference. The topic of my presentation will be ministry with people with disabilities. Because it’s simply impossible to say everything I’d like to say in a 30-minute presentation, I’ve included some supplemental resources here. This includes…
Pursuing Jesus
These are the thoughts, prayers, stories, sermons, and devotions from a simple pastor. May you be blessed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as you read...
Musings and whatnot....
Finding the humor, beauty, and purpose in the mess of motherhood
Doctrine Matters
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Reflections from Jacob J. Prahlow
humor | musings | fiction
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work and prayer of a jesus follower
Who is my ideal reader? Well, ideal means non-existent. I have no notion of whom I’m writing for. Guy Davenport
'An arrow through the air' - Notes of a Methodist pastor
Holiness, Sustainability, and Tending Good Soil
two of us are tall and the other one of us is short and has Down syndrome
Comments on the New Testament and Early Christianity (and related matters)
David F. Watson 