Easter is about living, in the present and forever. In Charles Wesley’s masterful hymn “Christ The Lord is Risen Today,” the fourth stanza reads, Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! We are made…

In the earliest Christian art, the most popular representation is the Good Shepherd, a David-like figure carrying a lamb over his shoulders. After the Good Shepherd, the most popular figure is… wait for it…. Jonah. Really? Yep, Jonah. Images of Moses, Daniel, the three Hebrew young men protected within the furnace, and many other Old…

Good Friday is a holy day that we associate with atonement. This is the day that marks Christ’s death on the cross that makes atonement for the sins of humankind. As we read in Ephesians, in Christ Jesus, we who once were far off have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ…

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. Why do we need a World Down Syndrome Day? People with Down Syndrome represent one of the most misunderstood people groups in the world. They are commonly stereotyped, labeled, and marginalized. Until a generation ago, they were routinely institutionalized. Today, pregnancies in which the child is identified as…

United is hosting our third annual Light the Fire conference on April 18-19 at Ginghamsburg UMC. This year the topic is divine healing–physical, spiritual, emotional. The speakers and workshop leaders include world class scholars, UM bishops, and internationally known church leaders. Proceeds from the conference will go to support the Ginghamsburg Sudan project. This is…

Years ago, when I was an MDiv student, I sat in Billy Abraham’s evangelism class and listened to him talk about the need for serious catechesis in the United Methodist Church. A couple of years ago, this issue came up again in a conversation that Billy and I had at a conference, and out of…

If you haven’t seen it, please check out this video of a restaurant owner who happens to have Down Syndrome. Pretty incredible. 

A lecture I gave sometime back on the Bible and church renewal….