The following is the text of a sermon I preached in chapel at United Theological Seminary on September 12, 2018. I don’t normally post sermons on my blog, but a few people have asked me for the text of this one. The biblical texts are Proverbs 1:20-33 and James 3:1-12. Years ago I was a…
The longer I study Christian Scripture, the more convinced I am that the Christian mind is a peculiar oddity. (I’ve written on this before, here, here, and here.) Put differently, through what Wesley called the “ordinances of God”–which include worship, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, the reading of Scripture, and fasting–our habits of mind become different…
The recent Roman Catholic sexual abuse scandal brings to mind a question I have heard many people ask over the years: If Christians believe what they claim to believe, why do all of these scandals keep taking place? The Church and Moral Failings To be perfectly clear, Roman Catholics certainly aren’t the only Christians who…
After a brief hiatus, we’re back with season 2 of the podcast. During the Merging the Streams conference at United (a celebration of 50 years of the UMC), we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Ted Campbell of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. The result was a conversation that I think…
It’s always fun when Bible passages make it into the news cycle. This time we have Jeff Sessions to thank. As Winston Churchill once quipped, we should never waste a good crisis. I’d like to take the opportunity, then, to make a few remarks about Romans 13, though to do so, I’ll have to back up to…
Methonerds, this is a special blog post just for you. It relates, however, to a Judicial Council decision that has significant implications for the whole church. In case you are not a United Methodist and are punishing yourself for some great sin by reading about our church politics, or you are a United Methodist and…
A recent CNN headline proclaims: This televangelist is asking his followers to buy him a $54 million private jet The televangelist in question is Jesse Duplantis, leader of Jesse Duplantis Ministries out of Louisiana. He apparently owns three other jets as well. (It’s hard to get by with just one, after all.) In response, my…
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...
Engaging the Disinterested
Musings and whatnot....
"For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." John 18:37
Doctrine Matters
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Reflections on Theology, History, and Culture
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A blog about The United Methodist Church
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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'
Holiness, Sustainability, and Tending Good Soil
Following in the footsteps of John Wesley
A Biblioblog with Nijay K Gupta and Christopher W Skinner
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Comments on the New Testament and Early Christianity (and related matters)
