I take it for granted that the UMC will begin a formal division after the 2020 General Conference. We no longer practice a common polity, and thus we cannot hold together as an institution. As the Academic Dean of a seminary, I have lots of conversations with pastors. Most understand the reality we now face…
I’m excited to announce the arrival of a new book by my colleague, Dr. Joni Sancken, Associate Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary. The book is called Words That Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls (Abingdon, 2019, 122 pp.). From the back of the book: Words That Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls offers students and preachers…
I wanted to get some distance from the General Conference before writing. It was an gut-wrenching experience, full of sadness and conflict. If you were a delegate, I can’t imagine how hard it was. I’m sorry for what you went through. Since I returned I’ve been pondering a tweet by Chris Ritter: The folks back…
In short, yes. For those of you who are interested in more detail, a few days ago I tweeted the following: Reading Wesley on original sin. I’ve heard people say that JW did not affirm total depravity. He certainly did. A Wesleyan allergy to Calvinism shouldn’t cause us to see difference where it doesn’t exist.…
I was recently invited to participate in a dialogue on the authority of Scripture at United Theological Seminary with friend, Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter. We were each given fifteen minutes to talk about how we conceive of Scripture’s authority. The following is the basic text of my presentation. I’ve edited it a bit to make…
In 1995 Billy Abraham published a book called Waking from Doctrinal Amnesia. Its basic premise is that, within the United Methodist Church, we have forgotten who we are and what we stand for. United Methodists are not the only Christians to have forgotten these basic markers of Christian identity. Throughout mainline Protestantism, increasingly in evangelicalism,…
Yes, the Christmas story is full of miracles: the virginal conception and birth, the birth of John the Baptist, the incarnation, the angelic heralds, the attendant prophecies…. There is, however, another miracle that we don’t always talk about this time of year, though it is described beautifully in the poetry of Charles Wesley’s “Hark! The…
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...
Equipping 21st Century Sojourners
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
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)
