Ministry

With all of the hullabaloo over guaranteed appointments possibly still being in effect, I find myself conflicted.  On the one hand I really am against ending guaranteed appointments without defining what we mean in terms of effectiveness (see my posts on accountability, power, and general thoughts on guaranteed appointments).  So it should be good news on one level.  If … [Read more...] about Ducks In A Row

Recently I heard a sermon on "claiming the Holy Spirit."  As I was listening to the sermon, I found myself agitated.  While everything the preacher said was technically correct, the sermon did not resonate with me.  I started to wonder if the Spirit was a gift or a conquest. At the heart of the sermon was the idea that if we claim the Holy Spirit, we could have power.  Our … [Read more...] about Claiming the Spirit?

To read part one, click here. *** I first started to think about the differences between churches and societies when I read an early version of  "The Systems That are Congregations" by the Reverend Taylor Burton-Edwards.  What really jumped out at me in the essay was how churches over time moved away from disciple-making.  It should be noted that Burton-Edwards uses the word … [Read more...] about Churches Versus Societies – Part Two

Several times in the last few months I have heard persons in positions of power reference John Wigger's American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists.  Each time they say they are reading it.  None have claimed to finish the book, which given the page count is understandable.  I am reading it, though it has taken the back burner to Bad Religion. Each time someone … [Read more...] about Churches Versus Societies – Part One

I was asked to pray at our village's Memorial Day service on May 28, 2012.  Here are two prayers that I wrote for the occasion. Invocation - Almighty God, We come together once again to remember all those who have died in the service to our country.  As we remember and honor the fallen, we beseech you to be with us.  Instill in us humble spirits as we invoke sacred memory.  … [Read more...] about Memorial Day Prayers 2012