The United Methodist Reporter featured a blog post by Scott Fritzsche entitled "Breaking up is hard to do (Let's Admit it is time)." The title aptly sums the essence of the post. I would politely contend though that he is wrong. Breaking up is obviously an option, but it is not the only option. While it may be the most expedient possibility, there are other possibilities … [Read more...] about Messiness
Living in Tension
Folks on Twitter today are disappointed that the bishops of the UMC did not come up with a plan to save the UMC. For faithful people who care deeply about Jesus and the church, this seems a bit weird. We have a savior and the bishops are not Jesus. Why should the bishops be the ones to save the church? Salvation in the Bible takes time. God did not immediately free the … [Read more...] about Living in Tension
Tension
In Andy Stanley's last leadership podcast, Andy raised the issue of conflicts vs tensions. Conflicts and tensions are often conflated with each other. Conflicts are situations that can and need to be resolved. Tensions are situations that need to be lived with. Stanley contends that tension can be healthy in the life of an organization. He gives three questions to be used … [Read more...] about Tension
The Need for Disagreement
With a group of United Methodist pastors saying that differences in the church cannot be reconciled, I think it needs to be said that not all differences need to be reconciled. Difference and dissension can be good things. They can lead to truth. I have been reading David Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest. As I read Halberstam's understanding of how the United … [Read more...] about The Need for Disagreement
Memorial Day Prayers 2014
I was asked to pray at our village's Memorial Day service on May 26, 2014. Here are two prayers that I wrote for the occasion. Invocation - Almighty and everlasting God, Once again we gather to remember those who have died in our country's battles. On this day we are reminded of the high cost of war. With awe, humility, pain, and pride, we invoke their memories. O … [Read more...] about Memorial Day Prayers 2014