Blogs
Monday Memo: Back to Egypt
3/20/2023
‘Back to Egypt’ I Was Thinking… Have you ever been greeted by the ‘Back to Egypt’ Committee? They are a fun group. Maybe you have even served on this illustrious team of well-intended people…I know I have served, and maybe even chaired, the committee on occasion. The ‘Back to Egypt’ Committee, also known as the “Cold Water’ or ‘Ain’t No Way’ Committee is that group that greets us when we return from an event, a conference, a trip, or a retreat with excitement ...
Monday Memo: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
3/6/2023
‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ I Was Thinking… Have you ever been ‘between a rock and a hard place’? Do you know the space of ‘betwixt and between’? Have you ever ‘hit a wall’ (figuratively or literally)? Has life set you in a ‘lose-lose’ situation…you know one of those ‘darned if you do and darned if you don’t’ (to say it politely) situations? I imagine all of us have found ourselves in these kinds of places and spaces in this journey called life. But have ...
Monday Memo: Unbelievable
2/20/2023
‘Unbelievable’ I Was Thinking… Ash Wednesday is this week. It signifies the beginning of the season of Lent, forty days (excluding Sundays) of honest soul searching and repentance. This Wednesday I will hear once again the words, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Both are important for my listening and responding…maybe for you too. I find myself watching way too much TV. Not only do I watch too ...
Monday Memo: Weighing Fish
1/23/2023
Weighing a Fish I Was Thinking… How much does a two-pound bass weigh? It depends. My maternal grandfather had a ten-acre pond which we fished regularly. We fished it with earthworms gathered from under the leaf pile behind the garage. We fished it with cane poles. If you have ever had the privilege of fishing with a cane pole, then you know. On a cane pole, a two-pound fish feels like a much larger fish…maybe this is where the idea of ‘fish tales’ originated. ...
Monday Memo: Objective Thought
1/16/2023
Objective Thought I Was Thinking… Objective – not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. Subjective – based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. (Oxford Languages) As I observe our world, our church, our relationships, our spiritual maturing, I see a need for ‘objective’ thought. ‘Subjective thought’ seems rampant and without challenge. Birds of a feather are not just sticking together; they are flying on each other’s backs. I...
Monday Memo: Turtle Doves
12/26/2022
‘Two Turtle Doves’ I Was Thinking… Merry Christmas, day two! This is ‘turtle doves’ day. Yesterday was a “partridge in a pear tree” first day of Christmas! Some say that this ‘partridge’ is symbolic of the Christ-child. I do hope your Christmas day was a day of celebration of the birth of a baby that was, is, and always will be the savior of the world…Emmanuel-God with us! In the beloved Christmas movie ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’. Mr. Duncan, of ...
Monday Memo: Fear Not or Fear Knot
12/19/2022
Fear Not or Fear Knot I Was Thinking… I have seen it all my life but this year, for some reason, it is jumping off the page at me. The angels, the messengers, were sent as the Messiah was sent to say to the Shepherds (and to us, I think) as a very first message “Fear Not!” Mathew Pinson, President of our Georgia Methodist Foundation and a dear friend, has pointed this out for me on several occasions…and, well, it sticks with me this year, unlike any year I can ...
Monday Memo: Wrong Turn
12/12/2022
Wrong Turn I Was Thinking… Have you ever made a wrong turn? A few weeks ago, I made a wrong turn into an egress lane in a Publix Grocery Store parking lot. There I was, face-to-face with a car that was moving in the correct direction. I was embarrassed that I had not paid better attention. But what stung me most was the posture of the other driver. His face became angry, and his hand motions were filled with “attitude”. His lips were moving and I’m glad I couldn’t...
Monday Memo: Holy Anticipation
11/7/2022
Holy Anticipation I Was Thinking… The great teacher of preachers and once named one of the best preachers in America, Fred Craddock, told a story about his call. I think on this Monday, it bears repeating. “Ministers as a lot are strange. I learned it quite early, at summer camp at Bethany Hills. I went every year. I liked summer camp—a beautiful place, good friends, and a lot of playing and eating and having fun. There was a minister there—the first minister I ...
Monday Memo: Together is Hard
10/3/2022
Together is Hard I was thinking... “We’re in this together!” Those are meaningful words when said or heard. Together is a powerful thought. It portrays the idea that we are not alone…someone else is walking with us…understands our situation…identifies with our human condition. “We’re in this together!” It seems we have finally discovered something for which we can be together. That something is a storm…Hurricane Ian. I heard it and saw it as one of the most ...