Blogs
Monday Memo: Making a Difference
4/25/2022
Making a Difference I was thinking... There were two old men living in the backwoods of east Texas named Rufus and Clarence. They lived on the opposite sides of the river and hated each other. Every morning just after sunrise, Rufus and Clarence would go down to their respective sides of the river and yell at each other. “Rufus,” Clarence would shout. “You better thank your lucky stars I can’t swim or I’d swim this river and whup you!” “Clarence!” Rufus would ...
Monday Memo: Social Media Resurrection
4/18/2022
Social Media Resurrection I was thinking... On this Easter Monday, I was wondering what it would be like if the Disciples in the day of Jesus would have had social media? What would they post? What would they not post? Who would they ‘friend’ and who might they ‘unfriend’? What would they ‘tweet’ or ‘retweet’? What photos would appear on Instagram? What moments would they share with family and friends on Snapchat? Those first century disciples certainly ...
Holy Week Social Media Resources: Free for You to Share
4/11/2022
Holy Week is a sacred time within our church calendar that we observe the events leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection. When it comes to communicating this on social media, we want to connect you with some helpful resources! We hope these resources will help you share God’s love to your community and world. GRAPHICS Stop your audience with eye-catching graphics! Here are resources for free graphics, with the opportunity to subscribe if you’d like. Church Motion Graphics Canva Igniter ...
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Monday Memo: Champions
4/11/2022
Champions I was thinking... What makes a champion? The Atlanta Braves have entered the baseball season described as a season to ‘defend their championship’. It is certainly a great marketing strategy to ‘defend as a champion’. It makes for good headlines, story lines and prognostications. Can the Braves repeat as World Series Champions? The odds are not favorable. Back-to-back World Series Championships haven’t occurred since those stinking Yankees did it three ...
Monday Memo: Forgiving Myself
4/4/2022
Forgiving Myself I was thinking... “If you have forgiven yourself for being imperfect and falling, you can now do it for just about everybody else. If you have not done it for yourself, I am afraid you will likely pass on your sadness, absurdity, judgment, and futility to others. This is the tragic path of the many elderly people who have not become actual elders, probably because they were never eldered or mentored themselves.” (Falling Upward, Richard Rohr, ...
Monday Memo: Edging God Out
3/21/2022
Edging God Out I was thinking... Years ago, I attended a continuing education event that was instrumental toward my growth as a minister and as a person. The book “When God Builds a Church” by Bob Russell was included in the curriculum. While the theology of the event and of the book is far from Wesleyan, there were some real gems that cross all theological lines. For example, the section on ‘Uncontrolled Ego’ reaches far beyond any theological boundary. “It’s ...
Monday Memo: Rebooting Life
3/14/2022
Rebooting Life I was thinking... Isn’t it interesting how the things of life can often ‘reboot’ our lives? Recently I was honored to offer the Memorial Message for a 90-year-old lady who had great importance in my life. She and her husband were the first to welcome Sharon, our two young sons, and me to our first appointment after Seminary. Her husband was Chair of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. They invited us to their home and the rest (as is often said)...
Monday Memo: Cluttered
3/7/2022
Cluttered I was thinking... My thinking this week is cluttered. Have you ever experienced cluttered thinking? I’m guessing you have, and I’m not alone in my cluttered thinking. I’m thinking of the people of Ukraine and the unthinkable decisions that they are having to make: stay or leave, send wife and children to be refugees while husband/father stay and fight, where is it safe to shelter, where is food for my next meal, where are the necessities of life to be ...
Lenten Spiritual Practices and Resource Recommendations
3/1/2022
Wednesday starts the beginning of Lent, a season of introspection and self-reflection. If you are new to church or grew up in a church that did not follow the liturgical calendar, this season might sound unfamiliar. Lent is a time of preparation and is intended to help us prepare our hearts for Easter. As a way of preparing, people tend to adopt a spiritual practice for the 40 days of Lent, which excludes Sundays due to the practice of celebration on these “mini-Easters.” Spiritual practices, ...
Monday Memo: Seeking Relevance
2/28/2022
Seeking Relevance I was thinking... Having been nurtured and mentored through the small membership church, I am eternally grateful for Pomona and Mt. Zion UMC in Griffin, Georgia. My dad was appointed to that charge as I was entering the first grade. He would Pastor those two small churches as a Part-time local pastor until I was finishing my junior year in college. Those people…Sunday School teachers, youth counselors, encouragers of all walks in life, shaped ...