Blogs
Monday Memo: Knowing the Ending
10/25/2021
Knowing the Ending I was thinking... As an Atlanta Braves fan, I remember the days when the Braves were proverbial cellar dwellers. At the age of 9 years my parents took me to the very first baseball game played at the former Atlanta Stadium. It was a magical moment and my love for baseball and the Braves were cemented for life. In the early 90’s when the Braves surprised the world and began their remarkable 15-year division winning streak, I was beyond elated. I...
Monday Memo: Windshields and Rear View Mirrors
10/18/2021
Hard Conversations I was thinking... Looking back and looking ahead is an interesting balance. Looking back should inform the looking ahead. I am grateful that my rear-view mirror is small compared to my windshield…a great metaphor for life and for ministry. When looking back is larger than looking ahead, there rises the potential for frustration and a cycle of analysis that can paralyze the most well intended church community. During these days of pandemic and ...
Monday Memo: Hard Conversations
10/11/2021
Hard Conversations I was thinking... Hard conversations are hard! Holding someone accountable for their actions or being held accountable for our own actions can be less ‘warm fuzzy’ and more ‘anxiety producing’. The people I have met who ‘enjoy’ hard conversations are usually not the ones you want having those conversations. Hard conversations should be hard, difficult, and challenging. If they are not, then one must wonder if there’s not a bully somewhere to...
Monday Memo: All is Lost?
10/4/2021
All is Lost? I was thinking... The story is told that when John D. Rockefeller died, his accountant was asked, “How much did John D. leave?” The accountant’s reply? “All of it.” We came into the world with nothing. We will exit the world with nothing. Life’s meaning (or the lack thereof) is found in what we do with what we have in between birth and death. I love the story told by Max Lucado in his book on the promise of Psalm 23 entitled Traveling Light. My wife,...
Monday Memo: In Front of Our Nose
9/27/2021
In Front Of Our Nose I was thinking... Can we see what is in front of us? George Orwell is quoted to have said, “To see what is in front of one’s nose is a constant struggle.” (In Front of Your Nose, March 2017) As I read Orwell’s comment it caused me to pause and ask “What am I missing that is right in front of my nose? One way of asking this question is “What are my blind spots?” We all have blind spots. That is one of the biggest reasons we need each other. ...
Monday Memo: Currency of Life
9/13/2021
Currency of Life I was thinking... I am not certain where I first became aware of the quote “Relationship is the currency of ministry.” It was one of those ‘Amen’ moments for me. It is theologically and practically grounded. When the world was created God sought relationship with creation. When man and woman disobeyed, that relationship was fractured. From that moment forward God sought to restore that relationship even amongst the circumstances of sin. Despite ...
Monday Memo: A Teachable Spirit
8/23/2021
Healthy Thinking I was thinking... Wildfires in the western states. Earthquake in Haiti. Tropical storms lining up in the Atlantic basin. Drought in the Northwest. Is it climate change or just seasonal cycles? Unfortunately, the answer to that question has become too politically charged for healthy thinking. Get vaccinated. Don’t get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. Require vaccination proof to enter certain venues. Limit the number of persons in ...
Monday Memo: A Teachable Spirit
8/16/2021
A Teachable Spirit I was thinking... Perhaps you have seen this quote recently… “Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing whether or not to say it.” It caught my attention because from where I sit there seems to be a whole lot of ‘know-it-all’ mentality with very little wisdom these days. In one of my earliest church appointments a lady said to me “If you think it, you might as well say it”. She caught me off guard so much so that my response was ...
Monday Memo: Confession
8/2/2021
Confession I was thinking... Trying to teach the meaning of ‘confession’, a Sunday School teacher asks her class of 5th graders, “Can anyone tell me what must be done before someone receives forgiveness of sin?” After a few moments of silence, a small voice from the back of the classroom replied, “First, you gotta sin!” Out of the mouths of babes! Lord Thomas Robert Dewar was a Scottish Whiskey distiller who, along with his brother, John built their family ...
Goodbye: God Be with You
5/12/2021
It’s hard to believe that this is my last blog as your District Superintendent. Where has the time gone? It seems like it was just yesterday that we had my installation service at Conyers First UMC. It’s been a pleasure serving alongside you for the past four years. You have taught me so much about church leadership and ministry. I’ve enjoyed hearing how God uses you to engage with your community as you imagine new ways to connect people with Jesus. You continue to amaze me with your ...