The United Methodist Church gave the Council of Bishops two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to come up with a new solution that would stop our fighting and allow us to move forward focused on our mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ. Unbelievably,...

I don’t have a crystal ball. I’m not a prophet. And I’m not claiming to have “a word from God.” But I think I can see how the called General Conference may end next February. The bishops have spoken predominantly about two options which they are likely to put forth....

Soon we will know which plan or plans the United Methodist Council of Bishops will recommend to the extraordinary General Conference in St. Louis. In just a matter of months we will learn how the Council proposes to resolve our denomination’s emotional and destructive...

  Imagine that there was a package under your Christmas tree with your name on it. The paper was bright and colorful. The bow was beautiful with just enough glitter that it sparkled in the glow of the lights on the tree. With packaging like that, you could hardly...

We all need the same things: air to breathe, food to eat, a place to sleep, a sense of security, a feeling of self-worth. When it comes to needs, we’re all the same. It’s your wants that make you different. It’s your wants that determine who you are and the choices...

If you were to summarize one rather stark section of the Apostle Paul’s message to the Corinthians, it might be: God loves you and has a dangerous plan for your life. He reminds the congregation that he has “been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely,...

The Apostle John introduces us to the beautiful life of Jesus with words that are at the same time simple and profound: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Later in chapter one, he writes: “The Word became flesh and made...

Whenever a therapist listens to a hurting family, there are always presenting issues and the deeper issues. Fourteen-year-old Timmy is cutting class and piercing body parts, and sixteen-year-old Suzy is not coming home at night and when she does, there’s alcohol on...

One of the great preachers of early Methodism was named Peter Cartwright. During the first two decades of the 1800’s he preached along the growing American frontier, and he didn’t pull any punches. In October, 1818, he was preaching a revival in Nashville. As the...

Several years ago I was with a couple in my office when I heard a knock on my door. I was surprised. It was late on a Sunday afternoon and no one was at the church but the couple and myself. The lights in the reception area were off and I certainly wasn’t expecting...