(A Sermon for Holy Saturday) Read: Lamentations 3:31-40; Psalm 69; I Peter 3:18-4:6; John 5:24-30 Hell. Polite Christianity does not know what to do with the doctrine of hell, so most people avoid the subject and the word altogether– at least until they hit their thumb with a hammer or experience someone rudely cutting them … Continue reading He Descended into Hell
... pace yourself. Lent is not just a season, it is a journey. It also recalls many journeys taken throughout salvation history. When rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, God bore up Noah and his family on a seafaring journey that led to new beginnings for humans and animals alike. … Continue reading Lent is a journey …
https://youtu.be/tqk5r4q6eRY Snowmeggadon 2018 hit NC in December. Our team at FUMCG decided to pre-record worship before the storm hit (one that dumped over 11 inches). Here is the result ... It is not often that I ever cancel worship due to inclement weather. This past weekend was an exception to that rule. When one can … Continue reading Snow Worship 2018
A Pastor's Reflections on the Upcoming Special Session of General Conference Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash A Year of Mixed Emotions This year has been eventful. In January my family experienced great heartache and sadness when my youngest brother, Kenny, took his own life. The ensuing months have reminded me of what I often tell others: 1) grief … Continue reading The Sky is Falling?
November this year was full and pastoral ministry ended up focusing a lot on bereavement care with families experiencing loss. At some point during those weeks, my wife and I decided to try and get away for 2-3 days in early Advent so we could pray, read, and do some planning and writing. It was … Continue reading Advent Retreat 2018
Friends and family, I want to thank all of you for joining us today for a celebration of Kenny’s life. None of us want to be here today, but here we are. In the midst of death, we are, against all odds and all forces that might suggest otherwise … we are here to proclaim … Continue reading Defining a Life and a Love – A Funeral Sermon for my Brother
It is a beautiful Saturday morning in the fall. Over the past 3 years, my wife and I have begun living into what we have termed #aPastorsShabbat which begins every Friday evening and continues until Saturday evening. What started out as an "etch a sketch" type of practice in our home has begun to take … Continue reading Every Seventh Day a Miracle
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