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So-Called Comfort (sermon 2 on Job)
When Friends Come When the going gets tough in your life … who shows up? What do they do? What do they say? “When Job’s three friends heard about all this disaster that had happened to him, they came, each one from his home – they wept loudly … each one tore his garment and
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Weathering the Storm (sermon blogging … intro to a new series on Job)
When the Storm Comes Sometimes a picture says it all. This is Mississippi, but it could be anywhere, USA. This woman is carrying clothing out of a flooded house. She is wading through standing, muddy water that is under everything, and yet she has not thrown up her arms in despair. She is doing what she
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Goodness is Stronger than Evil
We live in interesting times. No one could have guessed that the summer of 2015 would bring a different kind of heat to so much of our common life and discourse in our local communities and nation. I have an AP app (Associated Press) on my smart phone that sends me a short blurb with
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10 Things I Pray
10 Things I’m praying for Graham and Alamance County residents right now: 1. That the cross would be the central symbol and heritage around which we rally and unite (1 Corinthians 2:2; John 12:32) 2. That the Holy Spirit would fan flames of righteous indignation in us for the things that outrage God (things like:
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How Pope Francis could help the next General Conference of the UMC
A recent article in “The Atlantic” grabbed my attention. Any writer or magazine editor worth their salt knows that well worded titles and front page blurbs can do that. Well, the strategy worked on me. The May edition of “The Atlantic” led with cover line teasers like: “Can Starbucks Save the Middle Class?,” “Teaching Bankers
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A Different Kind of Christmas Gift
Dear FUMCG Friends, I hope you and your family are enjoying these summer days with family and friends. Though all of our schedules are a bit different over these months, our church family is continuing to dream God-sized dreams for our church and our shared ministries. One of the outcomes of our recent season of
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My First Sermon Planning Retreat …
And why I have already planned my next one. As I have already mentioned here, I have recently returned from my first sermon planning retreat and wanted to share some of my insights and learnings. First let me share with you some of the logistics and then outline how I structured my time. I should
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Sermon Planning – Series or Lectionary?
Yesterday I returned from my first ever sermon planning retreat. For several years now I have been planning my sermons on the run, fitting a few solid half-days into my regular work week at the church study, hoping and praying that no emergencies or minor distractions would come knocking. It has worked, but I always
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My Cyber Sermon Suggestion Box for 2014
Next week I am taking a much needed few days to pray, read, and do sermon planning for 2014. For those of you who don’t know, I am a preacher that uses both the lectionary and sermon series at various times of the year. As all who are part of our worship team at FUMC
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Humanity as it could be …
“Humanity as it could be … as most of wish it would be.” This video story had me singing the hymn by Oliver and Miguel Manzano: When our homes are filled with goodness in abundance, when we learn how to make peace instead of war, when each stranger that we meet is called a neighbor,
Welcome to my blog! I love theology, life, writing … and the three things often intersect on this blog. I am not sure where I first heard it, but I have never forgotten the quote: “Give me anything and I can tell you about God.” I like that. It doesn’t matter what it is – movies, pop culture, politics, the church, music, motorcycles, basketball, the beach, the mountains, war, hunger, love, forgiveness, or people and personalities – it is all raw material for reflection on the mystery and majesty of God.
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