Tag: Mission

Doing the Unexpected
Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life

Doing the Unexpected

So, February was an interesting month.

Maybe it wasn’t for you, but it certainly was for me. It started with a trip to the Holy Land where I led 20 others to experience the sites that are holy and sacred to our faith. A few days after touching down, I visited to doctor to figure out why I passed out in Newark after clearing customs. A few days later, I was here in Huntington to meet with members of our Staff Parish Relations Team for the first time and to begin to dream about what this season of life would look like for you, for our church, and our family. After that, I went to St. Louis.

I didn’t go to catch a glimpse at Busch Stadium or to eat good barbecue at Sugarfire. I did, however, do both of those things. I was there for General Conference.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of General Conference, let me give you a quick synopsis. It is the lone body that can speak on behalf of the entire United Methodist Church. The appointed body gathers to pray, worship, and discern where God is leading us over the next four years. The work of that body and its deliberative process is what comprises our Book of Discipline, which is our covenant between God and one another for how we seek to live out our faith and organize ourselves. Continue reading “Doing the Unexpected”

Advertisements
Making Room for Children
Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life

Making Room for Children

On Sunday, we announced that my wife and I are expecting the birth of our second child. I still smile at the reaction from the congregation as we played the announce video and the ultrasound image flashed onto the screen. There was excitement, joy, and, yes, hope.

We are right there with those emotions. We have long desired a second child, and that it is finally happening is a blessing and a joy. There is a part of me that wants April 2020 to come now. I don’t have a lot of patience for standing around waiting. I’m pretty sure Abbi is ready for me to find something to occupy my mind so I’m not bugging her about getting ready now.

There is, however, a lot of work that goes into getting ready for a new baby. There are the obvious preparatory needs, such as the doctor’s appointments, purchasing new items, and getting the house ready for a new child. There is also the harder work of preparing your children, if you already have any, on what that new life will look like and, of course, that you will not love them any less.

All of this work makes me wonder … what does it look like to get ready for new families and children in the church? Continue reading “Making Room for Children”

What Will We Do?
Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Sermon

What Will We Do?

One of the highlights of my ministry has been to go to the Holy Land. I’ve gone twice now either with the encouragement of the church, or this last time, with 20 people from my previous church and community.

Each trip has been holy and have included some breathtaking moments. They have included teaching adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea and on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, preaching sermons in Israel, and offering communion to pilgrims in Jerusalem. They have also included some hilarity in what I call my classic “Clark Griswald” moments. I had a stress fracture during my first trip for stepping off the bus wrong. In February, I spent the entire trip with both food poisoning and asthma issues.

And I want to go back. I want to go back, because every time I have gone it has opened my eyes more to the life within Scripture. The pages are no longer just words, but are lived out places of life, hope, and struggle. My preaching is better because of my experiences in Israel.

Our passage today, from Luke 10:25-37, is among those that I have a different appreciation for after visiting the Holy Land. The story takes place somewhere between Jerusalem and Jericho. This is same area Jesus would travel throughout the majority of Luke’s gospel on his way to the passion. These two historic cities are separated by almost 20 miles and a vast arid desert.

That desert includes the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The same valley cemented in our minds through the words of Psalm 23. It is a rocky and desolate place, but also features several meandering roads. Those roads were regularly traversed by people wanting to go between Jerusalem and Jericho. It was a dangerous road, because robbers and bandits would hide in between the valley’s ridges waiting to attack unsuspecting travelers. It would not be uncommon to see someone lying on the road left for dead.

So, with all of that, and knowing all of that, what would you do? Continue reading “What Will We Do?”

Why I’m Not Looking Forward to Annual Conference
Christian Leadership, United Methodist Church

Why I’m Not Looking Forward to Annual Conference

Next week, members of the Kentucky Annual Conference will gather in Covington at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center for Annual Conference. The three-day event is typically a “family reunion,” where friends gather to reconnect, worship, and discern where God is leading our movement in the coming year.

I’m usually excited for this annual gathering. This year, however, I dread going to annual conference.

It has nothing to do with fighting Northern Kentucky traffic. It has nothing to do with my annual search for an affordable meal option. It even has nothing to do with the long lines for coffee during breaks.

It has everything to do with the current state of our denomination. We are in a state of infighting, which is not healthy for the long-term mission and vitality of the church. Continue reading “Why I’m Not Looking Forward to Annual Conference”