CASA

We had an informative talk from the Lonoke County CASA representatives, my Aunt and Uncle. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. They have been a part of this program for the last five years. “CASA volunteers are ordinary people who do extraordinary things for our community’s most vulnerable children. The volunteers offer a consistent […]... Read More

I Prefer a Messy Church

What is the mission of this church? The mission of the church is not to keep a nice, ordered, clean and comfortable church.  The mission of this church is to Make Disciples for Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.  And this will and should be a messy process. It was for Jesus and […]... Read More

Prevenient Grace

According to Wesley, prevenient grace is present in creation, which is a gift, in our families that we did not choose but which we inherit, in the church’s word and sacraments, which are gifts, and in a conscience, which drives us to do, what is right. We are surrounded by gifts we could never merit […]... Read More

Inviting

Sunday I preached about Jesus’ calling the disciples and the intriguing possibility that he may have already been friends with the first four he called from the Sea of Galilee (James, John, Simon, Andrew). It changes the dynamic a little to think that he was calling his friends to follow him into ministry versus total […]... Read More

United Methodist Women

The PURPOSE of United Methodist Women The Purpose is adopted by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church as the official mission statement of United Methodist Women. United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop […]... Read More

Rendering to Caesar

Mark 12:13-17 New International Version (NIV) 13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of […]... Read More

Hospitality

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.” I recently learned a lesson on hospitality, one that doesn’t usually affect me very often especially since becoming a pastor. People, especially church people, are quick to include me at the table. This wasn’t always the case. School was particularly difficult at times but since […]... Read More

LENT

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins today on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring”. The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then […]... Read More

Name your Demons

Sunday, I spoke about the need to name our own demons, both personally and as a church. We have a tendency to become so comfortable with the way things are that we don’t recognize that there is a problem with the church. We just show up and things keep going the same old way. I […]... Read More