e-Soundings

How many new year Resolutions have you made and kept?

New Year’s is a time to set goals, even when we have a history of failing to reach those goals. We often lack the commitment, the means, or the time to make those goals a reality. We often get distracted... Read more →

Unspoken Prayers... the most powerful prayers of all.

"A “contemplative prayer” moves away from memorized lines and various grammatical forms to a deep and peaceful absence of all the thoughts that are usually whirling and careening around my head. Contemplative prayer encourages deep quiet. Contemplative prayer encourages me to set aside all my thoughts and speculations and simply listen." Read more →

“Hello, I’m_______” ...Are you ready for new worshippers? (An "Extravagant Hospitality" Primer)

The Covid protocols for distancing, masking, and sanitizing are relaxing quickly. Barring any resurgence of the pandemic, live, in-person worship is quickly being re-instituted. As we slowly get back together, we’re finding people are hungry to gather again in worship... Read more →

Why doesn’t the “Easter High” last? ...................Maybe we can change that?

“Every morning is Easter Morning” (by Avery & Marsh) is a song that proclaims the gospel like no other. It's sings out the reality that Easter is now every day. Death is no more. This is the Good News that... Read more →

“It’s Good Christmas Grief 2021, Charlie Brown”

Are you addressing the widespread grief we are all carrying in your messages this season? Are you being open and honest about your own grief? Back when 9/11 happened, one response was full churches. Grief, along with anger, confusion and... Read more →

Are you Sidestepping the Apocalypse? (...for a "nice" Jesus?)

Do you shy away from the passages that talk of destruction and death, wars and rumors of war, of stone falling away from stone and walls destroyed, of earthquakes and famine? Every year in November, we end the Lectionary year... Read more →

What’s your “Follow up” for after Christmas?

With a little preparation, the covenant community of Christ, the church, can offer a safe and healing place, a place to start over again and incorporate important changes in our lives. It can a place where life can move closer to God’s dream for all of us if we can help it be that way. Read more →

E-Z Small Groups – 3 Steps to Starting New Groups & Keeping Sm. Groups VITAL

   It’s no secret: Small Groups take a substantial investment in start-up time, leadership training and “overhead/maintenance time.”  The lead pastor is usually instructed to commit significant time or hire a specialist staff member. ... There are three simple and straight forward that if done enthusiastically, can drastically reduce the amount of overheard needed to keep small groups going.  Read more →

Breaking our Methodist Heart, once again........

What is the most sad and deeply disheartening about this whole impasse / separation action being considered by the United Methodist Church is that we truly need both "sides" as well as the "middle" in order to deeply and profoundly explore the gospel message for our sexualized society today. Read more →

What's in a #?............. #unconditonallove .......... #gracefulforgiveness.... #eternallovenow ............. #radicalservice

Hashtags are one word "tag lines" that reveal a special handle for web content. In this "Agapé Season" of our lives, Joanne and I have identified these four words as "words" to live by. They express the basic Christian outlook,... Read more →