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 →

Easter Changes Everything!... .......or does it?

Easter proclaims the most transformative event in the history of the world.  Billions of lives have been changed because of its truth and power.   Yet today, 2,000 years after the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, it’s treated like another secular holiday.  For most people it’s devoid of the power expected the most important “Holy Day” of the year! What if.......during LENT:   We took a small step to turn Lent into the profound preparation for the gateway of Easter it was meant to be. 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 →

Dr. John Cobb says "The liberal church is dying (1)” ....Will you die with it?

In his recent book “Salvation(2)”, Dr. Cobb asks the penetrating question: “What is the (liberal) church doing that you can’t get without going to church (3)” (and he cites his own son as a example of someone who had a... Read more →

The 21st Century "Tsunami": Church survival with an "Ancient/Future" solution...

Is your church relevant in the face of such overwhelming issues?  Is there not only comfort in the midst of pain, but hope, healing, reconciliation and wholeness? Are you in touch with these 21st Century concerns?  ...Or are you (and your church) in a “bubble of personal perception” while major issues and concerns that drastically effect people’s lives flood all around you? 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 →

Is your church ready for recovery? ...or is it bed-ridden........?? (pt 3 of 3 on Post-Covid Worship)

Gather your Core group, ...your most faithful leadership... to Study and discuss: (By Zoom or in person) “Can our Church be Re-born After Covid?” A Plan of action for Church Leadership (#3 of 3 articles) Set aside two hours with... Read more →

Easter is Vanishing...

This Easter, I listened to many preachers and worshipping congregations proclaim “He is Risen!"  I heard leaders pleading for enthusiasm, and people weakly responding.  They sung familiar words such as: “Love’s redeeming work is DONE!”, ...”made like him, LIKE  HIM WE RISE.”,  “Easter People, raise your voices, SOUNDS OF HEAVEN in earth should ring...”, and “ALL CREATION IS REBORN!” But they all rang hollow as we all returned to our daily struggle hours and days later. What the Easter hymns were proclaiming was a total, radical transformation not just of us, but of all creation!  Read more →