The Worth of a Church
“The real worth of a church is not so much the vitality of its philosophy, not in the challenge of its program, but in the way in which it enriches the lives of its people.” Herman Adrian Spruit
July 2022
June 2022
Standing in Agreement with the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, UMC
From the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, United Methodist Church. A Response of Lament to the SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe V. Wade Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade creates gender, racial and economic injustice for all Americans. It [...]
Holy Spirit
Last week was Pentecost and we celebrated the BIG WOW! We listened to the story and noticed how the guys who snuck off instead of staying with Jesus on Good Friday suddenly became strong and courageous and spoke out, sharing the Good News. The Holy Spirit [...]
Stand up!
Recent events have caused many feelings, and perhaps it is time to utilize those feelings to act as our ancestors did. It is time for us to stand up, once again. “It was the powers of emotional stirrings within our original ancestors that stirred in [...]
May 2022
One in the Spirit….Love!
We find the words, “…so that they may all be one….” in today’s reading, John 17:20-26. These words might lead us to believe all denominations, all churches and parishes, all Christians are to understand, believe, and worship in exactly the same ways. Yet, history tells us [...]
About Judas, A Rhetorical Consideration
The first line of last Sunday’s reading reminds us of Judas’s part in the Holy Week story, so let’s spend a moment pondering this. How many loyal employees have been in his place? No, we aren’t asked to turn our boss over to the authorities, but [...]
God as Mother
As people in the United States celebrate Mother’s Day by honoring Mothers, let us also honor the feminine aspects of Creator God. Writers of the Scriptures have shown us that like earthly mothers who serve as our teachers, our comforter and our protector, God does the [...]
Do you love me?
The reason Jesus asked Peter the same question three times in John 21:15-19 may seem obvious. Peter denied Jesus three times just before the crucifixion and now must face those denials. Jesus gently gives him a way to do this so he could move forward. Not [...]
April 2022
Presiding Bishop’s Easter Message, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Peace, joy, and Apostolic Blessing Good Friday has come and gone in the liturgical cycle of the Church, yet in our secular experience, it seems as though we are still in the midst of it. The COVID 19 pandemic continues, [...]
God bless the women.
Depending upon your worship community, the service on Sunday morning may have started with a procession with palms and a story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Once inside the church, the service could have continued with a lengthy reading of the gospel story of the events [...]