The Concerns of God

Scripture:  Matthew 16:21-28 There have been a lot of successful game shows over the years, but one of the most enduring has been Family Feud.   There is a good chance that you have some familiarity with this show that pits two families against each other to guess the top answers given to various survey questions.  … [Read more…]

Revealed

Scripture:  Matthew 16: 13-20 The United Methodist church is a connectional church.   As many of you are aware one of the prominent ways that local churches experience that connection is in how a church gets pastors.  Clergy are not hired by the local church but they are appointed by the conference. So in February of … [Read more…]

Under the Hood

Scripture:  Matthew 15:10-20 Last Sunday my son got to go to the Pennzoil 200, the NASCAR race that takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  He went with my dad who has been attending the NASCAR races at the speedway since the first Brickyard 400 back in 1994.  For decades now NASCAR has been the … [Read more…]

Why Do You Doubt?

Scripture:  Matthew 14:22-33 I do not really know why, but it seems that we as humans love the water.   Usually the number one reason why we cannot wait for summer is because it means we can either get into the pool, go out on the lake, take the kayak down the river, or just sit … [Read more…]

Divine Riddles

Scripture:  Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52 This summer was the fifteenth time to be part of a camp directing team for church camp.  One of the things that I think is kind of neat is how every year the general vibe and culture that a week of camp generates is different.   Even though there can be returning … [Read more…]

August Pastor’s Article

One of the points that is regularly taught in our Confirmation classes to young people is that the United Methodist church is a connectional church as opposed to a congregational church.  A congregational church is a local church that exists completely on its own.  Its mission, its policies, its structure, and its support network all … [Read more…]

Dirty Church

Scripture:  Matthew 13:1-9;18-23 It is often the case that actions taken with the best of intentions lead to unforeseen consequences.   This was definitely the case when as part of the New Deal the Civilian Conservation Corps began a project to help with soil erosion.  In the 1930’s after the disastrous dust bowl that impacted the … [Read more…]

Absolutely Nothing

Scripture:  Romans 8:26-39 William Thomson, or as he was better known by his noble title, Lord Kelvin was something of a scientific renaissance man.  He began his career in mathematics before becoming incredibly interested in the applied mathematics of physics, and towards the end of his life moved to making innovations in engineering and he … [Read more…]

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Scripture:  Matthew 11:25-30 I have a bad habit of saying “yes”, and that can sometimes get me committed to doing all kinds of things.  For instance all the way back in 2015 I was asked to be on the District Committee on Ministries for the Southeast district and I said yes. The DCoM is the … [Read more…]