June 2010
2 posts
WatchMy desktop fish enjoying their afternoon snack.
2 tags
Book of Resolutions
I am taking a summer term class on UM Polity. Today, over lunch, I was reading the introductory and preface material of the Book of Resolutions. I actually purchased a copy of the book last year at the advice of my professor, Steve Harper, as I prepare my paperwork for ordination. The B.O.R provides “all current and official social policies and other resolutions” for the United...
March 2010
1 post
1 tag
“Community is “a deep form of togetherness and love found when we embark on...”
– Alan Hirsh, The Forgotten Ways, 240. I used this quote in a blog I wrote for the seminary about community life on a commuter campus.
February 2010
2 posts
6 tags
Define: Love - Define: Ethics
I was working on some assigned reading last week and I turned to google to define a word I was not familiar with. Now two google features are involved in the above picture. First, you can type “define:” and a word to search for definitions. Second, google will suggest the top results people searched for. Therefore, the picture above are the top word results people are looking up....
January 2010
2 posts
2 tags
“Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”
– from biologist John Logsdon in an interview on NPR this mornign talking about the bdelloid rotifer. Very interesting story about the mating habits, or lack there of, in this worm. However, the quote reminded me that just because I do not see God working in me, the world, or others at times does not...
4 tags
Book Review: The Liturgical Year by Joan...
Chittister’s work is written from her years of living life through the liturgical calendar. Her perspective is distinctly catholic, but presented in a manner that welcomes a protestant, like myself, to join in. She writes for the everyday person. After all, liturgy is “the work of the people,” and The Liturgical Year aims to engage the everyday follower of Jesus to follow His everyday life....
December 2009
3 posts
6 tags
Love Breaking In
I had the opportunity this past weekend to preach at Aloma UMC in Winter Park. I was following a Christmas/Advent theme, and my topic was the “Gift of Love.” I worked from Matthew 1:18-25. Below is a blog form of the message.
Background
This passage fits nicely with Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus from Mary’s point of view. There is no contradiction in...
6 tags
“Unmanaged time flows toward my weaknesses”
– Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World
November 2009
3 posts
2 tags
“The Spirit is like seeing a friend at a party and saying to him, “Oh, I...”
– Dr. Thomas Buchan
4 tags
“The Methodist movement started on a college campus.”
– Will Willimon. Studying the Bible as Wesleyans. Podcast.
Willimon was not directly talking about campus ministry, he was preaching on the success which started the Methodist movement and carries it to today. It was at the University of Oxford, where John Wesley was preparing for the priesthood,...
1 tag
“Pulled Up Green”
– Dr. Steve Harper, Professor of Spiritual Formation at Asbury Seminary Florida Campus
Steve preached a sermon last year which he prefaced by saying he “Pulled it up Green.” What he meant was the idea had not yet fully formed. It was not 100% worked out. In spite of its...
October 2009
3 posts
I'm a Certified Candidate!!
It’s official, I just left the District Committee Board of Ordained Ministry (United Methodist) and I am officially a certified candidate. You cannot even begin to imagine how exciting this if for me! For those of you familiar with the UM process you understand how much blood, sweat, and tears have brought me this far! Literally, I have experienced all three in the process. The blood was...
3 tags
“You have to have your imagination engaged when doing theolgy. It’s the...”
– Thomas Buchan
September 2009
3 posts
3 tags
“If God is really the God revealed in scripture, it is more likely we are a...”
– Dr. Thomas Buchan, Basic Christian Doctrine Course at Asbury Seminary
2 tags
Missio Dei
Our pastor is doing a series around the mission of the church. In light of necessary budget cuts, the church is reevaluating our mission statement. Unfortunately, when the economy recesses, giving levels decrease, and thus, churches can’t spend as much. It’s the negative side of “trickle down” economics.
While I am fully behind our church’s mission, I got to...
“God has no trace of decay or death at work in Himself”
– Thomas Oden, Systematic Theology Vol 1: The Living God