Not Going On the Mission Trip

Anthony Gittins describes a missionary experience as a passing over and coming back in his book Ministry at the Margins. He says that this is “the greatest religious adventure of our time”. Many churches have mission teams that have spent months planning and preparing for their mission trip. Some of these were spring break mission … Continue reading Not Going On the Mission Trip →

Liturgy In Place

Today is Good Friday, the day on which Christians mark the crucifixion and death of Jesus. On my morning walk, I thought of all the churches I've had the blessing to worship with over the years. As a child growing up on the Mexico-Texas border, our church would worship once or twice a year with … Continue reading Liturgy In Place →

Going On To Perfection

Forgiveness Through Lent, my Bible study group is focused on forgiveness. Last night, one of our discussions centered around how (if?) it is possible to forgive like Jesus did. We talked about how Jesus knew he was to be betrayed and yet he loved those who betrayed him, who put him on trial, who executed … Continue reading Going On To Perfection →

Lenten Practices

Ash Wednesday in Community Last night I went to church for Ash Wednesday service. We sang together, listened to scripture, and prayed together. Our pastor gave a short sermon, and led us through a silent meditation time by passing out cards with a single word printed on them. We would meditate on the word, and … Continue reading Lenten Practices →

Can You Practice Mission?

What Do You Mean By That? As a United Methodist, I often find myself asked about some of our unique use of words. “Annual Conference” for example, is both a geographic term (a region in which a bishop has authority for clergy and local churches) and an annual meeting in which clergy and laity gather … Continue reading Can You Practice Mission? →

The Blessing of Shared Worship

Singing Together A couple weeks ago I had to miss Sunday morning worship due to a family emergency. I didn’t think missing one worship service would be too detrimental. I listen to an online daily devotional, keep a prayer journal, and attend a weekly Bible study. Turns out, what I missed was the music. Congregational … Continue reading The Blessing of Shared Worship →

Ubuntu – We Need Each Other

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’ “ 1 Corinthians 12:21 Last evening the news was full of the vulgar comment made by the U.S. President about certain countries and the entire continent of Africa. The comment was made during a meeting with senators regarding U.S. immigration policy. The … Continue reading Ubuntu – We Need Each Other →