By Shannon Vowell – The darkest part of the year sets the stage for our annual celebration of the Light of the world, dawning. “Earth stands hard as iron,” the beloved carol keens, “water like a stone.” But the baby is born, nonetheless. And the heavens split open with ecstatic jubilation. And the humble ones […]

-The Wesleyan Covenant Association Earlier this year, when a group of United Methodist leaders shared a proposal for an amicable separation of the UM Church, it seems fair to say most United Methodists greeted the news with a mix of sadness and relief. Led by the late Bishop John Yambasu, the 16 member mediation team […]

By Marilyn N. Anders – The first words of the Bible declare that where there is darkness, emptiness, and formlessness, God intervenes. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering […]