By B.J. Funk – “Plan your work and work your plan.” Sometimes, however, those plans have to be laid aside. That’s where churches found ourselves this past year. Covid-19 took the lead role in the play called, “Think Again … You Actually Thought You Were in Charge?” Actually, yes. We did. If not us, then […]
Protocol on Track
January 11, 2021 By 7 Comments
As we begin a new year, I know many United Methodists are wondering, “Where do things stand regarding the protocol for separating the church? Is it still on track? Why haven’t we heard much about it lately?” The Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation was created by a sixteen-member panel of leading traditionalists, centrists, […]
Progressives Launch Denomination
January 11, 2021 By 4 Comments
By Heather Hahn – A group of progressive United Methodists and other Christians launched a new denomination named the Liberation Methodist Connexion, or LMX. The new church aims to center on the voices of people of color as well as queer and transgender individuals — those the LMX organizers see as marginalized in The United […]
The Joy of Providing Food
January 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
By Jim Patterson – Potatoes connect former NFL player Jason Brown and part-time nurse and mother-of-four Lindsey Whitley, though they don’t know each other. Whitley’s home in Indian Trail, North Carolina, is about 200 miles from Brown’s farm in Louisburg. Potatoes from Brown’s 1,000-acre North Carolina property end up as potato soup on the Whitley […]
National Treasure
January 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
By Steve Beard – I spent the holidays with Dolly Parton. Well, not literally. Like everything else in 2020, it was all virtual – and it was a whirlwind. Throughout her rhinestone-studded career, Dolly has sold over 100 million albums, starred in countless movies and TV specials, launched an extraordinary book-gifting program, opened a theme […]
Creating in Chaos
January 11, 2021 By 1 Comment
By Jessica LaGrone – 2020 was a mess. It was a global health mess, an economic mess, a political mess. It messed up our events, our holidays, our plans, and our lives. Some lives were certainly more devastated than others, whether by illness or grief or financial devastation, but most people are emerging from 2020 […]
The Zacchaeus Surprise
January 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
By Scott Sauls – To the surprise of many, Jesus gave special, affirmational attention to the man Zacchaeus, who is identified in scripture as a chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-10). Because of his role as tax collector for the Roman treasury, Zacchaeus would have been hated by the members of his community. Tax collectors, and […]
