John Wesley Birthday Reader
John Wesley Birthday Reader -- John Wesley's birthday is a bit unusual. While the great evangelist and founder of Methodism was born on June 17, 1703, according to the Julian Calendar in use at the time. Midway through his life (in 1752), however, Britain shifted to...
Freedom Fugitives
Freedom Fugitives -- By Shannon Vowell I write on June 19th or “Juneteenth,” the newest federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the day – June 19, 1865 – when news of Union victory and universal emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas, by way of Maj. Gen....
Human Plans and the Coronavirus
By Tom Lambrecht - I am a planner. I like to have at least a rough plan in mind for any undertaking that I am part of, whether it is a work project or a trip to the beach. I get that from my Dad, who was a high school band director and needed to plan everything from...
Observations from a “Town Hall”
By Tom Lambrecht - The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of disruption in our lives, in how our country functions, and in how our churches function, as well. Nowhere was that in greater evidence than in a May 5th "Town Hall" meeting held online by Mainstream UMC,...
Grateful for Care-givers
We are so thankful for the amazing care-givers and first-responders who have stepped into the spotlight during this COVID-19 pandemic. Angela Gleaves, a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, posted this uplifting photo on Facebook amid...
The Myth of “Progress”
By Thomas Lambrecht - One often hears that Methodism used to believe the "wrong" thing about slavery, the ordination of women, and the affirmation of same-sex relationships, and that Methodism moved to believe the "right" thing about slavery and the ordination of...
How Long, O Lord?
By Tom Lambrecht - Someone shared a video with me the other day that showed a three-year-old girl sitting in her house by the glass patio door looking out. She repeatedly shouted, "I hate this house! I hate this house! I hate this house!" I think many of us are right...
Weapons of our Warfare
By Bishop Frank J. Beard - "... Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." - II Chronicles 20:21b Our world is under attack by a ruthless enemy -- one that does not come from God. It is the job of every Christian and every church to unify and wage...
