Departing from the Faith
Departing from the Faith By Rob Renfroe “Jesus did not die for your sins.” That is the message a professor at United Methodist Iliff Seminary posted two days before Good Friday earlier this month. Professor Miguel De La Torre titled his article “What if Crucifixion Is...
United Methodist Disaffiliation Success Stories
United Methodist Disaffiliation Success Stories By John Lomperis Congregations who wish to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church (UMC) have a historic, rapidly expiring opportunity to keep their church buildings and parsonages. Despite the historic nature of...
The Wesleyan Way to Read Scripture
The Wesleyan Way to Read Scripture By David F. Watson - Last semester I taught a class called Wesleyan Biblical Interpretation. We read a considerable number of Wesley’s writings along with a couple of secondary texts. Rereading these primary and secondary sources led...
Where the Mainline Got Sidelined
By James V. Heidinger - In an ironic twist of fate or providence, it was a Jewish scholar who helped spark the intellectual and doctrinal renaissance in Dr. Thomas C. Oden (1931-2016), the pre-eminent Wesleyan theologian of our modern era. Will Herberg was a world...
The Issues that Divide Us
By C. Chappell Temple - After more than forty years of discussion and debate, it’s clear that United Methodists are more divided than ever over how the church should respond to questions relating to homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Far too often, however, the...
Sour Milk and the Law
By David Kalas - My wife, Karen, grew up in a family full of milk drinkers. Everyone’s glass of milk was filled and refilled each dinner hour. As a result, milk never had a chance to go bad in her house. In my house, on the other hand, we were not such big milk...
Beautifully Mended
By Nako Kellum - My father is a potter. He lives in Japan. After his retirement, he began to study pottery, and since then, he has produced hundreds of cups, bowls, and vases. He has given me a chalice set for Holy Communion, and several mugs, cups, and rice bowls. I...
Give Me Jesus
By Maggie Ulmer - There’s a song. An old hymn called “Give Me Jesus.” The words are to the point: “You can have all this world. Give me Jesus.” When I think of what I wish most for my children, it’s that they would understand the profound truth of that simple lyric....
