After the Holidays
After the Holidays By Scott N. Field By all accounts from the signals in our broader culture, I’m a voice crying in the wilderness on this issue: the “holiday mashup” was in full swing these past few months. Disorientation was a high probability for many of us....
Will Regionalization Be An Option for Africa?
Will Regionalization Be An Option for Africa? By Jerry Kulah It has become abundantly clear in recent times that the issue of “regionalization” has taken center stage within The United Methodist Church body politic. This is evidenced by the fact that some influential...
Temptations of Power: Bishops and Accountability
By Joseph F. DiPaolo A famous phrase was born in 1887, when the British historian known as Lord Acton (1834-1902), wrote a series of letters to Anglican Bishop Mandell Creighton about the problem of writing the history of the medieval church and its abuses,...
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
By Angela Pleasants I am an avid hiker. My passion for hiking began in high school when my advanced biology class explored the Great Smoky Mountains to examine various species of lichen, mushrooms, and insects. The greatest joy on a hike is looking at the wonders of...
Destination with God
By Shannon Vowell I like to use Google maps on my phone. I type in the address of where I need to go, and, presto! A map appears right there in the palm of my hand, along with step-by-step instructions for getting from where I am to where I want to be. I can even...
Pilgrimage as a Spiritual Possibility
By James R. Thobaben In 1864, as the American Civil War turned toward its inevitable (and proper) conclusion, Methodists in North Carolina published The Southern Zion’s Songster. Included in the work, albeit uncredited, was “I’m a Pilgrim and I’m a Stranger,” a poem...
The Watchful Eyes of Angels
“Give your angels charge over those who sleep.” – The Book of Common Prayer. By Tish Harrison Warren For close to 15 years, I forgot about the existence of angels. I didn’t exactly decide I no longer believed in them. I simply didn’t think about them, and if I ever...
When Words Won’t Come
By B.J. Funk In the fifth grade, my best friend was Susan. We were inseparable. On weekends we played at either her house or mine. Her mother made us matching outfits, and we each pulled our long same-color hair back into a pony tail. We loved being together. We loved...
