The Incarnation in the ICU
By Shannon Vowell I spent much of last week sitting with a beloved family member, watching as he struggled for the next breath. His ankles had swollen to four or five times their normal size, and were the color of eggplants. His belly was also distended; the bruising...
But Grace Said
By B.J. Funk - Before leaving for a lengthy trip, I drove into the crowded gas station. All of the pumps were filled, so I pulled my car to be second in line. Our cars were facing, head-to-head, because my fuel tank was on the opposite side from hers. No problem. I’ll...
Bishop Stokes, Scholar and Reconciler, Dies
By Heather Hahn
Bishop Mack B. Stokes, who taught thousands of preachers and helped desegregate Mississippi United Methodists, died November 21 in Perdido Key, Florida. He was 100, just a month shy of his 101st birthday. Before his election to the episcopacy, he taught for 31 years at Emory’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, where he was the school’s first Parker Professor of Systemic Theology, associate dean and later acting dean.
Hispanic Church Offers Model of Growth
By Tim Weeks
Epworth United Methodist Church, in Elgin, lllinois, outside of Chicago, looks like a typical suburban church. But on Sunday afternoons, the brick and glass vibrate to an infectious rhythm, as an eight-piece orchestra with drums, bongos and congas pumps out praise music with a Latin beat. Four music leaders sway, sing and pray in Spanish as angelic young ladies twirl banners triumphantly in front of the congregation. Some 130 parishioners are gathered this Sunday, praising Jesus with wide smiles on their faces, many with their hands raised to heaven, like Pastor Ruben Rivera.
Can New Author Fill a Gap for UM Women
By Mary Jacobs
Jen Mulford has had the job of helping choose materials for women’s groups at her church, Providence United Methodist in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, for several years. She opted for books and DVDs featuring Bible study teachers like Beth Moore, Kelly Minter, Jennifer Rothschild, and Priscilla Shirer. All of whom are popular among women’s Bible study groups — but none of whom are United Methodists. That could be changing.
Reviving DeMille: Bible on Screen
She captured America’s heart every week as the divine messenger with the lilting and soothing Irish accent on Touched by an Angel. He is the creative genius behind Survivor, The Apprentice, and The Voice. Together, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are one of Hollywood’s most uniquely equipped married power couples. Beginning March 3, you will be able to catch their latest ambitious venture on the History Channel. The Bible is a fabulously scripted five-part docudrama produced by Downey and Burnett after a 4 month location shoot in Morocco.
Rethink Christmas – Two books call for making the most of the holiday
By Sam Hodges Hamilton and Slaughter sounds like a law firm one wouldn’t want to mess with, but those are in fact the last names of two well-known United Methodist megachurch pastors. They are good friends and close collaborators on efforts to renew the UMC. And, as...
Why Religious Freedom Must Be A Top Priority
By Peter Marshall Many human rights are neglected, but religious freedom is often strikingly so. The late Abe Rosenthal, looking back over five decades working at the New York Times, wrote: "I realized that in decades of reporting, writing or assigning stories on...
