Lifestyles
Remembering the real meaning of Easter
If you walk through Walmart and look for Easter, you will find candy — lots and lots of…
Lifestyles
I saw what I saw…
Inspired by what she witnessed on a mission trip, Sara Groves wrote the following song. I saw what…
Lifestyles
Are we working as cathedral builders?
An older man was hiking in the woods with a young friend when they stumbled upon a big,…
Lifestyles
Who can you be a servant for today?
Before the pandemic changed everything, there was a once-a-year ritual for United Methodist pastors and leaders called Annual…
Lifestyles
Jesus was much more than a really nice guy
She was in high school, the same age as my daughter, when I became her pastor. She went…
Lifestyles
Give up your way, take up a cross and follow Jesus
I read about a helicopter ride for pastors and church leaders. The concept is to fly over the…
Lifestyles
If we could do things over, what we would do differently?
If you had it to over, what would you do? This question was asked in a survey of…
Lifestyles
Life lessons from Mary Ann
My favorite character on the old TV sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” was Mary Ann played by Dawn Wells. She…
Lifestyles
Some tips on how to overcome anxiety
It was a stressful day. Later, feeling anxious and concerned, unable to sleep, I started praying and searching…
Lifestyles
Aprons and the rice pastor
Wearing an apron is a practical symbol of service. Jesus wrapped a towel around him similar to an…
Lifestyles
We need a desire to follow and a trust in God’s path
“My Lord God I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead…
Lifestyles
Church full of dead people
I dreamed God placed me in a church during Sunday worship. I walked up and down the aisle…
Lifestyles
COLUMN — Dona nobis pacem
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there…
Lifestyles
Goodbye to 2020
Here is an anonymous posting on social media — “Observations for 2020” 1. The dumbest thing I ever…
Lifestyles
COLUMN — Experiencing clown communion on Christmas Eve
Christmas has passed. We lit our candles, opened our gifts and celebrated the birth of Jesus. Because of…
Lifestyles
Sending a message of peace from the moon
The year 1968 was difficult. The Vietnam war was raging. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were…
Lifestyles
Lessons on spiritual leadership
EDITOR’S NOTE: This column is continued from the article by Larry Davies in the Friday, Dec. 11 edition.…
Lifestyles
Properly leading a choir is harder than it looks
Recently, during worship, I interrupted the director just as she was about to lead the choir. “Excuse me.…
Lifestyles
‘I pray for snow and a hamster’
A few years ago, our children’s ministry set up a Christmas tree. Next to the tree, they provided…
Lifestyles
Lessons from Ed about giving thanks
I like Thanksgiving. It’s a time of food and family togetherness. People come together from all over to…
Lifestyles
COLUMN — A bag of mulch and a message
I just wanted a bag of mulch at the discount store, but the cashier discovered a hole in…
Columns
God can turn failure into great success
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour,…
Lifestyles
The little church that could
While obsessed with a worldwide pandemic and Election Day worries, it’s helpful to remember that God is still…
Lifestyles
Confessions of a potato race cheater
A few years ago, I participated in a Halloween gathering at church to support our youth group. As…
Lifestyles
God can work miracles through us
Drayton wrote about tense moments he experienced while waiting for his wife’s surgery. “It was 10 o’clock at…
Lifestyles
The old-fashioned, fire-engine-red water pump
In my office, there is an old-fashioned, fire-engine-red hand water pump given to me by a dear friend.…
Lifestyles
Ministry also includes the sparrows
One morning following Easter during my quiet time with God, I was mentally rehashing all the wonderful things…