Lord, teach me. . . .

I am under no obligation to be the same person I was five minutes ago. –Anonymous How do we decide if a church is a “successful” church? What, exactly, pleases God when it comes to our churches? What sets apart the good ones from the not-so-good ones? Can success in a church be measured by “butts and bucks” (or the more G-rated “nickels and noses”)? There may be as many answers as there are churches. The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline states, The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world . It seems to me that’s a pretty safe place to begin when deciding if a church is good at being a church. Are people gathering to worship God together? Are we going out the door energized, filled with desire to share the Good News with others through the way we live our daily lives? Is there giving going on-- not just from our pockets, but from our hearts? Are our lives the very best “advertisement” for the Christ whom w...

I don’t have nothing to regret at all in the past, except that I might’ve unintentionally hurt somebody else or something. –Jimi Hendrix It happens all the time. Someone says something in jest, just having fun, but when it hits the ears of the other person, they only hear ridicule. Or meanness. Or a put-down. And instead of saying something, we simply take it in and allow it to fester in our hearts. Like poison ivy, that one little point of pain spreads, deepens, ruining that relationship. Time goes by and we wonder. Will I ever feel safe in that relationship again? After so long, how do I even begin to “fix” things? Can this be fixed? (Do I want to feel better?) There is only one person that can answer those questions. But if nothing changes, nothing will ever change. If the relationship matters, take a chance. Take a deep breath and reach out. Explain why you are hurting. Let the other person know how much you value their friendship—and you won’t allow yourself t...

Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. –Rosa Parks I’ve been seeing these things pop up all over my neighborhood again. Little signs, written by hand with heavy black marker, then copied and stapled to the sides of telephone poles. They’re always the same height above the ground, always facing traffic. Their message is short: Repent. Let Jesus Help You. But every time I see a sign like this, I wonder. How many people, upon seeing such a sign, have pulled to the side of the road and made that heart-changing choice? For me, if I see a billboard advertising something, I want to know more before I decide. I can call, or go to a website, or look for the product in the store. I guess everyone is just supposed to know , and trust what’s being offered here, no questions asked. But I have a question. In today’s crazy, angry world where Christians argue and bicker with one another, how am I supposed to know , let alone trust ...

If it’s not about Love, then it’s not about God. –The Most Rev. Michael Curry For all God’s wonder and power and creative capacity, at the end of the day God is something of a one-trick pony. It doesn’t really matter what we do or how we displease God with our negativity or our actions run amok. God may be disappointed in us, even angry with us. But just like a good parent, God still loves his children with a crazy, unbounding Love that goes beyond our understanding—and sometimes, beyond our belief. We may wonder, sometimes, if something we did (or failed to do) is so heinous and awful that we have earned a ticket out of the Kingdom and away from God’s presence. Did I cross an invisible line? Have I gone too far? How can I ask God’s forgiveness—for that ? Not only can you ask forgiveness—doing so will free your spirit in untold ways. Because in the asking, we receive. No matter how far or how fast we try to run away from God, whenever we stop and turn back, seeking ...