by cbaker | Jan 30, 2024 | Pastor's Pondering
A few times I have written about the disaffiliation that has been taking place in the United Methodist Church. That’s a fancy word for a congregation that has decided to separate from the denomination according to a particular window that was available over the last 4...
by cbaker | Jan 23, 2024 | Pastor's Pondering
Each year, every United Methodist congregation is asked to complete a statistical report. The report includes financial numbers, such as income and the amount spent on the program, staffing, and operating costs for the year. The report also includes statistics...
by cbaker | Jan 16, 2024 | Pastor's Pondering
While watching the snow come down yesterday, I reread King’s famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. It can be found at click here. Written in 1963 on scraps of paper smuggled out from a jail cell, the letter is a stirring account of what King was intending to accomplish...
by cbaker | Jan 9, 2024 | Pastor's Pondering
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, had a practice of leading people to renew a promise to God. During Wesley’s life, this became a yearly practice that came to be known as a “covenant service,” often celebrated on New Year’s Day or on a Sunday near...
by cbaker | Jan 2, 2024 | Pastor's Pondering
I had an interesting conversation over the holiday. Somehow, while wishing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to friends, someone at the table asked, “Can you wish everybody well? How about someone who was an abuser, a criminal, a bully? Is it possible to wish that...
