Pastor’s Ponderings

Today, I am at the 241st session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, along with pastors and lay persons representing 632 United Methodist congregations in Maryland, Washington, DC, and a small part of West Virginia. There will be worship, lively conversation,...

Religion provides what sociologists call the “three B’s”: belief, belonging, and behavior. It offers beliefs that supply answers to the tough questions of life. It gives people a place they feel they belong, a community where they are known. And it tells them how to...

Here is a message from our Bishop regarding the new structure for the Baltimore Washington Conference: Beloved of God, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Risen Savior, Jesus the Christ. It is with great excitement and joy that I share the new structure of the...

Sometimes I have things that I hope to include in the sermon that don’t make the final cut. Sunday, I had hoped to share more about the women who were the first to believe in the resurrection. I didn’t get to share this in the Easter service, but I get to share it...

There is a long way between Palm Sunday adulation and Easter Sunday resurrection. We’d like to skip over the hard part, but it’s there. For Jesus, this included betrayal by one in his inner circle, denial by another, and abandonment from the rest. It included arrest...

Recently, The Christian Century magazine asked dozens of writers to respond to the question, “What is the Bible for?”. They could only use seven words or less to respond. The responses were very interesting and thought-provoking. I thought I would share some of them...

Life, as they say, is full of surprises. We never know what each day will bring. It is not possible to be prepared for every possibility, but still, it is important to have some plans in place.   I was recently reminded of just this when I heard two women speak...

Beth Strakonksy announced last Sunday that the Rev. Dr. Beth Hutton has been appointed by Bishop LaTrelle Eastering to be the lead pastor of Calvary UMC beginning July 1, 2025. The Staff Parish Relations Committee are excited to work with her in this time of...

I hope it’s here to stay. I see the buds on the trees and the flowers pocking up through the ground. There have been some warmer temperatures and pollen has covered the car. With the time change, I am still a bit confused about what time it is and when it gets dark...

During this season of Lent, we are using various passages in worship that come from the Gospel of Luke as Jesus makes his final journey to Jerusalem. Along the way, we will be looking at several familiar stories—the Good Samaritan, Mary and Martha, the fruitless fig...