Pastor’s Ponderings
Pastors Pondering
A few weeks ago, we held a meeting to consider the future of the United Methodist Church. After years of division and argument over the church’s position on human sexuality, same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy, the General Conference of the denomination created a group...
Pastor Ponderings
Sometimes there really are no words. There are no words to explain. There are no words to lessen the pain. There are no words to make things better. Instead, the most appropriate response is to tear. When the Pennsylvania Grand Jury reported its findings on child...
Pastor Pondering
We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School this week. This time around we is learning that “Jesus rescues.” When we feel lonely, when we are worried, when we struggle, when we have done wrong and when we are powerless, Jesus rescues. It’s a great message that gets...
Pastor Ponderings
June 11 On Sunday, Rev. Shannon and I completed our sermon series on peacemaking. Here is the gist of what I shared on Sunday. It includes an observation, four signs that we are slipping into dangerous conflict and three suggestions for building peace where we are. ...
Pastor’s Pondering
Last week the Baltimore Washington Conference of the UMC met in Baltimore for its annual session of business, worship and “holy conferencing.” They are more than 625 churches in Maryland, the District of Columbia and two counties in West Virginia that make up the...
Pastor’s Ponderings
May 28 The United Methodist Church was born just over 50 years ago on April 23, 1968, when the Evangelical United Brethren (E.U.B.) Church and The Methodist Church united to form the new denomination. In the midst of a nation divided over the Vietnam War, the civil...
Pastor Pondering May 22
New Sermon Series: Blessed Are the Peacemakers "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5: 9) I don't know about you, but reading the newspaper, checking social media or listening to the news on the radio seems to break my...
Pastor Pondering, May 15
Pastor Ponderings At the last General Conference, held in 2016, the United Methodist Church as a whole was headed towards a messy division over the matter of human sexuality. The General Conference was deeply divided over how to respond to inclusion of LGTBQ persons...
Pastor’s Pondering May 1
The Cyprus Friendship Program (CFP) is an all-volunteer, people-to-people, program focused on developing trust and understanding through relationships between Turkish and Greek-speaking residents of Cyprus. In a land deeply divided by politics and culture, CFP works...
Pastors Pondering Jan 23
Pastor Ponderings The Trustees have started a renovation project on the ladies' restroom on the main level. The pick tile and flowered wallpaper have been removed and permanently retired. After the dust settles and the caulk dries, there will be a new, fresh and...