Author: Michael Smith
Of Pirates and Preserving Grace: Jonah’s Reluctance by Michael Smith
February 15, 2019
He tells the sailors to toss him overboard, because he believes that his God is acting like all the other gods, punishing him and them in the process. After Jonah says, “hurl me into the sea,” something strange happens. The sailors start rowing to dry land. Though it’s easy to skip ahead and assume that they picked him up and tossed him right in – they didn’t. These outsider sailors are acting in a gracious way.
The Noah in Your Circle by Michael Smith
October 13, 2016
Finding and listening to a “Noah” is a reminder that there is a part of our faith that needs to be challenged to understand the profound personal nature of life in the Spirit.
From Aldersgate to Holland Road by Michael Smith
May 24, 2016
For me, as a Methodist, this is an important day to celebrate. It is important to tell the story of what God can do in a person’s heart, and because of that work, the world could be forever changed. As people who are walking the road of faith, let us point out particular places and stops along the way where God can meet with us. Let’s travel the roads that will invite us to come to the end of ourselves.
Four Lessons for the Church from Major League Baseball by Michael Smith
April 4, 2016
Baseball has seen its ups and downs recently While the ownership groups seem to be having their largest years of fiscal success, the sport’s popularity is fading. To respond to the changing tide of culture, Major League Baseball has tried to address their need.
Afternoons, Coffee Spoons, and T.S. Eliot by Michael Smith
January 20, 2016
Beyond any book review or helpful ministry-related text I could recommend as a “must-read,” I would encourage you to pull a book off the shelf that has nothing to do with church, leadership, preaching, management, or finance. Let grace, beauty, and truth be revealed to you from the words of those who wish to tell a story, paint a picture with words, and sing a song without music.
Zechariah’s Boy by Michael Smith
December 14, 2015
It is as if the angel Gabriel gives the message to Zechariah that his son is going to do the very thing that he (and his generation) were not doing.
Advice for Young Preachers by Michael Smith
November 19, 2015
Listening to good preachers should inspire us to sharpen our skills (and not just borrow material).
All Saints’ and Mentoring: A Personal Reflection by Michael Smith
October 21, 2015
You may never know the great power that a simple word of love can have on a person, but I encourage you to share love with others. It will never leave my memory. Though a lot of time has passed through the years, the memory of a mentor’s words at a critical time in my life will never fade.
Remembering Katrina by Michael Smith
August 31, 2015
It was dark as I gathered around a battery-operated radio with a mother and her two children. We were silent as we strained to listen to the reports. We heard the word “levy,” but I didn’t fully understand what that meant at the time. Sections of the city were being listed, and I didn’t understand what that meant either until she gasped. She said, “That’s me. My house is gone.” She held her children, the only things she had left.
It was like this for days.
Staring Into Loss: The Tomb by Michael Smith
April 23, 2015
Now that light has dawned, one cannot simply stand and look at a symbol of defeat and the past. New life has broken in and we are not allowed to just look; we are invited and commissioned to go and tell.