The Surprising Call to Gentleness
Wesleyan Accent
September 18, 2020
Gentleness isn’t weakness; it’s strength with a sense of humor.
Gentleness isn’t weakness; it’s strength with a sense of humor.
One of my favorite Holy Days is Pentecost, partly because (thankfully) it hasn’t been co-opted by Western consumerism. Maybe that’s why it comes and goes without too much attention. We don’t have weeks of lead-up like we do for Christmas or Easter; and the Holy Spirit definitely doesn’t have the economic punch of Santa or the Easter Bunny. Pentecost is
One of my favorite Holy Days is Pentecost, partly because (thankfully) it hasn’t been co-opted by western consumerism. Maybe that’s why it comes and goes without too much attention. We don’t have weeks of lead up like we do for Christmas or Easter; and the Holy Spirit definitely doesn’t have the economic punch of Santa or the Easter Bunny. Pentecost
“Plan your work and work your plan.” That phrase is great – in theory. Usually, it carries with it a practical application. But sometimes those plans are suddenly laid aside. That’s where our churches found themselves in March of this year. We planned our work ahead of schedule – but then weren’t able to work that plan. Coronavirus took the
A significant aspect of the Embrace understanding of showing and sharing the love of Jesus is the idea of interdependency – the idea that human beings flourish in the context of relationships with others. Rather than focusing solely on our independence, to truly thrive, we must recognize that we are interdependent – both separate and connected to those around us.
I’ve always been an “early adapter.” I may not be the first person to try a new technology, but I’m not far behind. Following the arrival of the first iPhones, I wasn’t at the Apple Store at midnight for a new release – but I’d show up sometime the next day. So I joined social media early on. As soon as
It is startling to encounter words that easily puncture what troubles us, in a moment aching for the holy iconoclasm of the poetry of Madeleine L’Engle.
If we are guided by Scripture, the content of our preaching will always have aspects of the pastoral and the prophetic.
Is it tempting to stand back and admire God who heals, but to neglect allowing God to heal you? God doesn’t want to leave you half-done and stalled out.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid – You read our hearts like an open book: you see our meanings, our intentions, our knowledge, our opinions, our questions, our backstories, our wounds, and our promise. Our hearts are open to you even when wisdom seems closed to us. You
Meditation is a treasured practice in Christian history but it is also a much-needed spiritual practice in my life.
I will do whatever it takes so that God can work in me and through me.
Embracing the pain of the crucifixion in order to experience the power of the resurrection involves right living, not easy living.
Today is the day after. The day after a young black man got beat up in a parking garage, the scene caught by a quick photojournalist (I can’t imagine how sore he is). The day after a stunned mom learned from reporters that her son had been arrested for plowing his car into a crowd of pedestrians (she was in complete shock).
When we think about the story of Creation in the Christian faith, we typically do it within the context of Genesis, the story of the past and how things came to be. One may think this creating process was settled at the beginning of time, and that God transitioned from being an entrepreneur to a manager, or worse, a mere aloof supervisor. However, if we pay close
Everybody goes through seasons of spiritual “stuckness,” days or weeks or sometimes even months when you just can’t seem to get out of your spiritual bad mood. If you’ve had that experience or are there now, you’re not alone. This is a normal part of the spiritual journey. It is not a sign of weakness; to the contrary, it may well
Jesus was full of passion, which makes following in the Jesus way a passionate endeavor.
To follow Jesus up close, rather than at a distance, we must base our lives on the reality of faith rather than the reality of fear.
You and I are called to be personally engaged in making disciples of Jesus Christ.
It’s not a time to micromanage, but it is a time to glance at the big picture and identify potential trouble spots and retrain the growth to expand in the direction you’re aiming for.
Get articles delivered directly to your inbox as soon as they come out.