Category: Wesleyan Accent
Tom Fuerst ~ Onan the Barbarian: Self-Gratification at its Worst
July 9, 2014
I mean, what in the flippin’ world is happening here? Did God really just slaughter this guy for “spilling his semen on the ground”? If this story has ever interested you, then you’ll want to know why Onan the Barbarian was slain.
Michael Smith ~ Generosity
July 7, 2014
True generosity means extending yourself to a place of the unknown or even fearful. To do something that is so beyond your capacity and frame of reference puts you into the Realm of the King. This is Kingdom work, here folks. We get to see moments of God’s Kingdom here and now when this happens. All it takes is a few seconds of courage. Muster it up and be truly generous. Then, enjoy the ride.
Ken Loyer ~ Doctrine and Renewal (Part 2)
July 3, 2014
I believe that we will discover the most promising way forward through a deep retrieval of our doctrine and a comprehensive re-reception of it at every level of our church, especially in the local church since that is the most significant arena for making and growing disciples of Jesus Christ. This retrieval project will be a long and difficult one, but it is critical.
Tammie Grimm ~ By Attending on the Ordinances of God
July 2, 2014
Wesley’s Third General Rule grounds us in Christian witness and faith. The ordinances of God are the fundamentals of how we get initiated into faith. Repetitive practice and exposer to prayer, worship, Scripture reading and study, Eucharist and even discovery of the lost discipline of fasting help mature us as Christian disciples. By participating in these uniquely Christian practices, we are made available to God’s grace that aids us in knowing how and when to avoid harm and do good. By attending on all the ordinances of God, we open ourselves to divine presence in our lives. Through these practices, we remember the past and look towards a future with hope illuminated by God’s grace.
Elizabeth Glass Turner ~ Hospital Field Trips and Spiritual Training: Why Kids Should Learn to Make Hospital Visits
June 26, 2014
And in the past year, my young son has put on his beloved fedora and accompanied me to the hospital – twice. Once when he was three, once when he was four.
I can hear the gasps. “You’re a pastor and you took a three year old on a hospital visit? You’re brave!” Or even, “but that’s unprofessional!” Or “I’d never have the nerve to take my kids on hospital calls, what if they act up?” So here’s why I think it’s valuable to take kids with you to hospitals, and a few tips on how to have a good visit.
Andrew C. Thompson ~ Making Disciples in the Wesleyan Way
June 25, 2014
Discipleship is not about techniques and gimmicks. It doesn’t happen HotPocket-quick. It is about being formed in a way of life over the course of time, and with a deep immersion into the practices of the Christian faith. We’ll find transformation in that process, too, and it will reveal within us something we’d never dream of otherwise.
Tom Fuerst ~ It’s Always Abuse, Not Just When It Involves a Child
June 23, 2014
But what we also fail to realize and consistently communicate is that anytime a clergy member has sex with a parishioner who is not their spouse, it is abuse. The emotional, spiritual, and even societal power granted to a pastor is intertwined and inseparable from all their relations within the church. We cannot, therefore, pretend that infidelity between pastors and their parishioners is anything less than an abuse of that power, and therefore, an abuse of the parishioner.
Talbot Davis ~ What’s the Alternative?
June 21, 2014
To whom shall we go? Ask yourself what’s the alternative BEFORE you leave and see all the options for the empty promises they are. And then fasten yourself to the eternal WHO towering over all the pretending WHATS.
Michael Smith ~ The Donut/Bread of Life
June 19, 2014
God is in the midst of the normal – not just the fantastic, chocolate and sprinkled covered parts of life. God’s presence is made real when we take simple elements, like bread, and share it. This is why we should stick to what He invites us to do – offer the bread.
Ellsworth Kalas ~ Jesus, the Name High Over All
June 18, 2014
We ought to sing it more! Sing it, indeed, until we re-discover the power of this Name. Sing it until, as Charles Wesley urged, “Happy, if with my latest breath/ I may but gasp his name, / preach him to all and cry in death, / ‘Behold, behold the Lamb!’”