Wesleyan Accent Archive | World Methodist Evangelism

The Greatest Spiritual Need by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner September 2, 2015

A college professor at my faith-based liberal arts university used to make a bold declaration. “The greatest spiritual need on this campus,” he would state, “is sleep.” Every semester he saw the same thing. A student would come to his office for a meeting feeling discouraged or depressed, defeated or frustrated, struggling. Whether it was addiction or relationship problems or

Remembering Katrina by Michael Smith

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

Infant Baptism and Beyond: A Systematic Approach (Part II) by Ken Loyer

Ken Loyer August 31, 2015

Every year until the child participates in confirmation, in the days leading up to the child’s baptismal anniversary I send a letter marking the occasion. I also include an age-appropriate gift, like a children’s book. I have found that this is a good way to keep before the family and the child the meaning of baptism and to remind the

Night Moves by Mark Trotter

Mark Trotter August 30, 2015

When I came back to this story of Jacob wrestling the stranger at the River Jabbok, I saw something that I had never noticed before. That is, Jacob is like Prometheus, in the Greek myth. Prometheus stole the fire from heaven and brought it down to human beings so that we could be like gods.

Right Privilege by Tom Fuerst

Tom Fuerst August 27, 2015

But this isn’t just something Christ did that was different than how God had previously revealed himself. Rather, God, from the beginning, has been challenging our understandings of the way the world is.

happy

Happiness: Cause And Effect by Andy Stoddard

Andy Stoddard August 26, 2015

How do you live a happy life? For you, what would result in happiness? We may have a list. If I have this. Or if I have that. If I’m able to accomplish this. Or if this happens at work, or at home, or in my own life, then I’ll be happy. We’ve probably all got our list of what

On The Up And Up: The Right Stuff by Talbot Davis

Talbot Davis August 23, 2015

The “I” pronoun has disappeared in favor of “us” and “we.” Instead of asserting his rights – rights he was born into and rights he earned – the disappearing “I” pronoun shows he is instead relinquishing them. A psalm that could be about his personal religion instead becomes a song about our collective faith.

A Mighty God for Miserable Times by Kelcy Steele

Kelcy Steele August 20, 2015

It is the Prophet Isaiah who stood in the gap for 40 years declaring to a people that we might be in some miserable times but God is still mighty.

It’s hard sometimes to tell people who are dealing with hell, haters, and hypocrites that greater is coming. It’s hard sometimes to tell people who are dealing with problems, pains,

The End Is The Beginning, But Better: A Biblical Argument for Animal Resurrection by Matt Douglass

Matt Douglass August 17, 2015

According to Scripture, then, the post-deluge world is like Eden, but diminished; in contrast, the new heavens and new earth will be like Eden, but elevated.

On The Up And Up: Traveler’s Advisory by Talbot Davis

Talbot Davis August 15, 2015

Hear this: you will sprain your ankle. You will have difficulties. You will have trauma. But what Psalm 121 promises is that as you anchor yourself, not to your truth but to his, as you are not true to yourself but you are true to God, none of the bad things that happen to you has separating power between you

Why Christmas Is Worth It by Carolyn Moore

Carolyn Moore December 24, 2016

At our downtown ministry this week, I watched a precious soul rock an invisible baby while “Away in a Manger” was being sung and I was overwhelmed by the values of God and his preference for the poor. It is completely antithetical to our human nature to seek after and invest in the hidden places where the poorest of the

A Blue Christmas: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Jorge Acevedo

Jorge Acevedo December 19, 2016

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” We all have something in each list. Tonight, I want to remind you that life is a complex mixture of all three kinds of experiences…good to celebrate, bad to grieve, and ugly to heal.

The Word Became Flesh by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman December 19, 2016

The word became flesh and lived among us.

A Surprise: The Nobody-Baby by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman December 14, 2016

The King of all creation was born as a lowly, disregarded nobody-baby. In part, that was because Mary and Joseph were nobodies. Joseph was a craftsman from the small town of Nazareth in Galilee. Mary was a young woman with an apparently questionable character. Still, they were the nobodies God wanted to use, and that was a surprise.

The Creator God Who Redeems by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman December 12, 2016

God creates. God redeems. Christian faith is deepened and enriched when we get the order right. This is especially true in the arena of evangelism, where our focus is often on individuals and our fervent hope that they might come into relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no doubt this is an extremely important focus. Yet something significant is lost

The Will To Prepare The Way by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner December 12, 2016

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.” – Everyone from Vince Lombardi to Bear Bryant to Bobby Knight is cited as the source of this quote. The wisdom found in it has outlasted the origin. Everyone wants to win. It doesn’t matter how you define winning – career success, relationship goals met,

Why Advent Breaks My Heart by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman December 7, 2016

Maybe as we proclaim the good news that will bring great joy to all people, we ought also to recall the words of our Prince of Peace, who told us that God blesses peacemakers. Maybe in this season of peace and beyond, we need to ask how might we become more active in our peacemaking?

Flesh and Blood by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman December 5, 2016

Word and deed come together, as intimately entwined as breathing in and breathing out. Deciding which is more important depends on which you did last.

A Season Of Yeasting by Debra Wallace-Padgett

Debbie Wallace-Padgett December 5, 2016

I have a delicious no-fail sourdough bread recipe! It involves a three-step process spread over one and a half days. The key to the recipe is to give the bread dough time to “yeast” – Sue Monk Kidd’s word for allowing bread to rise. Kidd tells of making the bread with the assistance of her five year old daughter, Ann.

Expectant Waiting by Kevin Watson

Kevin Watson December 1, 2016

Waiting is hard. Many of us are tempted either to wait passively, like the foolish bridesmaids, or to take over and attempt to save ourselves by our own effort. Advent challenges both our complacency and our self-sufficiency.

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