Wesleyan Accent Archive | World Methodist Evangelism

Why Animals Need Heaven: God’s Love And The Problem Of Animal Suffering by Matt Douglass

Matt Douglass April 22, 2015

It seems, then, that God would not want anything bad to happen in the world, and he certainly has the power to stop them from happening. Yet bad things—unimaginably horrific things—happen every day. Over many centuries, philosophers and theologians have attempted to solve this problem by explaining why God would choose to create a world like ours, where humans

Don’t Be Afraid by Andy Stoddard

Andy Stoddard April 20, 2015

Today is April 16. Every year I write something in memory of my Mama Sarah and in honor of my mom, Maxine Stoddard. On this day 37 years ago, my Mama Sarah was murdered by my biological father; at that point, many lives were forever changed. She was murdered on my mom’s birthday (April 16) and buried on mine (April 18). You can read

Ministering Angels In A Dark World by Maxie Dunnam

Maxie Dunnam April 18, 2015

The promise is not that we would be safe but that we would be faithful. The angel of God does not always spare us from tragedy or troubles, but enables us to look at tragedy troubles through different eyes.

In Awe Of The Resurrection by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner April 16, 2015

I find myself walking in the semi-dark, friends clustered around me. Our hands are full, carrying materials to preserve a corpse. It was a long Sabbath. We were supposed to rest, so we did. But there’s no rest from thoughts of despair and grief. They follow you into every room you enter. Like we had followed Him. We saw the

A Call To Holy Compassion by Maxie Dunnam

Maxie Dunnam April 15, 2015

We must be honest about our failures and sins. None of us lives up to the standards our faith demands. But this doesn’t mean we cease wrestling with and proclaiming the Word.

Ambassadors In A World Of Islands by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner April 13, 2015

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and

Chosen by Carrie Carter

Carrie Carter April 9, 2015

I confess that I don’t know that much about adoption. I used to tell my little brother that he was adopted—from the animal shelter. I have reaped the consequences of this in my own sons, as the generational dysfunction marches on. I remember lying in bed as an angsty teen, wondering what it would feel like to be chosen, wanted,

The Power Of A Resurrection Day “Selfie” by Kevin Murriel

kevin.murriel April 8, 2015

What makes us think we can make such an audacious request? The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Believing in a miracle, a rationally unexplainable occurrence, takes exactly what Tillich describes–a faith that transcends our comprehension without excluding our consciousness. In other words, we should know what we are asking for but not expect the miracle to come in ways we can

A Pipeline Of Grace: Pros And Cons by Tammie Grimm

Tammie Grimm April 6, 2015

A proposed pipeline in my community has caused me to consider the nature of Christian faith and our lives as disciples. I’m not talking about the political, economic or environmental ramifications of pipelines, but the pros and cons of using the analogy of the Christian way of life, our discipleship, as a pipeline. On one hand, the idea of having

The Heart Has Eyes by Mark Trotter

Mark Trotter April 4, 2015

The mystery that surrounds us belongs to different modes of perception. That is why he said, “The heart has reasons the mind knows not of.” It is the heart that is able to see into that mystery. And it is why Paul said to the Ephesians, “I pray that God will enlighten the eyes of your heart, so you may

Holy Tenacity by James Petticrew

James Petticrew August 24, 2018

I have been reading Jeremiah over the past couple of weeks – not an easy read in many ways – but certainly for me a thought-provoking one. Something struck me while reading: the recurrence of a word which also reminded me of a chapter in a book by Eugene Peterson. After a great deal of rooting around in boxes in the garage,

Leaders in the Bible (Who Happen to Be Women) by Suzanne Nicholson

Suzanne Nicholson August 23, 2018

I recently spoke with a young woman who was thinking about leaving the Christian university she was attending. She was on fire for God and wanted to preach the gospel, but had been told that she couldn’t preach because she was a woman. Although the university where I teach affirms women in all areas of ministry, it’s striking to me how many

Race: The Newest Old Issue Confronting American Christian Life by Kevin Murriel

kevin.murriel August 22, 2018

Several weeks ago [2015] I attended a conference in Houston, Texas that targeted ministry with large churches. Throughout the conference were presentations on technology, capitol campaigns, and “new age” ideas in ecclesiological innovation. Many left with concepts to take back to their congregations in hopes of implementation while others departed inspired with a rejuvenated energy for ministry. I, however, returned

How a Reluctant Mentor Learns to be an Adequate Leader by Talbot Davis

Talbot Davis August 22, 2018

Those who know me well know that I have made confessions like: I’m better at leading the congregation than I am at leading the staff; or I’m a disciplined person but not a very disciplined leader; or I’m better at dealing with one or with 2,000 than I am with twelve. To a certain extent all those things are true. I will always more naturally incline towards pastoring and teaching than

Lead Like Jesus by Otis T. McMillan

Otis McMillan August 21, 2018

Have you ever faced a challenge so big that you were tempted to run from it? Fear invaded your thoughts when you looked at it, and you found yourself saying “there is no way I can do this”? If so, you are not alone. Moses and Gideon are just two of God’s leaders who wrestled with fear, and Abraham and

Public Confession and Repentance by Maxie Dunnam

Maxie Dunnam August 20, 2018

March 22, 2014 was a day of huge importance for my city of Memphis. Like many significant events, I’m afraid it went unnoticed by most. Two churches, Second and Independent Presbyterian, held a public service of confession and repentance. Few of us would not recognize our need for individual repentance. None of us are without the mark of Adam; what we

When Simplicity Is Difficult by Jeff Rudy

Jeff Rudy August 2, 2018

Simplicity isn’t easy. I used to think that “simple” and “easy” could always be used interchangeably, like when asked about a particular task that didn’t require a lot of physical or mental sweat, one could say, “it was simple” or “it was easy” and both would mean the same thing: “No big deal!” But when it comes to what Richard

Are You Really Free? by Michelle Bauer

Michelle Bauer August 1, 2018

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman

Practicing Discernment: Thy Will Be Done by Justus Hunter

Justus Hunter July 27, 2018

There are two difficulties with our prayer, “Thy will be done.” We fret over the first, but the second is far more dangerous. “What is Your will? How do I know it? Where can I find it? Is this Your will?” This is the first difficulty. The second accompanies it, and often escapes our notice. There is a forgotten moment

Dear Millenials, I Was You Once by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner July 23, 2018

Dear Millenials, I was you once. People wanted to know what I thought. They wanted to know what I wanted to buy. They wanted to hear what I was looking for in a spouse, in a career – in a faith group. They talked about me in the news, they studied me to see which way I was likely to

Subscribe

Get articles delivered directly to your inbox as soon as they come out.

Search:

categories: