Unimaginable. Unexpected. Unprompted. Such is how our God shows up and claims glory. This was not the first time Christina had found God interrupting her plans. Christina Trager is a youth pastor from Delaware in the United States. God had met and pursued her through her local middle school youth group. She stayed faithful and answered a call. God knocked
In my last article I made the claim that Methodists have a distinct style. As Christians, our style defines us as much, maybe more, than anything else. I have the privilege of observing that more than most. My wife and I live in a life cafe. We have lived here for seven years, and plan to make this our “earthly
Circumstances sometimes call us to do strange things – things we would not otherwise do. Circumstances also cause us to do things we should have done but never got around to before. Two out-of-town visitors were walking along a street in New York City late one night. One of the pair, wary of the reputation of city streets at night,
As I type, I’m sitting (tray table down) on my American flight from Miami to Chicago. I thought maybe I’d rest. With a very long layover in Chicago I thought I’d rest now and work later. (There’s so much work to do.) But as I closed my eyes, and adjusted my headrest, I was overwhelmed. I tried not to weep.
My files are flowing over with magazine and newspaper articles, cartoons, and photos. Unfortunately, I have not found a good “keeping” and “retrieval” system that is not too time costly for the reflections I prize. Yet, I saw it and I can’t forget it…a cartoon that depicted an older couple, obviously rich and retired, sitting in their posh living room.
I am often fascinated with stories of people who unknowingly purchase rare and valuable items at a second-hand sale. A small bowl bought for just $35 at a sale in the US State of Connecticut has turned out to be a rare 15th-Century Chinese artefact from the Ming Dynasty. It was one of only seven such bowls ever made and
What? Count it all joy? After a brief greeting, James begins his Epistle, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” James 1:2 KJV There is no hesitation, no fumbling to get to the point. It’s really a shout, COUNT IT ALL JOY! He continues, “when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing
I have the terrifying privilege of being the father of three girls. Working to understand them and their worlds has been the adventure of a lifetime. That’s because on top of being a guy, I grew up in a male dominated household, in another country to boot. It was three men (me, my brother, and my dad) and one brave
A definition of personal discernment is “sensing and following divine guidance.” Of course, it is essential to know that the guidance is from God and not just an echo of yesterday’s podcast. How can we “hear God” in a practical kind of way? Well, I “tripped” into that hearing — if you can call it “hearing.” “Attending to God’s leading”
How could I even consider just briefly nodding my mind at the incarnation with the one article I trust you received, The Scandal of the Incarnation. So, here is more since this is Christianity’s unique and central claim: the Incarnation, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14 Our nearest English equivalent to the Greek term that
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:13-14 A couple of caution signs: Introversion and extroversion are too easily over-simplified. Lumping people exclusively into one or the other camp is to miss all the nuances
A Note From The Editor: Recently Wesleyan Accent was able to chat with Youth Specialist Josh White about his role in caring for unaccompanied alien children who arrive in the United States. He also operates EQ Roasters, a small fair-trade coffee roasting enterprise aimed at encouraging economic stability in nations from which many unaccompanied minors come. An avid musician, his
Piero della Francesca gets thunderingly right what so many Christians get so stunning wrong. Raised on the first day of the week – a day any faithful Jew would understand as the first day of creation – God in Christ has begun the re-creation of this world. This work of making all things new is not complete, but it has
Someone living with an anxiety disorder (or any medical condition) that makes being in loud, dark areas or separated from family unendurable does not feel welcomed. This is not a commentary on the theology or religiosity of the “turn up the volume and dim the lights, no children allowed” movement. The concern here is how the Body of Christ meets
With its distinctive orb that surrounds the intersecting arms that form the right angles of the Latin cross, most of us recognize the shape and design of the traditional Celtic cross. No matter our level of familiarity with the prayers, traditions and other customs of the medieval Celtic Christians, the iconic artwork of the cross is no ancient relic relegated
These hymns, like the psalms, come from or speak to different experiences – some quite specific, others more general – and they express a wide variety of feelings toward God, ranging from thanksgiving and adoration to supplication to bitter grief. The hymn I came upon that had a reference to Jesus weeping was under the heading of “For a Child
Most churches aren’t big. Most churches say they want to grow. Many pastors hope to serve at big or growing churches. Most pastors won’t. It’s simply a matter of numbers in the United States: there aren’t that many megachurches. If you happen to be the pastor of one, you can sell a lot of books to pastors who want to
Seminar participants are so committed to faith and evangelism. If you want to be Christian here you have to be incredibly committed.
I am “old school.” I freely admit it. When it comes to writing, whether it be drafting a letter or revising a doctoral thesis (and I have done both in the last year) I would rather sit down with paper and pencil than a laptop or tablet. Turns out, studies indicate, I am not alone; there is something about the mind-body
And so, among other things I’m giving up for Lent, I’m trying to give up the search to find some other hidden meaning. Perhaps I won’t get anything out of it. We don’t enter into the Lenten season practicing disciplines in order to achieve a particular return. It’s not an investment. Fasting and praying are not disciplines that we engage
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