Wesleyan Accent Archive | World Methodist Evangelism

Living a Life of Advent Light: When a Wreath Is More Than a Wreath by Priscilla Hammond

Priscilla Hammond November 29, 2018

Many churches are currently setting up Advent wreaths to mark the weeks leading up to Christmas. The four candles that encircle the wreath illuminate the area around them as they point toward the center candle. Those outer candles relate to prophecy, Bethlehem, shepherds, and angels, while the center candle alludes to Christ. The prophecy candle represents the expectation of the

Transaction vs Transformation: The Nature Of Blessing by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner November 28, 2018

Recently, I noted someone online putting forward the idea that God blesses organizations, traditions, or denominations depending on their public positions on certain topics, or that God retracts a blessing on an organization, tradition, or denomination, if they do not issue a public position on one of a number of topics. Let’s delve into some of the assumptions here and

Desperate for Mercy: Shouting All the More by Michelle Bauer

Michelle Bauer November 26, 2018

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he

Suffering Through Thanksgiving by Suzanne Nicholson

Suzanne Nicholson November 22, 2018

This is the time of year when advertisements inundate us with images of happy families gloriously celebrating the holidays. Women in velvet dresses clink champagne glasses with men in suits and plaid bowties. Their beautifully decorated homes overflow with relatives who eat turkey and all the fixings from holly-themed china plates. You can almost smell the cinnamon and nutmeg wafting

An Emptier Yet Fuller Life by Shalom Liddick

Shalom Liddick November 22, 2018

My hike begins like many others for me: time spent talking with God and listening to his voice being carried in the wind. My ordinary day is about to change. As the giant orange orb crests between heaven and earth, I hear God say “happy birthday,” and my heart explodes with joy because without a doubt I knew why. It

When It’s Not Just the Turkey That’s Stuffed by Carrie Carter

Carrie Carter November 21, 2018

It’s late November and you’re mostly through your daily “Thankful For…” list, or daily “Thankful” reading from the Psalms. By this point, you have your Thanksgiving menu planned, whether it means eating in or eating out. November is pretty predictable, as far as months go. What do you do, then, when November is not predictable? What if your “Thankful For…”

Choosing Thankfulness in a Harsh World by Karen Bates

Karen Bates November 20, 2018

Occasionally, I pay for people’s coffee while I’m buying my own. Not because I’m rich, but because it’s a nice thing to do. Recently, I decided to buy coffee for the man behind me, but contemplated whether the kindness was warranted after he was less than kind to the person serving us and to another person in line. I remembered I

Receiving the Mercy of Jesus Christ by Michelle Bauer

Michelle Bauer November 8, 2018

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” – The Jesus Prayer The Jesus Prayer has been prayed around the world in various forms since the early sixth century. One way to pray this prayer is to repeat, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” on the inhalation of each breath followed by, “have mercy on me,

Prayer: A Source Of New Life by Edgar Bazan

Edgar Bazan November 7, 2018

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to South Korea and visit some of largest churches in the world: Kwanglim Methodist Church with 85,000 members and Yoido Full Gospel Church with 900,000 members. We met with their senior pastors and leaders and learned about their leadership. We were, so to speak, drinking from a fire hydrant all week. The food

Think your pastor’s preaching is ‘too political’? Try listening to Jesus by Mark Wingfield

Wesleyan Accent November 5, 2018

“Pastor, why can’t you just preach the gospel and stay away from all this controversial stuff?” It’s likely your pastor has heard this question dozens of times in recent years, yet he or she may be reticent to speak about it for fear of calling out certain members of the congregation or appearing to respond to specific criticism of recent

The Gift Of Time by Scott Pattison

Scott Pattison December 17, 2014

“Regardless of how I have spent, squandered, or invested my time, I still have the wonderful gift of this set of 24 hours. Regardless of how I spent “yesterday,” I still have today. I can waste today, by regretting yesterday, or yearning for tomorrow. I can spend the day selfishly on myself, or investing in others.”

Remembering Christ’s Presence With Us by Ken Loyer

Ken Loyer December 15, 2014

“How is memory significant for us as God’s people? Why is it important for us to remember, and what specifically should we remember most?”

Disciplines For Spiritual Formation by Maxie Dunnam

Maxie Dunnam December 11, 2014

“We are what we think. We are transformed by the renewal of our minds. So study is a necessary discipline for spiritual growth.”

Reveal by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner December 10, 2014

Revelation. Not of the contents of a carefully wrapped box in your childhood home, hidden from view until enterprising siblings helped you spy out the contents (or were you one of the professional tape-peelers who could lift a flap of wrapping paper without leaving a trace?). Not of a painful holiday discovery, realizing your daughter has an eating disorder or

Expectant Waiting by Kevin Watson

Kevin Watson December 8, 2014

“In Advent we are waiting for the return of Jesus the Christ, the coming King. In Advent, we anticipate the return of Christ. Advent is about the future, the end, the “Christ shall come again in final victory” part of our faith. And so in Advent, we practice waiting. We remind ourselves that Jesus is coming back and that we

If Only (Or, The Sermon I Couldn’t Deliver But My Wife Did) by Jeff Rudy

Jeff Rudy December 6, 2014

Simon and Garfunkel quipped that “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls and whispered in the sound of silence.” At the beginning of the song, they sang, “hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” Advent meets us in the darkness, in the silence. So do the prophets.

Communion As A Prayer Of Thanksgiving by Ken Loyer

Ken Loyer December 4, 2014

“There I was, the new pastor of a church that had a strong, proud heritage but more recently had experienced several decades of slow decline while nobly carrying on, a congregation like so many others these days. I was trying to envision through hope-filled eyes the potential for renewal and growth in that setting, but as I stepped into the

Advent Adjustments by Tammie Grimm

Tammie Grimm December 3, 2014

Advent. For some, it’s a countdown to Christmas. For others, it marks the beginning of the Christian calendar year. For most Christians, it is a season of preparation: not just to celebrate the birth of Jesus but to renew our hearts that we might see Christ in the here and now as well as in hope and expectation of his

Advent: Thy Kingdom Come by Cole Bodkin

Cole Bodkin December 1, 2014

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… HAPPY NEW YEAR! “A little premature, man…” When the holiday season rolls around, emphasis is placed on the Big Three: Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. What would happen if we started celebrating the Big Two—Advent and Christmas—instead of the Big Three? Christians may forget that Advent marks the beginning of the Christian calender year. It entails celebrating two

The Secret Of Joyful People by Carolyn Moore

Carolyn Moore November 29, 2014

“I told you this so that my joy might be in you, so that your joy might be full.” – John 15:11 I love the image of a smiling Jesus. It always inspires me to wonder about the things Jesus might have smiled at. Children, certainly. I have a sense that no child in a marketplace ever escaped his smile.

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