There are seven “Woe to you” statements in Matthew 23: Jesus was warning the teachers of the law and the Pharisees not to focus on outward things. Of ten trees we had removed from our property, we knew that one was damaged. An arborist saw the spot where it had been hit by lightning. We hadn’t seen it. Other than
After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.” When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t
“Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1-31). Imagine how the disciples are feeling in this moment. Jesus has just predicted Peter’s denial and another’s betrayal: they could hardly be a happy group. How would his words have been heard? Would they have been comforting? “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Certainly more easily said than done. How
It has become cliché to tell people to practice what they preach—that is, to live according to their words. But increasingly we may need to think about preaching what we practice. In most activities we practice, a structure must be followed, even when creativity is involved. For example, the best cooks can add a pinch of this and a teaspoon
Have you ever had a day where you worried that you weren’t going to have enough? Enough love. Enough patience. Enough energy. Enough smarts. Enough food. Enough money. Jesus and his disciples had a day like that. Five thousand unexpected guests showed up for dinner and they were a long way from a grocery store. Just when everyone was about
The texts for this sermon come from Psalm 23 and John 10:11-18. In the middle of the Easter season every year is what some call “Good Shepherd Sunday,” which falls on the fourth Sunday of Easter. The revised common lectionary readings for this Sunday are always related to the image of the shepherd – Psalm 23 is the psalm all
My Dad was diagnosed about six weeks before we were to move. We suspected for a while that he was sick, but didn’t know just how sick he was until he was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. There was also cancer in his bowel and in his lung. My family had planned and announced a major move from Canada
Christians in the Wesleyan tradition love to talk about grace, and with good reason. God’s grace is another way of talking about God’s love, love that can overcome anything, including the many ways in which we humans rebel against our creator. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, “God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with
Waiting is not an easy task for me. I’ve been known to drive miles out of the way to avoid being delayed by a train. I’ve been caught sneaking food from the dish before it was placed on the table. I’ve evaluated the check-out lanes at Wal-Mart in order to choose the one with the shortest wait. I always choose
Note from the Editor: Recently, Wesleyan Accent interviewed Rev. Dr. Roberta Mosier-Peterson, an ordained Elder in the Free Methodist Church (USA) who is currently Senior Pastor of Oakdale Free Methodist Church in Jackson, Kentucky, and contributor to www.juniaproject.com. She completed her D.Min. dissertation at Northeastern Seminary in 2016 on the topic of women in ministry. A documentary, “Lived Experience,” based
official website Members 0 M+ Congregations 0 K+ If you look back at the early 1900s, the world was shifting fast. Industrialization was booming, cities were exploding, and unfortunately, a lot of established churches were moving away from the margins and toward the mainstream elite. But a small, passionate group of leaders looked at the landscape and asked a dangerous
In Part 1 of this series, I shared how God challenged me to become more intentional about sharing my faith. I realized that although I had spent my life in church, I had never learned how to have meaningful spiritual conversations. Preparation became the first step. Before we can confidently step out, we have to sit with our own story.
Henry Jordan was a great all-pro defensive tackle who played with the Green Bay Packers back in the glory days of Vince Lombardi. Henry was as good with words as he was at sacking opposing quarterbacks. That made him a favorite with sports writers. One of his most widely quoted statements came when someone asked, “Does Mr. Lombardi show any
official website Members 0 M+ Congregations 0 K+ It was Easter Sunday, 1885. Two young missionaries, Henry Appenzeller and Horace Underwood, stepped off a boat onto the shores of Korea. At the time, it was a country largely closed off to the Western world, often called the “Hermit Kingdom.” They had no grand strategic plan and no idea what was
official website Members 0 K+ Congregations 0 + When John Wesley first sailed to Ireland in 1747, he found 280 Methodists already gathered in Dublin! The movement had begun before he ever stepped onto Irish soil. That Methodist society was formed by ordinary lay people who simply would not keep quiet about Jesus. And they didn’t stay put. They emigrated,
In 2014, I walked out of a Sunday service deeply challenged by my pastor’s sermon on sharing our faith. As I reflected on what he said, I realized I believed in sharing my faith, but at 57 years old, I had never actually done it. I had been raised in the church and lived in it my whole life. I
I want to tell you something about John Wesley that might surprise you. Actually — it might embarrass you. It embarrassed me. Most modern Methodists celebrate communion monthly. Some quarterly. Some considerably less. We think of it as a memorial — a symbolic remembrance of what Jesus did at the cross. A meaningful ritual. A box to check on the
Someone said that worshipping God is permanent. It starts on earth and goes on for everlasting eternity. All our toiling and efforts are temporary. All our services in the church, mission work, preaching, and teaching, etc., are temporary. But worship is eternal. So, as Christians, worshipping God is our primary duty. What is the True Meaning of Christian Worship? What
This is the third installment on the Christian Pattern. Click here for part one and part two. The Inner Life and the Voice We’ve Stopped Hearing There is a spiritual condition that most pastors recognize but few talk about publicly. It goes by different names in the tradition. The desert fathers called it acedia. The medieval mystics called it desolation.
official website Members 0 K+ Congregations 0 + Back in 1843, a man named Thomas Birch Freeman stepped onto the coast of what is now Benin and began to preach. Freeman, who was the son of a freed slave, became one of the most influential British Methodist missionaries in West Africa. Freeman sailed into a region deeply scarred by the
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