Asides

Copyright Trolls
(2010/8/31)
Laura at Pursuing Holiness notes one and presents a course of action. I think bloggers often move past fair use, but news outlets and going way too far the other way. (0)

New Meaning to Language Police
(2010/8/31)
This story gives new meaning to the idea of language or grammar police. (HT: The Agitator) (0)

Christianity by Force or Manipulation
(2010/8/23)
There is very little that offends me more than the idea of manipulating people into Christian events or trying to convert them by force. (0)

What Makes a Plumber Real
(2010/7/20)
Michele Bachmann says she hopes that the newly formed Tea Party Caucus will provide a voice in congress for “real housewives, real farmers, real businessmen, real plumbers.” (Source.) I’m wondering how “real” farmers, businessmen, and plumbers differ from the rest … (1)

Somebody Needed a Dictionary
(2010/5/6)
… to look up “suffrage.” (0)

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UMC Rather than SDA – Again

This was brought to my attention when I read the text of Ted Wilson’s address to the SDA General Conference. (I listened to he first 10 minutes as well, but preferred reading.) Why am I interested in the sermon presented by the new president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists? I am, [...]

Looking for a UMC Pastor in the West or Northwest

My wife Jody is looking for a pastor in the west or northwest to answer about 5 questions regarding ministry in the UMC, with the interview to be published in the Bible Study Paths WebZine. She’s looking for someone who is currently pastoring a church. Your interview responses will be published in September [...]

Christian Perfection – Not So Plain to Me!

One of my early experiences teaching in a United Methodist Church involved giving a series on the Wesleyan doctrine of Christian perfection. That may seem surprising for a new member of a United Methodist congregation, but my background in the Seventh-day Adventist Church involved a good deal of Wesleyan talk (though not the [...]

Orbiting the Hairball

United Methodist district superintendent (Grand Rapids District) Laurie Haller takes a cue from a book on surviving in a corporate environment to make some suggestions for United Methodist leadership in her post Orbiting the UMC Hairball 4-12-10.

Amongst other things she notes:

The whispered truth is that The United Methodist Church suppresses [...]

Quote of the Day

From the Wesley Report:

Mainline Protestant Christianity has become known for leaving people in slavery, because somewhere along the way, our strategy changed from leading people out of Egypt to planting churches along the Nile. And that’s why mainline denominations continue to lose members. People don’t need churches to help them stay [...]

How About Planting a Church?

That’s what Allan Bevere suggests as the ordination process, based on his experience in Cuba.

I find the idea attractive, at least for certain types of ministry. There might be other ways to test various gifts. It does relate to a problem I’ve noted amongst United Methodist ministers, many of whom come out [...]

What Would a Successful UMC Look Like?

Ex-UMC, now megachurch pastor Craig Groeschel offers six suggestions for the United Methodist Church, packaged in six brief blog posts. I think that there is much worth considering in his suggestions, though I don’t think they are generally all that new.

There’s something that bothers me in the whole discussion, however. In practically [...]

Of Apportionments and Stewardship

Bishop Willimon has a post about pastoral leadership and stewardship, with the particular aspect of stewardship being apportionments. I like the framing that goes on in our church, as apportionments are called “fair-share giving.” I know that sounds better, but I still call them apportionments.

I think the general finding is unexceptional. Pastoral [...]

Preaching until you Mean It

Shane Raynor is again stirring things up with a post on a Toolkit for Radical Methodists. He has proposed the idea of preaching faith until you have it, rather than waiting for faith.

Since I recently posted some about doubt, I was interested in his phrase “wearing [your] doubt as a straitjacket.” I [...]

Seventh-day Adventist Education and Evolution

I recently wrote with appreciation about my Seventh-day Adventist education in Biblical studies over on my Participatory Bible Study blog. Today a friend sent me an e-mail directing me to a post on Inside Higher Ed, discussing a problem with the teaching of evolution at La Sierra University, a Seventh-day Adventist school. I [...]