03/24/2025
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve. While researching Matthew 24 on my computer I came across a little something I wrote for my previous congregation. Again, I have no idea why I put it together, but it caught my attention.
Despite What You Might Have Heard…
If you want to know more about the heart of God—
If you want to experience the forgiving love of Jesus
If you want to put down roots into an ancient—
and always relevant—faith
For you and for your whole family—
Then you are welcome to come be with us
At Trinity On Jackson. (Period.) (Exclamation Point.)
A United Methodist Community of Faith.
I don’t think it would be much of a stretch to apply those same words to us here at Carmel Church:
If you want to know more about the heart of God—
If you want to experience the forgiving love of Jesus
If you want to put down roots into an ancient,
and always relevant, faith
For you and for your whole family—
Then you are welcome to come be with us
At Carmel United Methodist Church. (Exclamation Point.)
I don’t know how we’d use it, but I like it.
It’s an invitation I would definitely be interested in if I wasn’t already here.
Archived Posts
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago:
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)