DreamUMC – a Pentecost Vision (sermon video)

"Dream UMC - a Pentecost Vision" Sermon, now with 100% more video! (May 27, 2012 - Pentecost Sunday) A movement is underway to help shape the future of the United Methodist Church by inviting and including as many voices a possible. Using the social media tool of Twitter (follow @DreamUMC and #dreamumc), anyone and everyone…

Sermon: Dreams and Drunkenness

"Dreams and Drunkenness" (May 27, 2012 - Pentecost Sunday) A movement is underway to help shape the future of the United Methodist Church by inviting and including as many voices a possible. Using the social media tool of Twitter (follow @DreamUMC and #dreamumc), anyone and everyone can share their hopes, visions, and strategies for the…

Sermon: “You’re It”

"You're It" (May 20, 2012) In the moments following Christ's departure, I imagine the disciples must have a frightening realization: the life, work and ministry of the Jesus movement is now up to them. We're all in that position, if we think about it. If there is a body tasked with carrying on the work…

Fragments for the Fragmented

Late last week, I was contacted by fellow pastor and blogger Drew "Pastor Mack," who was planning to write about the communion witness in which I participated at General Conference on May 3. He asked for my permission and to further pick my brain a bit, which I gladly granted, and I feel that his…

Link Love – DreamUMC

Here's a great article about our DreamUMC conversation. Our next chat is in a week: May 28, 9 pm Eastern (not 10 pm, as initially stated in the article).

I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…

Monday night was magic. We had our first Twitter Chat for #DreamUMC, the conversation born out of the strong desire to keep shaping the future of our denomination in the wake of General Conference. You can read the full archive of the chat here, or you can view bullet points of answers to the questions…

Sermon: Tell God Your Plans (GC2012)

"Tell God Your Plans" (May 13, 2012) Reflecting on the United Methodist Church's General Conference, much of it seemed to me to be a lesson in how God works outside of our plans, expectations, and categories. In the face of a wily and wild Holy Spirit, who refuses to be contained by little things like…

I’m still here

And that's a choice. I'm a Taurus (in fact-- shameless plug for well wishes-- my birthday is tomorrow). If you believe anything at all about astrology, that should tell you that I am stubborn. Perhaps my decision yet again to remain United Methodist in the wake of the past two weeks is simply a manifestation…

Diary of a Delegate: in the end, Hope.

In the Greek myth of Pandora's Box (from Hesiod's Works and Days), Pandora opens a container from which all the world's evils spill, never to be contained. But there is a glimmer of possibility, because last of all things in the box is the most powerful force: hope. Perhaps for those of you who attended…

Diary of a Delegate: rebuttal – Some More Equal than Others

I received a comment on my last post (and have received several mentions on Twitter) decrying my efforts with my colleagues as overly political, pushing an agenda, and even Machiavellian or Orwellian. My commenter wrote: "The only totalitarianism is the 'progressive' caucus forcing their will on the rest of the church. Disgraceful." Let me be…