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Have We Lost Our Core Purpose?
Rev. Tom Griffith recently wrote an article about the structure of The United Methodist Church where he states that the core business of the church is NOT “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” He...
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The Language of Power and Pentecost: Bishops, Clergy and Gardens
Note: this is part of a larger body of writing I am currently working on with the theme of “The Sustainable Church” which is an extended metaphor of church as garden. I believe what I am learning has...
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Dead Soil Produces Dead Souls: Thoughts on the Toxic Church
I hear the word “toxic” bandied about all the time, both applied to people and to churches. The word means poisonous, of course. Poison is “a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy...
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Mystery Worship Eight
Note: this is part of an ongoing series. Mystery Worship One is here; Mystery Worship Two is here; Mystery Worship Three is here. Four is here. Five is here. Six is here. Seven is here. Mystery...
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Short Cuts, Herbicides, Church Growth Techniques and a Swath of Death
Flower Bed and Weeds As I continue my work of finding multiple parallels between church and garden, I find myself frequently returning to the issue of short cuts. The current picture: my...
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The Return: Church as Garden
For three months now, I have traveled, rested, prayed, written, reveled in family time, read, walked, worked in gardens, and regained health. I now return to the work I love and have missed, serving as...
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Root Dry and Cracked Open
Let’s face it: July and August are always hot and miserable months, although this summer has been far from the worst. And a wonderful thing has taken place three times in the last several weeks: we saw...
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On Earth As It Is In Heaven, Initial Reflections on “Everything Must Change”...
I read this New York Times Magazine article with fascination, drawn into the beauty of the life of people on a Greek island. The writer has been seeking to find the key to their extraordinarily long...
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The Day Off and the Quotidian Tasks
I was watching one of those hoarding TV shows recently. I suppose they relax me a bit. This morning, as I was pondering and praying through the day, I became even more away that I am just one step...
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Straw Blankets, Ministry With The Poor
It is cold here right now in North Texas. Wind is blowing wildly, temperatures continue to drop and we are on target for record lows tonight. Areas just slightly to the west and north are under a...
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Pilgrimage to the holy land, day two
Please note: I do not have a computer with me so these articles are dictated. As a result there are typos and misspellings. Please ignore them and read for the meaning! It was the acacia tree that...
View ArticleThe Language of Power and Pentecost: Bishops, Clergy and Gardens
Note: this is part of a larger body of writing I am currently working on with the theme of “The Sustainable Church” which is an extended metaphor of church as garden. I believe what I am learning has...
View ArticleDead Soil Produces Dead Souls: Thoughts on the Toxic Church
I hear the word “toxic” bandied about all the time, both applied to people and to churches. The word means poisonous, of course. Poison is “a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy...
View ArticleMystery Worship Eight
Note: this is part of an ongoing series. Mystery Worship One is here; Mystery Worship Two is here; Mystery Worship Three is here. Four is here. Five is here. Six is here. Seven is here. Mystery...
View ArticleShort Cuts, Herbicides, Church Growth Techniques and a Swath of Death
Flower Bed and Weeds As I continue my work of finding multiple parallels between church and garden, I find myself frequently returning to the issue of short cuts. The current picture: my...
View ArticleThe Return: Church as Garden
For three months now, I have traveled, rested, prayed, written, reveled in family time, read, walked, worked in gardens, and regained health. I now return to the work I love and have missed, serving as...
View ArticleRoot Dry and Cracked Open
Let’s face it: July and August are always hot and miserable months, although this summer has been far from the worst. And a wonderful thing has taken place three times in the last several weeks: we saw...
View ArticleOn Earth As It Is In Heaven, Initial Reflections on “Everything Must Change”...
I read this New York Times Magazine article with fascination, drawn into the beauty of the life of people on a Greek island. The writer has been seeking to find the key to their extraordinarily long...
View ArticleThe Day Off and the Quotidian Tasks
I was watching one of those hoarding TV shows recently. I suppose they relax me a bit. This morning, as I was pondering and praying through the day, I became even more away that I am just one step...
View ArticleStraw Blankets, Ministry With The Poor
It is cold here right now in North Texas. Wind is blowing wildly, temperatures continue to drop and we are on target for record lows tonight. Areas just slightly to the west and north are under a...
View Article
