When I learned of John Killinger’s passing on June 5 at age 91, I found myself reflecting with deep gratitude on a friendship that spanned 35 years and strongly influenced my life and ministry. Respected as one of America’s most…
Woman preaches at Lakepointe ‘under the fathers of this house’
In a scene reminiscent of a Serena Waterford speech from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian depiction of totalitarian patriarchy in The Handmaid’s Tale, Dallas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton and his fellow elders allowed a woman to preach on Mother’s Day. If you’re…
Loving is complicated
I love preaching. I love everything about it. I love the prep work — reading the lectionary texts, scouring my spiritual life for some connection, praying my way through the chaos of different threads until a clear picture starts to…
Pastors, now what?
If you are like me, the pastor of a small church in a small town, you might be thinking to yourself, “Now what?” I mean, we have a big year ahead. If your church still does vacation Bible school, it’s…
Now the US House wants to censor a preacher?
When politicians act like preachers, we get members of the House of Representatives falling over themselves to sponsor House Resolution 59 condemning Bishop Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C. Imagine the House of Representatives taking time away from…
Trump at the National Cathedral: We’ve already fought this war
What did Donald Trump think would happen when he showed up at Washington National Cathedral Tuesday morning for the traditional interfaith prayer service attached to most presidential inaugurations since 1933? Did he think the Episcopal Church would change its theology…
Of meth sermons and puke dust
I call it “puke dust.” Remember what happened in elementary school when a kid puked in the hall? So it could be absorbed and swept up, a custodian would come and pour that green sawdust-looking stuff upon the putrid puddle….
Remember that time the pastor reenacted a scene from Die Hard?
“Christmas at the movies!” the pleasant, feminine voice sings as the smiley-faced popcorn, coffee, candy bar and soda cartoon characters come waltzing into the auditorium before getting interrupted with an explosion, heavy metal music, and a man yelling, “Don’t need…
Tony Campolo was a master storyteller
It was in Seeger Chapel on the campus of Milligan College where I first heard the preaching of Tony Campolo. Like many of my classmates, I was taken by the way his style drew me into a new realization of…
The death of providence
In the spring of 2020, early in the COVID pandemic, most United Methodist churches temporarily suspended in-person worship services. On the first Sunday of the suspension, I decided to worship online with a large, out of state United Methodist congregation….
How to preach about the election
Only one Sunday remains until Election Day. With a candidate on the ballot who promises to be a dictator on day one, the stakes could not be higher — for the church or for democracy. The truth is the vast…
Leading by preaching
Our role as leaders of congregations is most visible when we stand up to preach. Whenever we step into the pulpit, we are “out in front” — thus fulfilling the shorthand definition of a leader. On any given Sunday, we…