A few months ago, I joined the board of our local hospital. It’s a small facility in a rural town, boasting remarkably high quality of care. Part of my interest in joining… read more

It’s moving season for United Methodist clergy. Countless pastors are headed to new appointments, with many of those entering into the small-membership rural church for the… read more

About a block away from my house is a small, unassuming law firm. On its wall is a plaque, mounted backward, making the inscription unreadable. In that building, on Christmas Eve, … read more

Currently, the largest debate in our country is whether or not — and how — to reopen our seemingly dormant communities. Colleges and schools are making plans for the… read more

Encountering the text: This is the moving climax of a long and drawn out story. Joseph’s brothers, who had sold him into slavery several chapters ago, have just finished a… read more

Encountering the text: The lectionary picks up in the last third of a rather busy chapter. Crammed in this chapter are three stories. The first third of the chapter details the… read more