In the late 1960s, my family lived in a suburb north of Dallas. We had a swimming pool in the backyard that became an oasis each summer from the Texas heat. As an anxious… read more

I will never forget it. As I read Matthew 27:1-5, the scripture that chronicles Judas’s fatal remorse over having betrayed Jesus, I suddenly found myself in an unscheduled… read more

Every congregation enjoys signature strengths. When I came to serve in Lake Forest, Illinois, eight years ago, I discovered a church that “gets it” about mission with… read more

It is common for pastors to delegate the task of leading Bible studies to others. Reasons vary, from a preacher’s need to streamline his or her weekly workload, to a desire… read more

Knowledge. Skills. Habits. Capacities. I aim toward the development of each as I teach New Testament. I train future pastors to develop the same attributes in the congregation. I… read more

I’ve been asked many times how I arrived “here” at this place in my life. How did I start serving as an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church? Through… read more

Most Sundays, I am the one who listens to sermons, not the one who delivers them. Listening is definitely the easier job! Of the thousands of sermons I’ve heard over the… read more

“Reading Scripture is an art—a creative discipline that requires engagement and imagination, in contrast to the Enlightenment’s idea of detached objectivity. In… read more

We live in shallow times. An endless array of images and characters displayed on flat, two-dimensional screens offer up countless knee-deep worlds all clamoring for our attention. … read more

An article in a church growth magazine asked, “Why are so many churches empty?” The writer answered the question with the typical responses, including the need for… read more

The following is an excerpt from the Abingdon Theological Companion to the Lectionary: Preaching Year A edited by Paul Scott Wilson. The Lessons in Précis Genesis… read more

In his new book When God Becomes Small, author Phil Needham invites us along the way of the God who makes the divine Self known especially in the less likely places and moments of … read more

In the 1920’s in Dayton, TN the country heard on live radio a debate that still rages today in parts of American Christianity. The debate was over the role and place of… read more

“What gift do we get for our graduating seniors?” The question begins each year about this time and we are stuck as to what we can possibly give them that they will… read more

As someone who is currently in their fifth year serving the local church as a Minister to Children and Families, it seems like the only thing that I can say with complete… read more

If Thomas H. Troeger and Leonora Tubbs Tisdale’s love for preaching comes through in their latest collaboration, then their love for teaching about preaching shines even… read more