My local church now has a basket of rainbow ribbons in the gathering space next to the name tags. I am not sure who came up with the idea of making these Love Ribbons available, but I like it. By wearing these Love Ribbons, we are communicating to others that we love them and cherish […]
Category: Claire…ification
Claire…ification – NO ONE is Profane or Unclean! If you don’t believe me, ask Peter!
In Acts 10:1-48 we read of Peter and how he was led by God to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, baptizing them in the name of Jesus Christ. There are so many things for us to consider as we read this passage of scripture! First of all, Peter was not […]
Claire…ification: The Blessings of a Connectional Church
We recently had an opportunity to attend worship in a church outside of our conference and I found myself feeling quite at home because of our UMC connection. One of my clergy friends told me about they had a friend from divinity school who was serving in the community we were visiting so we went […]
Claire…ification: Trusting God During Times of Uncertainty
It is possible to find joy, spiritual renewal, and peace in the midst of and wake of a difficult time. Each of us as individuals and every church community has ebbs and flows, times when things are going really well and times when things are uncertain, scary or difficult. It is easy for us to […]
Claire…ification: WHAT ARE WE TO GIVE UP FOR ETERNAL LIFE?
During this Holy Week, we are drawing near to the time when we must face the reality of seeing Jesus on the cross. In today’s lectionary reading from John [12:20-36] we read of Jesus predicting his own death. Let us not gloss over verse 32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, […]
Claire…ification: Launching into the Life of the Church
Over recent weeks I have had conversations with a few people who are feeling discouraged by what they perceive as a lack of desire by many in the congregation to do much that really makes a difference in their community. These people feel that there is a lack of enthusiasm and energy and willingness to […]
Claire…ification-Preaching the “Gospel”
Several months ago I was having a conversation with someone who told me that they really liked the way their pastor “preached the gospel”. Keeping my opinions to myself for reasons I won’t get into here, I must admit that my internal response was “I wonder what version of the gospel that was!” I did […]
Claire…ification-Wisdom from Catherine of Siena
When the apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians around the year 55 CE, ‘Let the women be silent in the churches’, he inaugurated two millennia of diminishment of women’s presence in Christianity. This is one of many examples of text being taken out of context to silence and oppress an entire […]
Claire…ification – Making Ourselves Radically Available for God
In our post-General Conference days, this is a question that is arising in many circles. I think it’s safe to say that most people in our connection are not fully satisfied and happy right now. I will not try to offer suggestions on why that might be because it would take me out of the […]
We are at a Tipping Point
Tipping Point: “The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.” Friends, I believe we are at a tipping point and that God is up to something new. Status Quo Christians, we hear you. How could we not? You have been the […]
