Category: Spirituality

  • Two Essential Elements

    Two Essential Elements

    According to Scripture, humans are composed of two essential elements – carbon and spirit.  Carbon appears on the Elemental Table.  Spirit doesn’t.  

  • Q&A

    Q&A

    I’m spending this week at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Youth Camp, in Fruitland Park, Florida, as the Senior High pastor.  I didn’t attend this camp as a camper.  But, I’ve been coming to this camp as an adult volunteer (primarily as the Senior High pastor) for one week…

  • Ancient-Future

    Ancient-Future

    I recently listened to a program on NPR called, In Salt Lake City You’ll Find Mormons Who Meditate.  You can read the transcript at In Salt Lake City You’ll Find Mormons Who Meditate In summary, the story is about a man who grew up Mormon, left the Mormon faith as…

  • Smooth

    Smooth

    I had to have an EEG (electroencephalogram) this week.  The purpose of an EEG is to test electrical activity in the brain, and to assess for abnormalities.  I suspect that no one, who knows me,  is surprised that I needed a test to check for brain abnormalities! When the dozens…

  • Love Grows – Part II of a 5 week sermon series called “We Love First,” delivered at First Church Coral Springs on Sunday, May 7, 2017

    Love Grows – Part II of a 5 week sermon series called “We Love First,” delivered at First Church Coral Springs on Sunday, May 7, 2017

     Either Growing, or…             Now that the weather is warmer, and the rains have started, everything has started growing again – rapidly.  I’m enjoying my bonsai trees – as they are sprouting new growth and blooming.  But, I’m also daily weeding and trimming, just to keep everything under control. Growth…

  • Do this…

    Do this…

    Today is Maundy Thursday – the day we annually remember Jesus’ last meal with his disciples.  The word “maundy” simply means command.  We “do this in remembrance” of Jesus – sharing bread and juice/wine with each other, representing his body and blood – because he commanded us to. Today is…

  • Pre-Easter Pondering

    Pre-Easter Pondering

    I know it’s not Easter yet.  Easter is still a few days away.  Before Easter, we still have Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  We can’t just skip to Easter, bypassing all that led to Easter. But, Easter is on my mind – probably because it’s the biggest…

  • Refreshing

    Refreshing

    I had the privilege of teaching my church’s confirmation class about the Sacraments this morning. When I teach about Baptism, which is one of our two Sacraments in the United Methodist Church, I often ask, “What is water used for?”  I’m looking for three answers, each that help us understand…

  • The Wheel of Time Turns…

    The Wheel of Time Turns…

    “The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.”  Robert Jordan Last September, I started reading a 15-novel fantasy/fiction series called The Wheel of Time, by…

  • Thin Places

    Thin Places

    As I was reading this morning, I came across this statement in James K. A. Smith’s, You Are What You Love… “We might say the sacramental power of Christian worship “enchants” our everyday lives, reminding us that the world we inhabit is not flattened “nature” but rather a creation charged with…