tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31613173487934073542024-09-16T19:16:51.576-07:00The Carpenter's TableFrom His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
John 1:16Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-43746880275649825762014-03-22T00:02:00.002-07:002014-03-22T00:02:45.408-07:00Sabbath RestFrom Richard Rohr:
St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus or Jesuits, proposed a daily exercise, which he called the Examen of Consciousness—a simple exercise in discernment. Rather than focusing on what went right or wrong, how you failed or succeeded throughout the day, this exercise encourages you to reflect on moments in the day when you were aware of God—when you were present to Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-69365541960992591612014-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:002014-02-14T13:08:22.452-08:00A Prayer for the Feast of Saint Valentine:
Loving God, forgive us for those times we fail to love, without question or prejudice, all that you have created. Thank you for creating us in your image of love and for teaching us radical love through your son Jesus Christ.
Thank you for filling our lives with loving relationships and for the joy those relationships bring. Thank you for giving all Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-18401932280456612232013-02-13T20:12:00.000-08:002013-02-13T20:28:21.649-08:00In Defense of Critical Hermeneutics
"Fish Mosaic" by Charlsie Kelly
The Merriam-Webster
online dictionary defines hermeneutic as “a method or principle of
interpretation.” It follows then that Biblical hermeneutics is a method or
principle of interpreting the Bible. This goes beyond (but includes) personal
study of scripture for spiritual growth and guidance. Biblical hermeneutics
involves a scholarly plan for interpreting Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-10418813612482390712013-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:002013-01-23T10:26:32.169-08:00Nehemiah 8
The story in Nehemiah 8 of the people returning to God is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. For me, two things in this story are important: 1. the people recognized their need for God and their need for the Word of God; 2. The Word of God was given in context, spoken in a way the people could understand.
Too often we, the Church, refuse toPastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-69249249882787481542012-12-08T13:20:00.002-08:002012-12-08T13:20:38.112-08:00Actively Waiting
To some it might seem silly that many Christians around the world celebrate Advent as a season of anticipation and waiting for Christ to come at Christmas. If we think of it terms of Christ's birth, it is a little silly - since Christ was born into this world around 2,000 years ago. We, as Christians, "have" Christ - so what are we waiting for?
In our Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-31436152206670740572012-10-26T10:47:00.000-07:002012-10-26T10:47:04.282-07:00Christ Visible
The 13th Century Persian Mystic, Rumi, writes:
"A mouse and a frog meet every morning on the river bank.
They sit on the ground and talk.
Each morning, the second they see each other,they open easily, telling stories and dreams and secrets,empty of any fear or suspicious holding back.
To watch and listen to those twois to understand how, as it's written,sometimes when two beings come Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-5753965799559246712012-10-25T08:55:00.003-07:002012-10-25T08:58:05.811-07:00Candle Against the Wind
Candle Against the Wind
by Wendell Berry
I know that I have
life
only insofar as I
have love.
I have not love
except it comes from
Thee.
Help me, please, to
carry
this candle against
the Wind.
(originally published on the web site Inward/Outward)
Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-37400436850966624542012-10-19T09:32:00.002-07:002012-10-19T09:45:06.271-07:00A Prayer by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)
Grant me, O Lord, to
know what I ought to know,
To love what I ought to love,
To praise what delights thee most,
To value what is precious in thy sight,
To hate what is offensive to thee.
Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
Nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men;
But to discern with a true judgment between things visible and Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-24519898774997165752012-10-04T11:32:00.001-07:002012-10-10T13:54:39.895-07:00Real Community in a Virtual World
Several weeks ago I noticed something “trending” on Face
Book. For some time a clergy friend of mine, Joey Reed, was posting an evening
prayer. My wife found Joey’s prayers first, then pointed them out to me, commenting on how beautiful
and expressive they are. Soon, I noticed that another clergy friend of ours,
Jeff Rudy, had begun posting a morning prayer. Knowing these two as I do,Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-35613333855923128612012-09-14T09:50:00.000-07:002012-09-14T10:14:04.107-07:00Just Say "No" to the Status Quo
Want to strike fear in the hearts of many United Methodists?
Want ensure a phone call from your PPRC Chair and / or your District Superintendent?
Simply utter, even quietly or under your breath, that dreaded word no pew
sitter wants to hear C H A N G E. Certainly
I’m exaggerating for effect, but we all know that the idea or call for change in the Church causes fear and, too often, mistrust. NowPastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-10186882053079534212012-07-03T07:30:00.002-07:002012-07-03T07:30:35.767-07:00"Welcoming Home"
Worth sharing from Henri Nouwen:
“How do we welcome home our lost brothers and sisters? By
running out to them, embracing them, and kissing them. By clothing them
with the best clothes we have and making them our honored guests. By
offering them the best food and inviting friends and family for a party.
And, most important of all, by not asking for excuses or Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-38472459164360015252012-06-13T11:58:00.003-07:002012-06-13T12:01:07.243-07:00Favor the Waver
Click Here
United Methodist Healthcare asks for letter
writing related to concerns about organ procurement in Tennessee.
Methodist Healthcare is
asking United Methodists and the public for assistance with a local healthcare
issue.
Click
HERE for more information about the waiver, including sample letters of support, a
way to submit online comments and educational information about Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-30220374667206367552012-05-31T13:29:00.000-07:002012-05-31T13:29:06.128-07:00It's Not Over Until They Close the Lid!
I spent the better part of 15 years
tending bar and working in music clubs. In that time, I met all sorts of
characters and learned a lot about human nature. Many of those lessons serve me
well today as I train and learn the art of being a Pastor in the United
Methodist Church.
The past few years have seen a
great debate within the United Methodist Church as to the future of the
denomination.Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-60647927068033539282012-03-07T12:16:00.002-08:002012-03-07T14:38:11.135-08:00John Wesley Poster
Click here to order this poster from Amazon.comPastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-56787451016780522412012-02-01T10:13:00.002-08:002012-03-19T09:03:57.626-07:00Thinking Out Loud
Photo by Lara Blair, MPG
Life is messy, we all know that, but is it a bad thing? Messy mixes things up. Messy creates the need to reach out to others for help and to reach back to others to give support. Messy means my life spills into your life and time in this life becomes our life. Messy led me to recognize my deep need for God's Grace. Life is messy, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-36669104074563908792012-01-21T18:27:00.000-08:002012-01-21T18:27:01.215-08:00Join us Fridays at St. John's UMC in Mid-TownPastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-41715841674541062712012-01-19T08:36:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:36:42.821-08:00Created Creativity A dear friend is visiting New Zealand for several weeks. She wrote me recently that every time she sees a mountian or river she worships God.
New Zealand must be a beautiful place to worship God's creativity and playfulness! I've been thinking a lot lately about the created world and how vital it is to our experience of God.
There is this Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-43619093972575659302012-01-17T08:17:00.000-08:002012-01-17T08:17:11.742-08:00"Circuit Riders" Video.
Circuit Riders from YWAM Harpenden on Vimeo.Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-49955933914291210272011-11-08T14:06:00.000-08:002011-11-08T15:38:02.358-08:00Why are we afraid of "Christian Accountability" I was recently part of an extended online conversation regarding discipleship, accountability, and the role of the church. The conversation began after a friend posted Dan Dick's Blog article, "The Mediocre Commission." . Dan's point was that the Church is more concerned with our image than with our identity. He says that evidence of this is that church leaders Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-68774403186250380202011-10-26T08:59:00.000-07:002011-10-26T08:59:31.823-07:00Church Leadership Blog Digest
Where Christian Leaders Connect, Reflect, and Learn.
Kim Cape: "It isn't about sitting here playing bingo"
...the church’s challenge is to prepare transformational leaders who can tell laity, “It’s not all about sitting here playing bingo. We’ve got to get out in the community and be involved in Christ’s life in the world.”
Read More Here...Faith & Leadership
"Evangelical Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-33465750630000057802011-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:002011-10-21T19:53:04.501-07:00Methodist Blog Digest"Unnatural Gratitude"
Christians are made, not born," said Tertullian. No Christian virtues are innate. Nothing about following Jesus comes naturally. Therefore, so much that the church does for us is formational, educational, and transformational.
Read more from Bishop Will Wilimon's Bolg, A Peculiar Prophet
"United Methodist Pope and Problems of Consolidation"
There has been much fanfare Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-83102412775195117602011-10-19T13:07:00.000-07:002011-10-19T13:07:30.021-07:00Beware Institutional Prosperity GospelLast night I attended the Bowen Lecture Series at Memphis Theological where Dr. Mitzi Minor spoke on Paul’s Anti-Prosperity Gospel for the Corinthians. Dr. Minor is a New Testament scholar and recently published a commentary on Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth. The focus of last night’s discussion was Paul’s rejection of “triumphalism.” Paul reminds us that the purpose of discipleship is Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-5750340436143398412011-10-17T09:20:00.000-07:002011-10-17T09:20:14.453-07:00Methodist Ecclesiology and Pastoral Care The United Methodist Church is grounded in the belief that all followers of Jesus Christ are called to continue His ministry of service (diakonia) to the world (BOD ¶305). That service comes, in part, in the various forms and methods of pastoral care. Two key components set the Methodism apart, but not above, other faith traditions, the Wesleyan understanding of grace, Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-22858115271809551392011-10-08T20:54:00.000-07:002011-10-08T20:55:47.376-07:00More Than a ParadeExodus 32: 1-14
Philippians 4: 1-9
Matthew 22: 1-14
More Than a Parade
A lot takes place prior to the events in our reading today from Exodus. God has called Moses, Aaron and the elders up onto the mountain where He begins to instruct them in all things Holy. God understands that these humans He has created need guidance, they seek guidance, they deeply desire guidance. They are just like us, Pastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3161317348793407354.post-66984424893648976892011-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:002011-10-05T11:22:58.465-07:00Response to Chapter 10 of "Faith Seeking Understanding", by Daniel L. MiglioreIn this chapter, Daniel Migliore asserts that our attitude toward understanding the doctrine of the church, ecclesiology, interferes with our ability to honestly and to fully examine the role of the church in modern culture. According to Migliore, many people associate church doctrine solely with administration or organization. He calls the reader to recognize that understanding the nature of thePastor Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821088253350056026noreply@blogger.com0