Revitalize Your Church

An Ugly Old Stump (An Advent Poem)

2025-12-07T05:36:00.001-06:00

Just an ugly old stump -- that's all it was -- and old stumps carry no hopes or dreams.

Only maps and memory rings

of thirsty days, hard toil, and weary longings
embedded to the core.

Just an ugly old stump -- a dwarfed reminder -- of what once was. . . and all that might have been.

If only.
If only.

But old stumps carry no hopes or dreams --

Only scarred rememberings. . .

of lightening strikes and howling wind,
of squirrels and hammer heads,
of children's summer play,

All these now faded away

To just an ugly old stump -- useless for humans, but to
to sit
to rest
to think

And hurried humans hardly take the time to do such things.

Just an ugly old stump -- that's all it was -- and old stumps carry no hopes or dreams.

Or do they?

Look again. Could it be? A tiny sprout of green?

What could this possibly mean?

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse" Isa. 11:1

"Hope springs eternal in the human breast. . ." Alexander Pope

"The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!"

My Ordination Succession

2025-07-11T16:12:00.002-05:00

I was ordained in 1987 in the Pacific Southwest District of The Wesleyan Church by Earle Wilson

Earle Wilson was ordained by William Neff (Pilgrim Holiness)

William Neff was ordained by Winfred (W. R.) Cox (Pilgrim Holiness)

Winfred (W. R.) Cox was ordained by George Kulp (International Apostolic Holiness Church)

George Kulp was ordained by Stephen Merrill (Methodist Episcopal)

Stephen Merrill was ordained by Thomas Asbury Morris (Methodist Episcopal)

Thomas Asbury Morris was ordained by Robert Richford Roberts (Methodist Episcopal)

Robert Richford Roberts was ordained by Francis Asbury (Methodist)

Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist)

Thomas Coke was ordained by John Wesley (Anglican)

John Wesley was ordained by Bishop John Potter (Anglican)

From Potter, a line of consecrated bishops can be traced back to St. Peter

Jonathan Trelawney William Sancroft Henry Compton Gilbert Sheldon Brian Duppa Bl. William Laud George Montaigne George Abbot Richard Bancroft John Whitgift Edmund Grindal Matthew Parker William Barlow Thomas Cranmer John Longlands William Warham Richard Fitzjames John Morton Thomas Bourchier Henry Beaufort Roger Walden Robert Braybrooke Thomas Brentingham Simon Sudbury William Edendon Ralph Stratford Robert Wyvil Roger Northborough John of Halton Anthony Beck Henry Walter Kirkham Walter de Gray William of S. Mere L'Eglise Gilbert Glanville Peter de Leia Roger of Gloucester St. Thomas Becket Henry of Blois William of Corbeuil Richard de Belmeis St. Anselm Thomas Bl. Lanfranc Siward

Stigand Eadsige

Ethelnoth Wulfstan

Elfric St. Aelphege St. Dunstan Odo

Wulfhelm

Althelm St. Plegmund

Formosus St. Nicholas I Benedict III Leo IV Sergius II Gregory IV Valentine Constantine Sisinnius John VII John VI Sergius I Conon John V Benedict II Leo II Agatho

Donus Adeodatus II Vitalian

Eugene I Martin I Theodore I John IV Severinus Honorius I Boniface V Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) Boniface IV Boniface III Sabinianus Gregory I Pelagius II Benedict I John III Pelagius I Vigilus

Silverius Agapetus I (Agapitus) John II Boniface II Felix IV John I Hormisdas Symmachus Anastasius II Gelasius I Felix III Simplicius Hilary Leo I Sixtus III Celestine I Boniface I Zosimus Innocent I Anastasius I Siricius Damasas I Liberius Julius I Marcus Sylvester I Eucibius Marcellus I Marcellinus Caius Eutychian Felix I Dionysius Sixtus II Stephen I Lucius I Cornelius Fabian Anterus Pontian Urban I Callistus I Zephyrinus

Victor I Eleutherius

Soter Anicetus Pius I Hygimus Telesphorus Sixtis I Alexander I Evaristus Clement Ancletus (Cletus) Linus St. Peter

He Gave His Life for His Country

2025-05-26T07:00:00.003-05:00

In the Pleasant Hill Baptist Cemetery, just a mile from where I live (near Six Mile, SC) is the grave of Furman Smith, the first Medal of Honor recipient (U.S. military's highest decoration) from the state of South Carolina.

Smith, a 19-year-old farm boy from Six Mile, was in Lanuvio, Italy with Company L, 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division in a mission to liberate Rome, when his unit came under heavy Nazi fire, wounding his commander and another soldier.

Instead of retreating with the rest of the company, Furman Smith stayed with his fallen comrades in an attempt to protect them. Smith fought valiantly but eventually lost his life after being swarmed by a force of 80 German soldiers.

Today, his name graces a highway about a mile from our home, and his body lies at rest in the Pleasant Hill cemetery between his parents and his younger brother, Mit, who died the following year at the tender age of 17.

Researching Furman's story today, I discovered a sister born earlier died of the plague in 1918. It it is sad to imagine how the parents, Charles and Oley (Merck) Smith, were able to cope with such devastating loss.

Purple Fish Podcast: People Are Not Projects

2023-07-27T06:13:00.007-05:00

My Updated Ordination Succession

2022-08-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

I made an error when I listed my ordination succession a few weeks ago.

I was ordained by Earle Wilson and he was ordained by William Neff.

I had thought that Neff was ordained by early Pilgrim leader, Seth Rees, but upon further investigation, he was actually ordained by Winfred Cox. Thus, my ordination line takes a fortunate turn.

It was a struggle reconciling Rees anyway. I had taken a leap saying that he was ordained by the Nazarenes -- when, in fact, he was originally "recorded" (not ordained) by the Quakers, and the Nazarenes claim they never ordained him. I find that hard to believe -- especially when, according to historian, Kostlevy, he participated in ordinations for the Metropolitan Church Association, a forerunner of the Pilgrim Holiness Church.

Anyhow -- deepest apologies for leading anyone astray and here is the updated ordination succession for Earle Wilson and anyone ordained by him (including former Wesleyan GS, JoAnne Lyon).

I was ordained by Earle Wilson in 1987 in the Pacific Southwest District.

Earle Wilson was ordained by William Neff (Pilgrim Holiness)

William Neff was ordained by Winfred (W. R.) Cox (Pilgrim Holiness)

Winfred (W. R. Cox) was ordained by George Kulp (International Apostolic Holiness Church)

George Kulp was ordained by Stephen Merrill (Methodist Episcopal)

Stephen Merrill was ordained by Thomas Asbury Morris (Methodist Episcopal)

Thomas Asbury Morris was ordained by Robert Richford Roberts (Methodist Episcopal)

Robert Richford Roberts was ordained by Francis Asbury (Methodist)

Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist)

Thomas Coke was ordained by John Wesley (Anglican)

Wayne Schmidt's Wesleyan Ordination Succession

2022-07-12T07:24:00.004-05:00

When Wesleyan General Superintendent, Wayne Schmidt, officiates ordination services, he is continuing a long, historic line of ministerial calling/leadership as the mantle is passed to the next generation.

Wayne Schmidt was ordained by O. D. Emery (Wesleyan Church)

O. D. Emery ordained by Louis Willard Sturk (Pilgrim Holiness).

Louis Willard (L. W.) Sturk ordained by George B. Kulp (Pilgrim Holiness)

George Kulp was ordained by Stephen Merrill (Methodist Episcopal)

Stephen Merrill was ordained by Thomas Asbury Morris (Methodist Episcopal)

Thomas Asbury Morris was ordained by Robert Richford Roberts (Methodist Episcopal)

Robert Richford Roberts was ordained by the renowned circuit riding evangelist, Francis Asbury (Methodist)

Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist)

Thomas Coke was ordained by a renegade priest named John Wesley (Anglican)

John Wesley was ordained by John Potter, Bishop of Oxford (Anglican).

From Potter -- there's a trail all the way back to St. Peter! (You can see the Anglican list here.) (Potter is #163)

And the Word marches on -- proclaimed from one generation to another!

Wesleyan Ordination Succession (Updated)

2022-07-09T06:01:00.009-05:00

JoAnne Lyon and I share the same Wesleyan line of ordination succession.