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Deacon Calling and Roles

In April 2015 I observed a thread of Facebook posts in which deacons and prospective candidates for deacon were sharing the various places and roles they were working in service to Christ. Another thread inquired about whether deacons were having difficulty finding...

Warming the Oil

A friend with complications during a difficult trial asked a brother, “What is God doing in the midst of this?” His brother replied,”Warming the oil.” My friend soon recovered and found even greater joy and fulfillment in ministry, especially to others in suffering...

Not Without Voice

3/16/17- Once again, I can only marvel at what a sense of humor and irony God has! Last year at the same time that the Alabama West Florida Conference Board of Ministry notified me that I was discontinued from provisional status as a deacon, the UMC...

Institutional Ministry Life Cycles

A former pastor friend of mine preached powerfully and prophetically, so much so that he got asked to resign from the church about 25 years ago. He said to me that one has to consider where one’s loyalty is…..with Christ, with the people being served in...

Compromised Smiles

I knew my sixth decade would bring challenges, just as each new decade of life has. Last week I bit down on a dried banana chip for breakfast as I drove to work and I broke an incisor tooth just to the right of my front teeth. I was able to get in to see My dentist at...

Closing Ill-Fitting Doors

There are some ironies that are just too rich to ignore. Today the final one of what had been several banging and ill-fitting doors closed in my life, despite my efforts to fit it for use. I had scheduled a celebratory bonfire with a few close friends to dispose of a...