In Alford, Lord Tennyson’s Epic Poem IDYLLS OF THE KING, “Idyll 12: The Passing of Arthur,” King Arthur is dying. He speaks these inspiring words to his friend Sir Bedivere:
I have lived my life, and that which I have done
May He within Himself make pure! But thou,
If thou shouldst never see my
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Methodist
A want is something I would like to have, something I may wish or long for, something that I find desirable, but it is not something that I must absolutely have. I can live without having all my wants supplied, but all my needs must be met.
Some personal examples quickly come to my mind. I had
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Denomination:
Methodist
Charing Cross is the geographical center of London, England, and the location of one of the primary railway stations in the city. The name stems from the fact that King Edward I erected a cross on that site in memory of his wife Eleanor after her death in 1290. “All distances in the United
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Denomination:
Methodist
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My first pastoral appointment was the Marissa and Zion United Methodist Charge in St. Clair County, Illinois, about forty miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Zion had only three members and no electricity or running water. In past decades light had been provided in the sanctuary by kerosene,
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Denomination:
Methodist
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Today we celebrate Holy Communion. In our Methodist and Anglican traditions the spirit of repentance has always been at the heart and center in observing this holy sacrament. Traditionally since the publication of the first BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER in 1549 and John Wesley’s 1784 work THE SUNDAY
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Methodist
Dr. Norman Shawchuck has pastored United Methodist congregations in North Dakota and Indiana and is a prolific author and retreat leader in the area of spiritual formation. His contemporary prayer of repentance is so personally powerful: “O God, I surrender to you the habits and sins that, like
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Denomination:
Methodist
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At age 83 on August 4, 1786, John Wesley wrote his pamphlet entitled “Thoughts on Methodism.” This contains one of my favorite quotations from Wesley but one that continues to haunt me as I reflect on the sad state of our United Methodist denomination in America and the spiritual condition of our
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Denomination:
Methodist
When our Lord commands us to “confess our sins and pray for each other so that we may be healed,” He is promising us healing to the whole person—physically, spiritually, emotionally, and in of our broken relationships with others. The Holy Spirit moves in small groups such as the Academy for
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Denomination:
Methodist
A Class would consist of no more than 20 people. Today an ideal size is between four and twelve. Wesley had three “General Rules of the Methodist Class Meetings” for which each class member was expected to give a verbal account as to their personal progress the past week. These three “General
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Denomination:
Methodist
He will not always bring your storms to an end. Just like Isaiah said in our Old Testament Lesson you will have to pass through waters and walk through fire. He will be with you as you pass through the waters and as you walk through the fire. The flames may singe your skin, but they will not
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Methodist
When preachers get together, someone may comment, “That will preach.” Inspiration for a sermon comes from many people and places. A few weeks ago in our Academy for Christian Training and Service one of our readings for reflection came from the book YEARING TO KNOW GOD’S WILL by Danny E. Morris,
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Denomination:
Methodist
Paul Nixon stresses that “a growing number of people will associate with organized churches only when those places ‘WORK FOR THEM’ in their personal quests for meaningful theology, community, and service.” [Paul Nixon, I REFUSE TO LEAD A DYING CHURCH (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2006), 10 ] He
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Methodist
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By the power of His Holy Spirit filling and empowering us, let us fulfill the fervor of Dorothea Day’s poem “My Captain”:
Out of the night that dazzles me,
Bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be
For Christ the conqueror of my soul.
Since His the sway of
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Methodist
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That’s the vision Dr. Nixon’s congregation caught at Lakeview Church. He challenged that congregation and calls on us to “Focus attention on winning lost people.” God “increased Lakeview’s territory” when they “focused their attention on reaching and winning people to Jesus.” The Holy Spirit
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Denomination:
Methodist
On Sunday evening, January 27, 2002, Olympic gymnasts Mary Lou Retton-Kelley, Kerri Strug, and Bart Conner appeared on the Celebrity version of the TV Reality-Game Show “The Weakest Link,” along with five other famous Olympic athletes.
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Denomination:
Methodist
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Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope, shares this story: “In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, ‘Shake me off; I sill
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Methodist
The great British Baptist pastor Alexander McClaren reminds us, “Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life,’ can say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” [--Alexander McClaren, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3. Thomas a Kempis, the 14th century German Catholic monk, wrote in The
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Denomination:
Methodist
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“During World War I, a British commander was preparing to lead his soldiers back to battle. They’d been on furlough, and it was a cold, rainy, muddy day. Their shoulders sagged because they knew what lay ahead of them: mud, blood, possible death. Nobody talked, nobody sang. It was a heavy time.
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Denomination:
Methodist
Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope, shares this story: “In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, ‘Shake me off; I sill
...read more
Denomination:
Methodist
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The great British Baptist pastor Alexander McClaren reminds us, “Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life,’ can say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” [--Alexander McClaren, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3. Thomas a Kempis, the 14th century German Catholic monk, wrote in The
...read more
Denomination:
Methodist
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