News and Views

Showing items for 'Viewpoints'

A Prayer for the Advent Season
Posted by Guest Author on

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. A United Methodist pastor wrote a special prayer which is easy for individuals, churches, or families to use during this season of anticipation. This video puts his words with imagery and features narration by the Rev. Gary...

The word is... light
Posted by Guest Author on

Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column.

Let Us Give Thanks: A Photo Prayer
Posted by Guest Author on

While November marks a celebration of thanksgiving in the U.S., finding time to thank God is part of our daily discipline as United Methodists. This video meditation features a shortened version of a prayer of thanksgiving. You are encouraged to share or download this video to use in Sunday...

What to do when it feels like death?
Posted by Guest Author on

In the year King Uzziah died, the prophet, in his grief, turned to God in the Temple. For many of us, there may be a feeling that our hope for the new king, has died, and we turn to God. There is hope, and a lot of it in this passage from Isaiah 6:1-8

The word is... miracle
Posted by on

Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column.

Meditations on the Eve of a National Election
Posted by Guest Author on

At our September meeting, the Carroll County United Methodist Clergy shared our hopes for unity despite the frenzied environment surrounding our national election process. These meditations poignantly begin on World Communion Sunday as we gathered around our communion tables in our church...

Hispanic Heritage Month
Posted by Guest Author on

The anthropologist Clifford Geertz explains that one of the most significant aspect of the human condition is that “we all begin with the natural equipment to live a thousand kinds of life, but end in having lived only one.” For me, this one life began unfolding on Home Street in the South...

The words are... sing out!
Posted by Guest Author on

Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column.

'For Such a Time as This'
Posted by Wanda Duckett on

As the Baltimore-Washington celebrated the installation of Bishop Latrelle Easterling, and begins to “listen to a new voice,” the Rev. Wanda Bynum Duckett shared a spoken word piece at a brunch for the new bishop on Oct. 1. See a video of “For Such a Time as This.”

UMC: We need you again
Posted by Guest Author on

Dear Church: Just in case no one has ever told you, allow me to be the one. We need you more than our egos, pride, and “church-hurt” inflected mindsets and experiences will allow us to admit. I’m sure that by this point you’ve heard #TerenceCrutcher, who I intentionally...