A Few Thoughts...

I was asked for the process of forgiveness contained in my sermon yesterday on Romans 5:1-11  after church and in a few emails.  And then this morning, I read  Just Forgive?  by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Frederick Schmidt (I commend his blog to you) .  So, I took it as a sign (an inside joke for Dr. Schmidt) that I should write about forgiveness this morning. Dr. Schmidt succinctly explains one of the most challenging aspects of pastoral ministry.  Many Christians are living in various states of unforgiveness and pain due to horrible circumstance that should not be trivialized.  As I began my ministry, I did not fully understand how many Christians struggle to forgive others or how many people had experienced tragedy.  It seemed odd to me that so many who claim to be born out of forgiveness are unable to forgive.  I did not realize how these tragic events can harden the hearts of the faithful and make forgiveness difficult for Chris...

The District Leadership Team of the Southeast District of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church had a conversation on Wednesday about the guaranteed appointment that led me to do a little more homework on the subject.  ¶337 of the book of discipline is the primary paragraph in question regarding the “guaranteed” appointment of elders in the United Methodist Church.  The current language is that, “All elders in full connection who are in good standing in an annual conference shall  be continued under appointment by the bishop...”  The source of the legislation on the guaranteed appointment seems to be from the Study of Ministry Committee’s Report and Recommendations.  The Study of Ministry Commission’s Report & Recommendation can be found at http://www.gbhem.org/atf/cf/%7B0bcef929-bdba-4aa0-968f-d1986a8eef80%7D/DOM_STUDYOFMINISTRY2011PROPOSAL.PDF .  Before we consider the changes proposed in the Study of Ministry Report, let’s consid...