Seeking Salvation : Christianity, Faith, Methodism

                    I remember watching members of the evangelism team at a local megachurch wandering the streets of Downtown Minneapolis, handing out tracts and praying with people in an attempt to lead them to Christ. My kids attended Sunday School there because the Sunday School at my home church wasn’t very good at this point, so I was a regular at their Sunday evening services.  I noticed that I never saw people who had prayed with this team in the auditorium. Instead, I met a lot of folks whose lives had been changed through the food pantry ministry, the chemical dependency clinic, their children’s participation in the private school on campus, and the bookstore. All of these spaces provided acts of signs and wonders in these people's lives that they could expressly point to, and that led to them changing their lives in the way God was calling them to.  Just preaching the word isn’t enough. It must be follo...

By Carol Meile   I have a bee in my bonnet. Lately, I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the plague of binary thinking that pervades our culture. It is literally tearing it apart. We have good and bad, light and dark, red and blue, MAGA and progressive. All these binary dualities of thought and to what end? We haven’t solved any of the major issues in our country. In fact, we have used our binary culture to kick the can down the road to the point of garbage being in the streets, homeless people in mass encampments, and the poor, regardless of location, largely forgotten, and we treat migrants inhumanely.  This has to stop. There are millions of color combinations hundreds of economic and political approaches, a country can do things other than erect walls at its border, and we house and feed everyone on Earth. All of this is doable. We have the technology. What we don’t have in this country is any form of will. A pervasive laziness has taken over society. We have a...

         (Photo by Ian Stauffer)       I have had a horrible bout of writer's block this week. I have done all the things that a writer/ pastor should do. I prayed and studied the scripture and sought counsel. I just started writing because sometimes you can write yourself out of a funk. All to no relief. And the longer it went, the more I panicked because Sunday was coming, and I needed to say something.        I woke up this morning four days later, and poof, it was gone. No idea why it just lifted, and it got me thinking. Sometimes we have problems that are not up to us to solve. We may want to solve them, and others around us may want us to solve them, but sometimes it's not our problem to solve but God's.       In the case of writer's block, going on with life and doing other things like pastoral visits and reading pushed the problem into God's lap. I had prayed, I had studied, I had sought co...

 According to CNN, an “Oklahoma lawsuit seeks to block opening of first publicly funded religious charter school in the US”. [1] This false narrative is that religion and public schools should not be separate but interwoven. The question is which religion, even if we assume Christianity, there are hundreds of variations within the US alone!  The truth is that God is present and doesn’t need human endorsement or funding. God was there before the staff and kids arrived. God is there through how our children and staff treat each other. As kids seek to love their neighbors as themselves, and teacher and staff seek to show patience, perseverance, and excellence, in all of this, God is present.  God doesn’t need human approval to act, so what is really driving this push? Let me argue that families desire to get a parochial education at taxpayer expense. The Constitution, though, is clear in the First Amendment “Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or pro...

Difficult things happen to all of us. It’s part of the creation that God orders for us. Pain is part of life; you can’t avoid it. The United Methodist Church teaches that “suffering begets holiness”. The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, added a little more nuance when he argued that: · Suffering keeps the believer humble, even as a little child. [27] [1] · Suffering alters the believer’s focus, from this world and toward God. [28] [2] · Suffering teaches the believer obedience, just as it did for Christ. [29] [3] · Suffering cultivates an attitude of full submission toward God. [30] [4] · Suffering increases our earnestness for pure love. [31] [5] · Suffering prepares the believer to fight temptation. [32] [6] Ultimately, “Whatever raises the mind to God is good; whatever draws the heart from its center is evil [7] This is great to know; however, Pain, Suffering, and illness seem to contradict what many know about God’s nature that: o God is all-powerful. o God is all-kn...

           Have you ever experienced a disconnect between how you appear externally and how you feel internally? Do acts of kindness become tainted by guilt, shame, and anger, robbing you of the joy they should bring? Do you struggle with feelings of worthiness, questioning whether you deserve happiness, fulfilment, love, a rewarding career, or a fulfilling relationship? The concept at the core of all these experiences is worthiness. Jesus once remarked, "You can be a clean cup on the outside but dirty inside." Feeling unworthy has the power to tarnish a person's inner being. So, what causes this feeling, and is there a way to overcome it?      Throughout my life, I have grappled with feelings of unworthiness. I constantly felt like an outsider, never truly belonging. This sentiment was amplified by public rejection, such as unsuccessful political campaigns, missed opportunities for promotions, and failed relationships. For some individu...

  Photo by Precious Plastic Melbourne on Unsplash In our fast-paced lives, finding peace and tranquility can be a challenge. God desires peace for us, not only in our relationships and work but also in the sanctuary we call home. A cluttered and messy house can disrupt our peace, fueling feelings of depression and anxiety. A dirty and cluttered living space can demoralize us even if we excel in other areas of life. This blog post will explore practical tips to help you clean your house fast and create an environment that fosters inner peace. Set a Timer: To stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked, start by setting a timer. This simple technique will help you allocate specific time blocks for cleaning tasks and prevent procrastination. Start from the Top: Begin cleaning from the highest points in your house, such as ceilings, light fixtures, and fans, and work your way down. Doing so prevents dirt and dust from falling onto surfaces you’ve already cleaned, saving you time and ef...

       In today’s rapidly changing society, the church faces a significant challenge in engaging with young people. Research from the book Unchristian reveals alarming statistics about how young adults perceive Christians, with negative associations ranging from judgmental and hypocritical to anti-LGBTQ. These perceptions indicate a branding problem that contradicts the fruits of the Spirit we should be known for. Rev Adam Hamilton and his team at the Church of the Resurrection have identified five key areas that turn young adults away from the church, highlighting the need for introspection and reform. In this blog post, we will explore these issues and discuss potential ways to bridge the gap and reestablish meaningful connections with young people. Evolving from a Habit to a Movement: In the past, attending church was viewed as a positive habit, much like working, buying a home, or voting. However, to effectively engage with young people, the church needs to tr...