A translation by Alex Joyner From: Paul, by God’s will an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Brother Timothy To: The holy and faithful in Colossae, brothers and sisters all Grace. Peace to you from God the Father. We give thanks to God, Father also of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always on your […]
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Australia (and Nuance) Burning
Recently I had the opportunity to write a story about the Australian brushfires for the great FaithLink resource. The main essay from that curriculum is now up on Ministry Matters. Come for the spectacle of the fire. Stay for the musings about how we’ve killed nuance and the opportunity to really see what we’re seeing. Click here.
Via Dolorosa of the Confederacy
My piece on visiting Appomattox Court House is up on the blog of StreetLight Magazine. Click here.
In Memoriam: Bess Sheldon
On November 8, 2019 we celebrated the life of Commander Bess Bryant Sheldon, most everybody’s Aunt Bess. These were my remarks at the service: So let me start by acknowledging that you don’t get to be a pastor to your own family. People know you too well. You might get called upon to do the […]
In Memoriam: Walking Liberty for Pete Joyner
On December 14, 2019, a memorial service was held for my father, Ulysses Percy “Pete” Joyner, Jr., at Trinity United Methodist Church in Orange, Virginia. I shared this witness to his remarkable life. The last time my father remembered seeing his father was on an evening in May 1940. The family was reeling from the […]
Hooligans and Lunatics on Streetlight
My little meditation on the moon is up on the blog of the great Streetlight magazine today. Many thanks to Trudy Hale and the gang for offering the space for such musings.
Because You Are More Powerful Than We Imagine – A Final Prayer Before General Conference 2019
Because you are more powerful than we imagine in our Pelagian fantasies, Because you are always more ready to dance than we are to follow your lead, Because you choose contingency over certainty and the added gifts of incarnation, intimacy, and the open door, Because you will still be watching when we turn our heads […]
Race, Virginia, and Jesus’ Circle of Favor
It has been a disturbing week in Virginia government. Once again, we are struggling with how we address questions of race and racism. This time Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring are both confronted with incidents from their past involving appearances in blackface, a remnant of minstrel shows where the entertainment came […]
Why Don’t Country People Just Get Out? – Episode 3
It’s happened again. Writers in The New York Times are once again wondering aloud if country people shouldn’t just give up and move to the city to deal with problems of economic insecurity. Which means, it’s time for another episode of “Why Don’t Country People Just Get Out?” In an article titled “The Hard Truth […]
Christmas Music and the Incarnation
Originally posted on Tell it Slant:
photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash The essay from my FaithLink for Dec. 23rd–“Christmas Music and the Incarnation”—has been posted on the Ministry Matters website: https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/9420/christmas-music-and-the-incarnation Here are links to the songs mentioned in the essay: John McCutcheon’s “Christmas in the Trenches”: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox?projector=1 Noel Paul Stookey’s “Christmas Dinner” with…