http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/ Wed, 02 May 2012 18:32:35 GMT en-us Copyright 2012 La Jolla United Methodist Church http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/kony-2012/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/kony-2012/ Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:18:16 GMT KONY – 2012 Jason Russell, part of our extended church family through our nursery school is doing something remarkable.  He is attempting to alter history by doing something really, really good.  And he’s sounding a call ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/becoming-our-best/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/becoming-our-best/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:21:02 GMT "Becoming Our Best"     I just started a sermon series entitled "Beconing Our Best."  Last Sunday I spoke on Vision.  The next four weeks I will address the topics of Devotion, Learning, Relationships, and ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/happy-new-year/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/happy-new-year/ Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:00:02 GMT Happy New Year Here's a delightful poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, celebrating the coming of the New Year.  May this new year be one with more peace and prosperity for all. "Ring Out, Wild Bells!" Ring out, wild bells, to the wild ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/occupy-/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/occupy-/ Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:47:52 GMT "Occupy ..."     There has been a powerful social movement sweeping our country using the banner of "Occupy Wall Street" that is trying to give voice to those who feel left behind in our society.  In light of the policy ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/connecting-to-the-culture/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/connecting-to-the-culture/ Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:02 GMT "Connecting to the Culture"     I was treated to an evening of threatre this week at the La Jolla Playhouse.  They are running the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar."  It was a delight ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/taking-care-of-our-children/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/taking-care-of-our-children/ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:46:07 GMT “Taking Care of Our Children”             As the news of child abuse unfolds from the campuses of Penn State and Syracuse, we are all saddened for the victims and more than a ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/hallelujah/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/hallelujah/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:49:27 GMT This week I was invited by the UMW to be the program at their fall INterest Group gathering.  I spoke about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and shared some reasons why so many of us felt drawn into ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/grace-not-karma-bono/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/grace-not-karma-bono/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:32:56 GMT "Grace Not Karma - Bono" In today's sermon on the on the beginning of the spiritual journey, that first stage of dawning religious consciousness, I quoted Bono, from U2.  In the passage, he speaks of how Grace up-ends Karma, and he finds ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/israelipalestinian-conflict/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/israelipalestinian-conflict/ Fri, 16 Sep 2011 06:50:07 GMT "Israeli/Palestinian Conflict" Today at the UMW Interest Group meeting, I had the opportunity to speak about our trip to the Holy Land.  Members of our church did this trip through Educational Opportunities near the start of this year. ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/effective-churches-faithful-members/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/effective-churches-faithful-members/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:50:29 GMT Effective Churches - Faithful Members Robert Schnase writes these words in his book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: “Churches embrace newcomers with a sustaining sense of belonging when they practice Christ’s Radical ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/directions-for-singing/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/directions-for-singing/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:19:05 GMT Directions For Singing I am giving a sermon series on learn our faith as we sing our faith, and I made reference to Wesley's advice on singing.  Here it is as appearing on page vii in the United Methodist Hymnal, written by Wesley in ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/were-not-letting-go-of-the-woodstock-album/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/were-not-letting-go-of-the-woodstock-album/ Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:37:31 GMT We're Not Letting Go of the Woodstock Album When have you reached the age to pass on the albums or books of your formative years?  I think it can come most any year.  For me, it's now.   Deb's mom passed on and we are glad to ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll/ Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:54:18 GMT Sex, drugs, and Rock n Roll Yea, all right, pretty stupid title.  Yet I was watching tv the other night and it dawned on me that most everything I see nowadays revolves around sex, food, and power.  Not exactly what we heralded in ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/the-power-of-evil/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/the-power-of-evil/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:34:12 GMT The Power of Evil  Reading about the capture of Ratko Mladic, a long sought after war criminal from the Balkin Wars of the 1990s, my wife asked me “Why does it seem so easy to mobilize so many people to do evil when it is so hard to ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/fall-from-grace/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/fall-from-grace/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:07:58 GMT Fall from Grace   Jim Tressel’s fall from grace, as head coach of the storied Ohio State football program, must have startled and disappointed all but the most jaded collegiate football fan.  For years, Tressel had been widely ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/acts-of-god/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/acts-of-god/ Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:50:44 GMT Acts of God There has been a overwhelming number of weather catastrophes this spring.  Tornadoes, heavy rains and floods, earthquakes ... used to be people called these "acts of God."  Newsweek has an article this week entitled ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/hurry-ruins-saints/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/hurry-ruins-saints/ Fri, 20 May 2011 05:06:21 GMT Hurry Ruins Saints It's a sentiment written on a refrigerator magnet I saw in a small religious book store one day.  My eyes were drawn to the interesting graphics, yet my mind got wrapped up in the words.  Hurry Ruins Saints. ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/omg-even-the-presbyterians/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/omg-even-the-presbyterians/ Tue, 17 May 2011 01:40:32 GMT OMG: Even the Presbyterians!     So now the Presbyterians have decided to ordain gays.  They add their denominational name (though local Southern Californian Presbyterians are as conservative as they come) to the list of ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/cheering-a-death/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/cheering-a-death/ Wed, 04 May 2011 02:59:07 GMT Got a facebook posting from a clergy friend talking about his feeling of “being conflicted” over seeing Americans out on the street cheering the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Glad that bin Laden couldn't kill anyone else; proud ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/not-intended-to-be-a-factual-statement/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/not-intended-to-be-a-factual-statement/ Mon, 02 May 2011 03:19:10 GMT  “I am sorry they took offense at what I said.”  That is the common apology these days.  The person does not apologize for what they said, they apologize that the hearers took it the way they did and got ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/tone-of-voice/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/tone-of-voice/ Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:08:40 GMT On our Holy Land Trip we had the most interesting experience.  One of the owners of the store we were about to enter was a friend of the guide, so upon the guide’s request, he had agreed to talk to us as we sat on the bus awaiting our ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/crowds/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/crowds/ Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:43:53 GMT The thing about crowds is that you can lose your individual identity and your sense of personal power, and find yourself getting caught up in the group’s emotions, moving along toward the group’s purposes.  Gangs know this, the ... http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/speaking-up/ http://lajollaunitedmethodist.org/finding-our-voice/speaking-up/ Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:36:08 GMT Reading Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, I was saddened to learn that a whole generation or two in America has grown up finding these words expressive of their perception of ...