Words from Washington

Thoughts, questions, and reactions from the pastor of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Strangely Warmed

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It's Aldersgate Day. It was May 24, 1738 when a reluctant John Wesley entered a meeting room on Aldersgate Street in London. He did no...
3 comments:
Friday, May 21, 2010

Getting it Right

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During the season of Lent, Mount Vernon Place was privileged to be one of five congregations to pilot a new program for the Fund for Theolo...
2 comments:
Thursday, May 06, 2010

Seeing Church

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I saw the church at its best this week. I saw the church - not the big, fancy building in which millions of dollars have been invested - but...
1 comment:
Wednesday, May 05, 2010

The Horse or the Rider?

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Like many of you, I made sure I was in front of a television on Saturday evening. I was out with friends but made it a point to perch myse...
Monday, April 19, 2010

The Membership Gap

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I serve as a pastor in a shrinking denomination. Our church, the United Methodist Church, has been losing members for decades. The loss is s...
3 comments:
Friday, April 02, 2010

Missing Lent

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I missed Lent this year. I started the 40 days with high hopes for how my life would change - for the discipline that would enter my diet, ...
3 comments:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Creating Hospitable Space

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During the season of Lent, our congregation at Mount Vernon Place piloted a program for the Fund for Theological Education . The program, V...
1 comment:
Monday, March 29, 2010

T-Shirt Sales

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If I were in Durham today, I would have been one of the first people in line to buy a new t-shirt. I don't need a new t-shirt. Still, ...
Friday, March 26, 2010

The Golden Rule

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A few months ago, I was attending a meeting in Columbia, Maryland. When I walked out to find my car in the very crowded parking lot, I noti...
Monday, March 22, 2010

60 Miles to Solitude

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I'm back from spending four full days in solitude. Last Monday afternoon, I arrived at Holy Cross Abbey a few minutes after 4:00 in the...
Monday, March 15, 2010

Return to Me

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"Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not...
1 comment:
Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Preaching for Change

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Who, Me? Exodus 3:1-12 and Luke 10:25-37 March 7, 2010 It was February 1, 1960. I can imagine that the counter at the Woolworth’s in Greens...
Saturday, March 06, 2010

Amazing Grace

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As part of my Lenten discipline, I have been seeking to incorporate different readings into my morning devotional time. As a result, I have...
Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Heartbroken Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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It's a great day to be a resident of the District of Columbia. On this day, countless couples are lining the steps of a courthouse a fe...
12 comments:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Michelle Obama Arms

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A few weeks ago, I arrived early for a 6:30 p.m. exercise class. The class that began at 5:30, Sports Circuit, was still in session. Each me...
5 comments:
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Winning Me Over

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The Wednesday newspaper is my second favorite newspaper of the week. While Sunday's edition leads the way because of all the advertisin...
Monday, February 15, 2010

Prophetic Words from Peter Storey

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My mentor and friend, Rev. Dr. Peter Storey, sent me a statement over the weekend. Knowing my own struggle to do whatever I can to make ou...
1 comment:
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Donna Claycomb Sokol
Since July of 2005, I have had the extraordinary privilege of watching an old church find new life. I have had a front-row seat to lives being changed, property being redeveloped, and God working in surprising ways. I ponder here about who God is, how God seems to work, why I love the church, why I'd love to change the church, and a variety of other things. I have been told that I am an external processor - perhaps this place is where I externally process what's on my heart and mind in hopes that some of what I share can be helpful.
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