Words from Washington

I celebrated my birthday yesterday by treating myself to a massage and haircut. The combination consists of two of my favorite things, and a...

I love the church. For as long as I can remember, the church has been the place where I have discovered community - a circle of people who ...

A church with showers is a wonderful thing - especially in the heart of the city. Having showers at Mount Vernon Place was something I thoug...

I was shocked to see today that Tipper and Al Gore are separating. A couple who seemed so happy throughout their days of being in the public...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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, ...

During the season of Lent, our congregation at Mount Vernon Place piloted a program for the Fund for Theological Education . The program, V...

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, ...

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...

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...

"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...

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...

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

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...