Words from Washington

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

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Adapting to Change

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I have had a Hotmail email account for over a decade. I love my Hotmail account. It is where all my personal email arrives. It is an acco...
3 comments:
Thursday, July 22, 2010

An Unexpected Hero

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For the last several weeks, our congregation, Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church , has been working with nearby Asbury United Method...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Fine Print

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Wednesdays are my favorite day to open the Washington Post . I love Wednesdays because it is the day the Food Section arrives with the norma...
1 comment:
Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Neediness

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I celebrated my birthday yesterday by treating myself to a massage and haircut. The combination consists of two of my favorite things, and a...
Friday, June 25, 2010

Encouraging the Church

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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 ...
1 comment:
Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A Church with Showers

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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...
1 comment:
Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Usefulness

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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...
8 comments:
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...
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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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