Words from Washington

Memorial Day came with certain traditions in our family. Each year we would pile into the brown station wagon and head to Northern Missouri....

Last Friday I was invited to serve as the Guest Chaplain for the House of Representatives. It was a gift that brought my life full circle. N...

George W. Bush reemerged in the spotlight last week with the dedication of his library on the campus of Southern Methodist University. As I ...

It's been a different kind of week for our nation. We are people who regularly go through life without being afraid. We show up for race...

I see a lot of goodness in the world. I saw it last night when an older couple in our church made the 15 or so mile commute to be presen...

Not long ago a colleague asked a question of his friends on Facebook. "What do you give to people who join your church?" Several...

It happened again on Thursday night. We had set the table, filled basins with hot water, set a dozen towels nearby, and strategically set ...

If the truth were told, I almost cancelled. My mind kept questioning whether I had good judgment in making a commitment to be on Capitol Hil...

It's Palm Sunday. Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. Before the week is over we will have the chance to gather with Jesus for the...

"I knew the difference between transubstantiation and consubstantiation before I could even ride a bike."  These words are the...

I don't do Lent well. I'm a professional Christian - one who gets paid to tell others about Lent. I've written newsletter ar...

I spent yesterday with ten clergywomen who gathered to learn more about preaching from Anna Carter Florence . It was a remarkable day in e...

I first met Adam Hamilton when I was a student at Duke Divinity School. For whatever reason, I was given the opportunity to host him duri...

I saw the movie Lincoln last week. Like countless critics and lovers of film, I highly recommend this particular picture to anyone who wan...

New Year's Day may be one of my favorite days of the entire year. There is something wonderful about knowing that a whole new year has...

"My wife was in the best mood possible." These words concluded a story that seemed stressful at best. My friend told me how he...

Horror. Tears. Sadness. Anger. Weeping. Our spirits have been through much since our Facebook feeds lit with news of a senseless...

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea ...

While it may ruin my reputation as a faithful Wesleyan, I must confess that I have been carrying around two Powerball tickets in my purse ...

The United Methodist Church has been filling much of my Facebook feed in recent days. Last week, I watched as many of my friends grunted a...