The following reflection on Genesis 15:18 comes from the handwritten notes in my ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates…” 15:18: “I give this land”: Or “I have given […]

Dear Dr. Howell, A friend called my attention to the video you posted on YouTube for your congregation. I believe you to be an informed and thoughtful person, which makes your gross misrepresentation of the Traditional Plan and those who support it appear to be not just a mistake but a purposeful mischaracterization of the motives and […]

Support for The Traditional Plan is absent from most reports regarding talks about the UMC’s future.

“Put your mouthful of words away and come with me to watch the lilies open in such a field, growing there like yachts, slowly steering their petals without nurses or clocks.” ― Anne Sexton, The Complete Poems In honor of springtime and Holy Week (coming up), my hunger for rest and renewal, and a visit […]

“Put your mouthful of words away and come with me to watch the lilies open in such a field, growing there like yachts, slowly steering their petals without nurses or clocks.” ― Anne Sexton, The Complete Poems In honor of springtime and Holy Week (coming up), my hunger for rest and renewal, and a visit […]

Luke 18:31-34 I often resonate with the disciples in their most obtuse moments, because I’m usually in that place myself. In today’s reading, Jesus didn’t mince his words. He laid out the reality of what he was facing in the very near…

Each new day is a gift of renewal with amazing power because Christ has paid for all sins. In one cataclysmic moment, all wrong-doing is wiped clean and we have access through prayer to the ONE who has all the … Continue reading →