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Reflections and conversations with a leadership development focus. Goal is on helping others move to a more complete tool belt. If the only tool in your belt is a hammer, then every problem becomes a nail. We need to be more intentional in the development of our leadership tools. Dennis is a retired military officer and United Methodist Pastor. A keen observer of the human condition, he has degrees in music, theology and leadership.
Episodes
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Monday Mar 04, 2019
The Transfiguration Text from Luke. I felt a number of weeks ago that focusing on the valley experience was where the Holy Spirit was carrying me (us?). There is a good bit of pain at this church over the recent General Conference. I have tried the last several weeks to minimize direct discussion of General Conference, and focus more on implied elements. This day, I felt a direct discussion was in order. All I can tell anyone is that I agonized over what to say, and this is what God provided me.
This is from 9:00 AM. I may also do the 10:30 service, which was a little longer.
Saturday Feb 23, 2019
Saturday Feb 23, 2019
Faithful to the Call -- Luke 5: 1-11
The text was the Revised Common Lectionary Luke passage. I was trying to balance the idea of faithfulness and call. This was Scout Sunday, so I did get over into our local context a good bit.
Sunday Feb 03, 2019
Sunday Feb 03, 2019
The scripture is 1 Corinthians 12: 31b through the end of 13.
Gift and Fruit of Love. Paul has been driving to this point in his letter and lays out his theology of Love. To love, in a mature way, as God loves.
Saturday Feb 02, 2019
Saturday Feb 02, 2019
Gifts of the Spirit, Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts are what you have been given, fruits are what is made manifest by your connection to God. Big ideas: common good, community, trusting the Spirit for others to have gifts I don’t have. GC2019 – Peace is a fruit. Peace will (might?) come if we collectively take a deep, inspiring, breath.
Sunday Sep 23, 2018
Sunday Sep 23, 2018
Pentecost 17: 18.09.23
James 3:13 - 4:8a
Pastor Dennis “Big Idea”:
I decided to take to the area of which wolf will you feed? Which wisdom will you honor? Played with the idea of what it means to be "all in". Sometimes it means you are exhausted or tired. But other times, it means, I am totally with this. I am "all" in. No guilt. No shame. But at the same time, where are you?
Revealed this service my financial contribution to the church. Not for guilt, or shame, but to show Marilyn and I are all in.
Sunday Four of Five Straight RCL Sundays on James
3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures….
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8a Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Monday Sep 03, 2018
Monday Sep 03, 2018
James 1 and his commentary on faith without works is meaningless. True. Context does matter ...
Tuesday Aug 14, 2018
Tuesday Aug 14, 2018
Ephesians 4: 25-5:2
We are a new creation.
Through a clear understanding of being that new creation, are now part of the body of Christ.
Being part of that body calls on us to grow in love, not staying static but instead growing, growing, growing.
The key is we are a new creation, putting away what we were, and embracing what is new
Sunday Jul 08, 2018
Sunday Jul 08, 2018
The leadership principle is pretty simple: There is a God and you are not it! I play with that during the text in different ways, but the real thing is for us to be open the revelation of God in our hearts, but inviting God in. Can we just let God be God and we get out of the way of blocking entrance or even worse perhaps, inviting in, but then not encouraging God to live in all the rooms of the house.
This is the 9:00 AM Service.
Ephesians 3: 14-21. Jan Woodmansee is the liturgist and does the reading.
Thank you to the various commentaries in Feasting on the Word. Wonderful resource.
Friday Jun 29, 2018
Friday Jun 29, 2018
Ephesians 1: 3-14
Sermon one of seven from Ephesians. Will introduce a "rule" per week.
This week: "Love your congregation where they are."
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
The 10:30 version of June 17th Sermon. The title of "If you can't get out of it, get into it" comes from a Parker Palmer reflection I quote. Use a couple of mountain climbing illustrations but the big idea is staying anchored in Jesus come good times or more challenging times. The other readings for this Sunday focused on horaculture themes of grafting and I used them a little.