Essays and reflections on spiritual formation, the church, music, and daily faithfulness — 648 pieces, gathered in one home.
Are you confused about all this? 1. The “New Methodist Movement” is curated by a few clergy in the North Alabama Conference of the UMC that plan to leave our denomination and start
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
Dear Methodist friends, These are difficult times, and there are many more pressing things on our plate. However, a group of North Alabama Methodists are advocating that the North
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
It was an honor to lead the invocation for Commencement Exercises at Jacksonville State University, held outdoors on August 1, 2020 at the JSU Gamecock Stadium. This was spring gra
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to offer the invocation at the Jacksonville City Schools Board of Education meeting recently. Some important decisions were discussed rega
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
Here is my mid-week devotional for July 21, 2020. We are using the technology of our time to share the gospel in tough times ... and it’s not the first time. My Grandpa West did it
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
Jax First UMC has a new YouTube Channel! Join us there for livestreaming on Sundays at 9:00 am. Or you can catch it afterward on YouTube or Facebook! Subscribe at: https://www.yout
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is my recent podcast on biblical wisdom for difficult times. In it, I reflect on Ecclesiastes 9: “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart ...
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
Most of you know we will be moving in a few weeks to serve Christ in Jacksonville, Alabama with a new church family. What you may not know is that marching band is big part of who
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
I recently ran across the first article I had published. It has never been available online, so I thought I'd share it. It is about Millennial youth and written in 1995, so you can
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
I feel the grief deep in my soul tonight. 50,000 Americans are now deceased from COVID-19 (and tomorrow it will pass 200,000 world-wide). Gracious Lord, we have sung since we were
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This my column which appeared on the front page of The Arab Tribune on Thursday, April 9, 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic. These are strange times. Just like almost everyone e
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is the "Palm Sunday Online" worship experience of Arab First UMC on April 5, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. Participants were invited in advance to place palm or green
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
During these strange times when we are only able to worship and fellowship online due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I am sharing devotionals every Tuesday morning on Facebook Live a
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is the sermon segment that was a part of the online worship experience of Arab First UMC on March 29, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. The building may not have been ope
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is my recent podcast on "Praying Through Music." I created for the "Pray Together" podcast series put together by members of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodi
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This blog post went viral and got 37,000 hits in the first month, plus it was picked up by Al.com and UMNews. A few weeks ago, hundreds of North Alabama Methodists that consider th
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
I have a gift from the family of the late Rev. Talmadge Clayton that has now taken up permanent residence in my study. It was written by Kenneth Goodson, the resident bishop of the
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
By my desk I keep the devotional book "A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer," which my daughter thoughtfully gave me for Christmas in 2007. I've never been regimented about doing one de
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is my column which appeared in The Arab Tribune on Wednesday, November 27, 2019. I was appointed to pastor my first church at the ripe old age of 24. Sandy and I had only been
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
“I live by two words, gratitude and tenacity. Tenacity gets me where I want to go, and gratitude does not allow me to be angry along the way.” - Henry Winkler Happy Thanksgiving!
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This thought resonates with me today from Kahlil Gibran. “Speak to my soul, oh Lord. May it continue to unfold itself unhindered. May the treasure you have placed in me be revealed
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
“As a Christian, when confronted by a tension between a religious certainty which leads me to violate the law of love and a deep unknowing that still moves in the direction of ‘lov
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
This is my column which was published in The Arab Tribune on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. The photo of tokens identical to the ones in my collection appeared with the article in th
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
“For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?” - Kahlil Gibran This is an extremely wise saying. The farther I get in life, the more I see it. There’s a reason
Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher
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