He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! With Easter Sunday quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting facts about this special holiday and its connection to the United Methodist Church. Here are five fun facts you may not know: Easter is a “holiday” which comes from the words “Holy Day.”… Continue reading Ten Fun Facts About Easter and United Methodism
I was inspired to write this article because language has power. I know that people are often reluctant to use the term “disabled.” I especially see this reluctance in my work in the church. Well meaning people often suggest alternative terms, such as “differently abled,” or “special needs.” However, in the past, erasing the word “Disability” has been used as way to erase us.
Personally, I'm dying for some chocolate (I gave up chocolate for Lent) and I am eagerly looking forward to the festivities of Easter. I have found it helpful to meditate on the following Bible verses during my Lenten journey
St. Patrick is an important part of church history and he has many important lessons to teach us. Feel free to use the prayer at the end in any church setting or for your own personal devotion
At the time of this writing (March, 2023) I am honored to serve as the chair of the Disability Ministries Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference. This committee deals specifically with disability concerns within our conference. Members of our committee include other clergy throughout our conference and lay members who attend many different churches. I wanted to share the following excerpt from the report I submitted to our Annual Conference because I am excited about our work related disability ministries.
An Open Letter to Clergy and Congregations of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church: Please Carefully Consider Before Inviting a Faith Healer to Come to Your Congregation (This article was originally published on the website of the Disability Ministries Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church) Key Points: --Please… Continue reading Please Think Carefully Before Inviting a Faith Healer to Visit Your Church
These make great gifts for your church family or Sunday School class! If you can make a granny square, you can make this cute bookmark!
I love to read. This year I read 90 books from a variety of genres, including memoir, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and theology. Lots of them were great, but these were some of my favorites that I highly recommend. What was the best book you read this year
Merry Christmas! It's cold and icy outside, so I know many people won't be able to join us for worship. I humbly offer this Christmas Eve sermon to anyone who might enjoy reading it. It's not the same as being in church, but hopefully it is a Word of Comfort, Joy, and Good News.
Even if you do not agree with all the assertions that Rev. Barry makes in this piece, I hope that it will give you some interesting food for thought in your own ministry setting this Advent. The section on the sacramental theology of baptism as viewed through a Marian lens is particularly interesting.
Rev. Rebecca Writes 