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Several years ago, a group in our Annual Conference was engaged in outreach and listening, particularly among the African American community, to understand why there was a lack of widespread support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UMC. I was invited to host a listening session at a gathering of Black clergy and laity. Armed with my questions, legal pad, and pen, I traveled to a church on the Southside of Chicago, expecting to facilitate an open and productive discussion. I was assigned a small group, and as soon as I asked the first question, one of the lay leaders responded without hesitation. Her tone wasRead More →

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This week we began the 40-day Lenten season with Ash Wednesday – it ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The word Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon lencten, meaning spring. Lent is traditionally a time for repentance, self-reflection, and recalibrating ourselves spiritually. It is a time when we practice spiritual disciplines in an intentional and concerted effort to grow closer to God in our faith. Giving, fasting, and prayer are foundations of these practices. For Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, almsgiving or giving was an expression of our love for God and neighbor. He gave away all the coins in his pockets on theRead More →