January 5 - The Way of Grace

- Consider using a study Bible or a commentary as you study Scripture. Some really good ones are the Wesley Study Bible and the New Interpreter's Commentary. If you're super serious there is an excellent multi volume commentary too.

- All you want to know about John Wesley and more.

- For more on Methodism in general, This We Believe is a fantastic book on beliefs and Wesley and the People Called Methodist is great for history. This We Believe is an easier read but neither one are too difficult.

December 15 - Hope Proclaimed

The blog is taking an unannounced vacation until after Christmas. Come back then, and in the meantime proclaim the hope and  Good News that is Jesus Christ!

December 8 - Hope Revealed

Theophilus - I mentioned that Theophilus could be a reference to a specific person or it could be a reference to all "beloved of God." There is some interesting information here.

Our reading this morning came from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) instead of the Common English Bible (CEB) that we usually use. The reading is much more familiar with the NRSV phrasing. The CEB uses "guest room" instead of "inn." Here's a blog that talks about why (note that it is referring  to a different version of the Bible but the use of "guest room" is the same. If you want more information on the question of where Jesus was born read this article.

I don't normally cite Wikipedia entries but this one on Augustus really is good.

December 1 - Hope Revisited

Throughout Advent we're referencing the artwork of John August Swanson. The works that we are looking at are guided by a study done in cooperation with Candler School of Theology, a United Methodist seminary affiliated with Emory University, A Thrill of Hope. You can always stop in on the Tuesday or Sunday studies, both at 6:30pm.

 For more on infant mortality in the first century look here. It's not a subject that I can find much research on.

More on Frederick Buechner and more on Thomas Merton, both of who were quoted in the message today.

November 24 - Power and Love

For more on the Christian calendar check here. If you would like to intentionally organize your life more around the Christian calendar, you can actually order a wall calendar based on it here. It's an interesting idea and looks to me like a good product. It doesn't ignore the months of the year, but it puts the emphasis on the Christian seasons.

Malala really did confront Obama. Here's a link to the CNN story from October 11.

The quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. is from a speech he gave. Here's an excerpt on YouTube.

November 17 - To See or Not to See

If you haven't already, you may want to read this week's newsletter. It contains a brief reflection on the Council of Bishops' statement.

Sermon Notes

Some of the information for today's sermon comes from The New Interpreter's Commentary. It's pricey, but if you want some of the best scholarship it's worth the price. I used several commentaries in my work, but this is the one I use most often.

We also use a variety of Bible translations, but the one we use most often is the Common English Bible. It's a newer translation. One of the most notable differences between it and other translations is the use of the title "The Human One" instead of "Son of Man" for Jesus. Here's a good starting point if you want to read more about the reasons behind the change.

Sometime I'll preach some more sermons just on the story of the Rich Young Ruler. The story appears in Mark and Matthew as well as Luke. Here's a sermon from another pastor that is similar to one of the two or three I would preach.

The Leonard Sweet quote is from his forward to the book Truth is the Word. I found the quote online. I heard him say something similar in person once and got lucky. I haven't read the book so can't comment on it one way or the other, but if Sweet recommends it it's probably a good read.

November 10 - High Hopes

Before we look at this week's message, please consider donating to UMCOR for relief in the Philippines. This is part of how we be the hope that God is calling us to be.

Today's Scripture passage comes during the Babylonian exile. You can learn more about the Babylonian Exile here and here.

Here's a slightly different version of the woman, rowboat, helicopter story from someone who relates it to faith healing.

I mention briefly that we know very little about Jewish life in Babylon during the exile. The little we do know comes from a discovery called the Murashu documents. Honestly, I know nothing more than the Wikipedia entry and a couple other websites I visited. If someone has the time to delve deeper into the subject I'd love to hear the results.

At the end of the sermon I mentioned the book Mere Christianity. It is an absolute must read. Like anything there are statements we will disagree with, but it is an outstanding book.