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6 episodes with william willimon
4 episodes with william willimon
7 episodes with william willimon
2 episodes with william willimon
3 episodes with william willimon
2 episodes with william willimon
2 episodes with william willimon
2 episodes with william willimon
2 episodes with william willimon
In their new series, "Books That Shaped Our Ministry," pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve are taking turns, show-and-tell style, to highlight books that have been important for their ministry in some way. Today, Steve shares a book that is now nearly thirty-five years old, but which still offers a provocative take on being the church as a minority voice, like salt, light, or yeast, rather than as a dominating voice aligned with anybody's political establishment or influence-peddlers. The book, Resident Aliens, co-written by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon in the late 1980s, dared readers a generation ago to question whether Christianity was meant to fit into any political party's cookie cutter, whether the church is just supposed to be a harmless institution propping up the status quo, and whether we had stopped listening to Jesus himself as the primary architect of our way of life. The particular issues of the day in the late 1980s are certainly different from today, several decades later, but the questions keep needing to be asked. So, here's an introduction to these two distinctive voices who make us think--and think again--about how to live as the blessedly weird out-of-step followers of Jesus. Join us for this conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!
For the last few weeks, I've spoken about ‘Scary Church;' these churches failed their members by not teaching them proper biblical teachings and practices and not leading them in the past of discipleship. These were ‘scary churches' because the Christians were either uninterested or incapable of sharing their faith and representing their faith in the presence of others! Today, though, I will talk to you about a different type of ‘scary' church – a church that takes its responsibilities of training Christians seriously and leading them on a path of discipleship, and service. Let me begin with a true story, as told by a popular campus minister several years ago: In the past, William Willimon, the Campus Minister at Duke Ministry, told of an intense phone call with a student's father. The father had complained that his daughter, a bright student with a bright future in the business world, had decided to change her life's plan and become a missionary to Haiti, an impoverished nation between Cuba and the Dominican Republic. He screamed in anger, “I hold you responsible for this!” What follows is a brief recounting of the conversation: Willimon asked him, “Why me?” The father stated clearly, “Because you ingratiated yourself and filled her mind with all this religious stuff.” The minister asked the father, “Sir, weren't you the one who had her baptized?” He replied, “Well, well, well, yes.” “And didn't you take her to Sunday School when she was a little girl?” “Well, well, yes.” “And didn't you allow your daughter to go on those youth group ski trips to Colorado in high school?” “Yes. . . what does that have to do with anything?” “Sir, you're the reason she's throwing it all away. You introduced her to Jesus. Not Me!” The exasperated father exclaimed at this, “But all we wanted was a Presbyterian.” The minister closed the conversation by saying, “Well, sorry, sir, you messed up. You've gone and made a disciple!” That is the result of a ‘scary' church! An individual who takes their faith seriously seeks God's call on their life and then, if necessary, sacrifices their former plans to follow God's leading – no matter what! That is the result of a scary church, and that is the result of a scary faith – a faith that disrupts one's life plans and leads them to a life of sacrifice, and service. . . and blessing! Jesus said this in one of his sermons, in Matthew 10:37 ff: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.” Jesus fully intended for us to be a part of a scary church that taught us to follow Him and to become a scary Christian who would stop at nothing to follow Him. History has shown that scary Christians are an often unstoppable force behind some of God's greatest movements in history! Let us all be diligent in the practice of our faith and choose to be obedient to God's call every day. You can best support our Ministry by sharing these videos with your friends and family. We also need your financial contributions to make our ministries possible. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/ Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!
Our anger often stems from distorted attachments and misplaced love for things that cannot truly fulfill us. When we prioritize these things above all else, any perceived threat or obstacle becomes a trigger for anger. We react fiercely when they are challenged, threatened, or fail to meet our expectations. This anger is characterized by its intensity, irrationality, and destructive potential. It harms ourselves and others, damaging relationships and hindering personal growth. The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of controlling anger and the benefits of approaching situations with patience and understanding. Anger can be a powerful tool for good and it's crucial to channel it constructively and use it for positive purposes. References: The Deadly Sins/Anger; The Fascination Begins in the Mouth, by Mary Gordon, New York Times, 1993 "If you have a god who never gets angry, you can’t have a god of love, because if you never get angry about anything, you don’t love anything." Rebecca Pippert "The essence of sin is disordered love." St. Augustine Sinning Like A Christian by William Willimon
Our anger often stems from distorted attachments and misplaced love for things that cannot truly fulfill us. When we prioritize these things above all else, any perceived threat or obstacle becomes a trigger for anger. We react fiercely when they are challenged, threatened, or fail to meet our expectations. This anger is characterized by its intensity, irrationality, and destructive potential. It harms ourselves and others, damaging relationships and hindering personal growth. The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of controlling anger and the benefits of approaching situations with patience and understanding. Anger can be a powerful tool for good and it's crucial to channel it constructively and use it for positive purposes. References: The Deadly Sins/Anger; The Fascination Begins in the Mouth, by Mary Gordon, New York Times, 1993 "If you have a god who never gets angry, you can’t have a god of love, because if you never get angry about anything, you don’t love anything." Rebecca Pippert "The essence of sin is disordered love." St. Augustine Sinning Like A Christian by William Willimon
Our anger often stems from distorted attachments and misplaced love for things that cannot truly fulfill us. When we prioritize these things above all else, any perceived threat or obstacle becomes a trigger for anger. We react fiercely when they are challenged, threatened, or fail to meet our expectations. This anger is characterized by its intensity, irrationality, and destructive potential. It harms ourselves and others, damaging relationships and hindering personal growth. The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of controlling anger and the benefits of approaching situations with patience and understanding. Anger can be a powerful tool for good and it's crucial to channel it constructively and use it for positive purposes. References: The Deadly Sins/Anger; The Fascination Begins in the Mouth, by Mary Gordon, New York Times, 1993 "If you have a god who never gets angry, you can’t have a god of love, because if you never get angry about anything, you don’t love anything." Rebecca Pippert "The essence of sin is disordered love." St. Augustine Sinning Like A Christian by William Willimon
Our anger often stems from distorted attachments and misplaced love for things that cannot truly fulfill us. When we prioritize these things above all else, any perceived threat or obstacle becomes a trigger for anger. We react fiercely when they are challenged, threatened, or fail to meet our expectations. This anger is characterized by its intensity, irrationality, and destructive potential. It harms ourselves and others, damaging relationships and hindering personal growth. The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of controlling anger and the benefits of approaching situations with patience and understanding. Anger can be a powerful tool for good and it's crucial to channel it constructively and use it for positive purposes. References: The Deadly Sins/Anger; The Fascination Begins in the Mouth, by Mary Gordon, New York Times, 1993 "If you have a god who never gets angry, you can’t have a god of love, because if you never get angry about anything, you don’t love anything." Rebecca Pippert "The essence of sin is disordered love." St. Augustine Sinning Like A Christian by William Willimon
William Willimon once observed, “We preachers so want to be heard that we are willing to make the gospel more accessible than it really is, to remove the scandal, the offense of the cross, to deceive people into thinking that it is possible to hear without conversion.” The truth revealed in the gospel is more than a matter of common sense. In this chapter, the apostle Paul describes it as a revelation that comes from God. Instead of using clever arguments to persuade his audience, Paul adopts a more radical strategy. He prays for them. Growing in our understanding of Christ is not simply a matter of collecting facts or articulating doctrinal positions. Paul prays that his audience will experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their “inner being” so that Christ will dwell in their hearts through faith (vv. 16–17). In other words, the starting place for understanding Christ is a relationship with Christ, facilitated through the Holy Spirit. Those who come to know Jesus do not earn Christ’s love. They are rooted in love like a tree is rooted in the soil. Their Christian life is built upon the foundation of knowing that Jesus Christ already loves them. Those who have this foundation can explore the full scope of His love. It is something they “grasp” but whose limits they will never exhaust. In verses 16 and 18, Paul clearly states that the power to grasp what Christ has done comes from God. He emphasizes the agent of this power (the Holy Spirit), the place where we experience it (the inner being), and its effect (the ability to grasp Christ’s love). The doxology in verses 20–21 celebrates God’s ability to do more than we ask or imagine. >> The power that Paul describes is the power at work in you today. In what area of life do you need to experience Christ’s power through the Holy Spirit?
A sermon by Jamie Howison for the Fifth Sunday in Eastertide, 2023, with the texts for the day being Acts 7:55-60 and John 14:1-14.Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to audio and recommend this episode to your friends. We invite you to rate us or write a review of what we are doing on Apple Podcasts. Reviews help others join the conversation.* * *This podcast is created at saint benedict's table, a congregation of the Anglican Church of Canada in Winnipeg, where we've been making great audio since 2006. Listen to other recent episodes on our website and see our entire catalogue of well over 700 shows on our hosting page.Our MissionTo provide rich and stimulating audio resources to the wider church and engage topics and issues relevant to the concerns and questions of the larger culture in which we live.
In Season 3, we are featuring reflections from our Advent project called Advent in Durham: Longing for Home in Exile. Day 18, by Rev. Dr. William Willimon. Read online at www.durhamcares.org/advent. Theme Music: Peaceful by Luca Fraula Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5169-peaceful License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A sermon for the Sixth Sunday in Eastertide by Jamie Howison, from Sunday, May 22, 2022. The texts for the day were Acts 16:9-15 and John 14:23-29.Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to audio and recommend this episode to your friends. We invite you to rate us or write a review of what we are doing on Apple Podcasts. Reviews help others join the conversation.* * *This podcast is created at saint benedict's table, a congregation of the Anglican Church of Canada in Winnipeg, where we've been making great audio since 2006. Listen to other recent episodes on our website and see our entire catalogue of some 600 shows on our hosting page.Our MissionTo provide rich and stimulating audio resources to the wider church and engage topics and issues relevant to the concerns and questions of the larger culture in which we live.
Dr. William Willimon Bestselling author, popular preacher and teacher, Will Willimon, has just published one of his liveliest books, God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of the Christian Faith. “The challenge of the Christian life is learning to talk Christian. Somebody has got to tell us, give us the words that open the door to the faith called Christian,” says Will in his introduction. The book takes terms like Atonement, Christ, Incarnation, Justice, Creed and speaks about them in wonderfully accessible ways. The vocabulary begins with an essay on, Abortion, and runs all the way to Zacchaeus. Will's signature humor and mischievousness comes through, along with his truth-telling witness to the theological riches of the Christian faith. Bishop Kenneth Carder calls this a “sometimes jarring, always interesting, consistently insightful, and persistently provocative invitation to ‘talk the talk and walk the walk' of Christian discipleship.” Whether a new or longstanding Christian, God Turned Toward Us is sure to enliven your faith. Dr. William Willimon currently serves as Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School and oversees the Doctor of Ministry program there. Will has served as Bishop for the United Methodist Church in northern Alabama for eight years. A prolific author and preacher, Will continues to serve the Church by offering an unapologetic attempt to articulate the language of the Christian faith on the page and in various pulpits around the country. https://willwillimon.com/about/
Dr. William WillimonBestselling author, popular preacher and teacher, Will Willimon, has just published one of his liveliest books, God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of the Christian Faith. “The challenge of the Christian life is learning to talk Christian. Somebody has got to tell us, give us the words that open the door to the faith called Christian,” says Will in his introduction.The book takes terms like Atonement, Christ, Incarnation, Justice, Creed and speaks about them in wonderfully accessible ways.The vocabulary begins with an essay on, Abortion, and runs all the way to Zacchaeus.Will's signature humor and mischievousness comes through, along with his truth-telling witness to the theological riches of the Christian faith. Bishop Kenneth Carder calls this a “sometimes jarring, always interesting, consistently insightful, and persistently provocative invitation to ‘talk the talk and walk the walk' of Christian discipleship.” Whether a new or longstanding Christian, God Turned Toward Us is sure to enliven your faith.Dr. William Willimon currently serves as Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School and oversees the Doctor of Ministry program there. Will has served as Bishop for the United Methodist Church in northern Alabama for eight years. A prolific author and preacher, Will continues to serve the Church by offering an unapologetic attempt to articulate the language of the Christian faith on the page and in various pulpits around the country.https://willwillimon.com/about/Web Site:http://www.RickLeeJames.comShine A Light In The Darkness - The Latest Single From Rick Lee James Get The Single: https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/shine-a-light-in-the-darknessOfficial Music Video: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Beth Felker Jones joins us again to discuss a recent article from Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon on pastoral care. What is the role of pastoral care in the life of ministry and how do we attend to suffering in the church? Here is the article by Hauerwas and Willimon: https://tinyurl.com/u45rfc2w Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Felker Jones, Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more. www.seminary.edu/TMapply
Las espectativas sobre el trabajo pastoral son muchas y muy diversas. Para algunos, el llamado pastoral requiere el ejercicio de simpatía positivista y psicología popular, al servicio del bienestar económico, físico y emocional de cada creyente. Para otros, el pastor debe ser como la farmacia de guardia; al servicio en cualquier hora. La revista norteamericana The Christian Century, consideró recientemente la naturaleza del ministerio pastoral en una conversación entre William Willimon y Stanley Hauerwas, titulada Los peligros de brindar atención pastoral. En esta conversación, ambos teólogos y pastores consideran, de forma honesta y transparente, los altos riegos de brindar atención pastoral. Según dicen, el verdadero pastor es "un narrador de la verdad" que ayuda a los bautizados a crecer y sobrevivir como cristianos en un mundo hostil. Por eso, los mejores pastores corren el constante riesgo de ser abrumados por el dolor humano y, eventualmente, “ser crucificados”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David, Kevin, and Karen recap their Fourth of July weekends, talk about space travel, and then discuss some of the differences and similarities between Methodists and other religions. These are the books that Kevin and David referenced during the conversation; Living as United Methodist Christians, by Andy and Sally Langford Being United Methodist in the Bible Belt, by F. Belton Joyner Why I Am a United Methodist, by William Willimon
Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this thirty third episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by William Henry Willimon. William is an American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church, retired, who for eight years served the North Alabama Conference. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. He is former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and is considered by many as one of America's best-known and most influential preachers. A Pulpit & Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership survey determined that he was one of the two most frequently read writers by pastors in mainline Protestantism alongside the Roman Catholic writer Henri Nouwen. His books have sold over a million copies. He is also Editor-At-Large of The Christian Century. His 2019 memoir Accidental Preacher was released to wide acclaim, described by Justo L. Gonzalez as "An exceptional example of theology at its best."
Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this twenty first episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by William Henry Willimon. William is an American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church, retired, who for eight years served the North Alabama Conference. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. He is former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and is considered by many as one of America's best-known and most influential preachers. A Pulpit & Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership survey determined that he was one of the two most frequently read writers by pastors in mainline Protestantism alongside the Roman Catholic writer Henri Nouwen. His books have sold over a million copies. He is also Editor-At-Large of The Christian Century. His 2019 memoir Accidental Preacher was released to wide acclaim, described by Justo L. Gonzalez as "An exceptional example of theology at its best."
Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this thirty second episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Stanley Hauerwas. Stanley Martin Hauerwas is an American theologian, ethicist, and public intellectual. Hauerwas was a long time professor at Duke University, serving as the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School with a joint appointment at the Duke University School of Law. In the fall of 2014, he also assumed a chair in theological ethics at the University of Aberdeen. Before moving to Duke and the University of Aberdeen, Hauerwas taught at the University of Notre Dame. Hauerwas is considered by many to be one of the world's most influential living theologians and was named "America's Best Theologian" by Time magazine in 2001. He was also the first American theologian to deliver the prestigious Gifford Lectures at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in over forty years. His work is frequently read and debated by scholars in fields outside of religion or ethics, such as political philosophy, sociology, history, and literary theory. Hauerwas has achieved notability outside of academia as a public intellectual, even appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Though Hauerwas is most well known for his work related to ethics and political theology, he has written widely on a range of subjects, including philosophical theology, political philosophy, the philosophy of social science, law, education, bioethics, and medical ethics. Hauerwas is known for his fierce criticism of liberal democracy, consumerism, and militarism. He is also a critic of both Christian fundamentalism and liberal Christianity. Hauerwas's work draws from a number of theological perspectives, including Methodism, Anabaptism, Anglicanism, and Catholicism. Among his most important contributions to modern theology are his advocacy of and work related to virtue ethics and postliberal theology. Hauerwas's book, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, was named as one of the one hundred most important books on religion in the 20th century by Christianity Today. His most widely known book, however, is likely Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony, which was co-written with William Willimon.
Stephen, Parker, and Jamison continue the REVEAL Sermon Series with Jesus' invitation to “Follow Him” in Matthew 4. You can email questions/comments to theelementpodcast@stpkaty.org Topics Covered Include: Jesus as Rabbi. Paradigm shifts. How do we follow Jesus? Where Church programs have been helpful. Sitting in rows vs. walking in step. | Required Reading: Lord, Teach Us by William Willimon and Stanley Haurwas | Required Listening: The YouTube. All of it.
The year was 1877. Today we remember the peculiar ministry of Mordecai Ham, Jr. The reading is from William Willimon. #OTD #1517 #christianhistory — FULL TRANSCRIPTS available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac GIVE BACK: Support the work of 1517 today CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (gillespie.media).
Episode 415: Holy Week Special - Selected Reading from Thank God It's Friday by William Willimon It's Holy Week 2021 and I can think of no better way to spend it than by reflecting on the words of Jesus from the cross. Dr. William Willimon has been a friend of this show over the years and I thought it would be fitting to read a selection from his book, Thank God It's Friday: Encountering The Seven Last Words from the Cross on the show this week. I also would encourage listeners to click the link below, get a copy of the book, and read through it yourself during this holy week. It truly is an insightful companion on the journey of Holy Week or really any time of the year. Buy The Book: Thank God It's Friday: Encountering The Seven Last Words From The Cross by William WillimonThank you for listening to Voices In My Head!Blessings,Rick Lee JamesWant some exclusives like early music videos, singles, and private podcast episodes?Become a paid subscriber on Substack:Subscribe nowListen to Rick Lee James MusicOne of the best ways to support independent artists during Covid-19 is to stream our music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora. Click below to find out all the ways you can listen.Music From RICK LEE JAMEShttps://linktr.ee/rickleejamesSpotify: Link to Rick Lee JamesAlso Find Rick Lee James Music on Bandcamp: Rick on Bandcampor on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3abA3po About Your Host: Rick Lee JamesSubscribe on Substack: https://rickleejames.substack.com/Web Site www.rickleejames.com,TwitterFacebook.Voices In My Head Podcast www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com,Mister Rogers Quotes on Twitter at @MisterRogersSay.“Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast”:HERE. Rick Lee James Radio Special:https://westarchristianmedia.com/rick-lee-james-30-minute-radio-special Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://rickleejames.bandcamp.com/In partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James' official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com.----more----For Rick Lee James Booking Inquiries: www.RickLeeJames.comBy Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Episode 415: Holy Week Special - Selected Reading from Thank God It's Friday by William Willimon It's Holy Week 2021 and I can think of no better way to spend it than by reflecting on the words of Jesus from the cross. Dr. William Willimon has been a friend of this show over the years and I thought it would be fitting to read a selection from his book, Thank God It's Friday: Encountering The Seven Last Words from the Cross on the show this week. I also would encourage listeners to click the link below, get a copy of the book, and read through it yourself during this holy week. It truly is an insightful companion on the journey of Holy Week or really any time of the year. Buy The Book: Thank God It's Friday: Encountering The Seven Last Words From The Cross by William Willimon Thank you for listening to Voices In My Head! Blessings, Rick Lee James Want some exclusives like early music videos, singles, and private podcast episodes? Become a paid subscriber on Substack: Subscribe now Listen to Rick Lee James Music One of the best ways to support independent artists during Covid-19 is to stream our music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora. Click below to find out all the ways you can listen. Music From RICK LEE JAMES https://linktr.ee/rickleejames Spotify: Link to Rick Lee James Also Find Rick Lee James Music on Bandcamp: Rick on Bandcamp or on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3abA3po About Your Host: Rick Lee James Subscribe on Substack: https://rickleejames.substack.com/ Web Site www.rickleejames.com, Twitter Facebook. Voices In My Head Podcast www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com, Mister Rogers Quotes on Twitter at @MisterRogersSay. “Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast”:HERE. Rick Lee James Radio Special:https://westarchristianmedia.com/rick-lee-james-30-minute-radio-special Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://rickleejames.bandcamp.com/ In partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James’ official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com. ----more---- For Rick Lee James Booking Inquiries: www.RickLeeJames.com By Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com
William Willimon: The Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything - Episode 397 In his book, the Gospel for the Person who has everything, Bishop William Willimon brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ to life for the person who has everything – happy, fulfilled human beings, who don't feel the same level of need expressed by the downcast, the outcast, the brokenhearted, and the miserable. Willimon says that the church's message to the wretched and sad must not exclude the strong and the joyous. Paraclete Press has just released a brand new edition of the Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything, and Bishop Willimon stopped by for a visit so we can talk about it. Buy The Book: https://paracletepress.com/products/the-gospel-for-the-person-who-has-everything Bishop Willimon's Blog: https://willwillimon.com/blog/ ----more----Listen to Rick Lee James MusicOne of the best ways to support independent artists during Covid-19 is to stream our music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora. Click below to find out all the ways you can listen.https://linktr.ee/rickleejames Music From RICK LEE JAMESLOVE OUR ENEMIES (Official Music Video): https://youtu.be/xsSB5OLPELEStream Rick's Music on any music streaming service: https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/thunderAlso Find Rick Lee James Music on Bandcamp: www.RickLeeJames.Bandcamp.comor on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3abA3po ----more---- Become A Patron of this Podcast at the Rick Lee James PATREONPAGE: https://www.patreon.com/RickLeeJames ----more----As Always...Thank You For Listening To Voices In My Head About Your Host: Rick Lee JamesWeb Site www.rickleejames.com,Twitter Facebook.Voices In My Head Podcast www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com,Mister Rogers Quotes on Twitter at @MisterRogersSay.“Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast”: HERE.Rick Lee James Radio Special: https://westarchristianmedia.com/rick-lee-james-30-minute-radio-special Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunderIn partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James' official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com.----more----For Rick Lee James Booking Inquiries: By Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
William Willimon: The Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything - Episode 397 In his book, the Gospel for the Person who has everything, Bishop William Willimon brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ to life for the person who has everything – happy, fulfilled human beings, who don’t feel the same level of need expressed by the downcast, the outcast, the brokenhearted, and the miserable. Willimon says that the church’s message to the wretched and sad must not exclude the strong and the joyous. Paraclete Press has just released a brand new edition of the Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything, and Bishop Willimon stopped by for a visit so we can talk about it. Buy The Book: https://paracletepress.com/products/the-gospel-for-the-person-who-has-everything Bishop Willimon's Blog: https://willwillimon.com/blog/ ----more---- Listen to Rick Lee James Music One of the best ways to support independent artists during Covid-19 is to stream our music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora. Click below to find out all the ways you can listen. https://linktr.ee/rickleejames Music From RICK LEE JAMES LOVE OUR ENEMIES (Official Music Video): https://youtu.be/xsSB5OLPELE Stream Rick's Music on any music streaming service: https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/thunder Also Find Rick Lee James Music on Bandcamp: www.RickLeeJames.Bandcamp.com or on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3abA3po ----more---- Become A Patron of this Podcast at the Rick Lee James PATREON PAGE: https://www.patreon.com/RickLeeJames ----more---- As Always...Thank You For Listening To Voices In My Head About Your Host: Rick Lee James Web Site www.rickleejames.com, Twitter Facebook. Voices In My Head Podcast www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com, Mister Rogers Quotes on Twitter at @MisterRogersSay. “Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast”: HERE. Rick Lee James Radio Special: https://westarchristianmedia.com/rick-lee-james-30-minute-radio-special Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunder In partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James’ official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com. ----more---- For Rick Lee James Booking Inquiries: By Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
I am sure many of you remember the Elvis Presley song, I Feel the Temperature Rising. That was a song about a guy’s reaction to a girl with whom he had a relationship. Well, the phrase I feel the temperature rising has been going through my head this past week and the reason has nothing to do with a love relationship! It has everything to do with the anxiety level I am sensing and feeling in our culture. As I have been talking with people, I have observed a growing sense of anxiety and fear as we near the beginning of an uncertain school year during this COVID-19 pandemic. I have also been noticing and feeling a real sense of anxiety as we move through the chaos of this election season. I do not think anyone can deny we are living during a time of augmented chaos and uncertainty. And, it is only natural that we are experiencing amplified anxiety and fear! Anxiety and fear are vital responses to physical and emotional danger. And, if we could not experience a sense of fear, we could not protect ourselves from legitimate threats. However, sometimes, fear can be paralyzing, and it can keep us from living into the fullness of life, living a centered life, living into life that truly matters. So, being honest about our fear and exposing ourselves to our personal demons by facing our fears is the best way to move through them and beyond them. In today’s readings from scripture, we discover our ancestors in faith also faced fear and anxiety. In our reading from 1 Kings, Elijah was living in fear. He had faithfully preached truth to power when he spoke to the evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Then, the Queen had sent a messenger to Elijah telling him that she intended to kill him that very day. Shackled by fear, Elijah goes and hides on Mount Horeb, the mountain also known as Mount Sinai. On that mountain, he waits for God to reveal God’s self to him. The temperature of Elijah’s anxiety continues to rise as he experiences a great wind, an earthquake, and fire. But, in these displays of natural forces, God did not seem present. Rather, Elijah’s encounter with “sheer silence” calls him back to his prophetic tasks. By centering himself in silence toward God, he again discovered God’s presence to him. He experienced what St. Paul references in today’s reading from Romans when he writes, “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” In today’s gospel, we hear a story that not only addresses the fear that can literally overpower us, but also the even greater power of God’s loving presence to us, a presence that will never let us go. As we meet up with Jesus, he has finally been able to send the crowds away. He has convinced his disciples to get in a boat and cross the lake ahead of him. Finally, he has found time to retreat and spend some time in prayer. As we look at today’s gospel reading, Jesus is not a superhero who has retreated to his bat cave. He is not a ghost out to haunt the already terrified. He is a man. Fully God, fully human. He is the Son of God, though those around him don't yet recognize him. His ministry is being battered by the rejection of his hometown folks and the beheading by Herod of his cousin John the Baptist. Jesus knows his time is coming. Crowds of needy people have been constantly pressing in on him. And, he needs some time alone. Jesus is praying, perhaps lifting up each of his fears and struggles to God and exchanging them for faith, allowing the comfort and healing and power of God to fill his inner life, his heart, mind, emotions, and will. After all, this is what the Jewish scriptures tell us to do, to surrender all our lesser fears to our fear of the Lord, which means our reverence for God, for who God is and what God can do. Then, as Jesus looks up and squints at the horizon, he sees the disciples' little boat bobbing side to side, back and forth, and up and down on the chaotic water. Well, the disciples have spent nearly the whole night struggling to get across that blasted lake before Jesus shows up near daybreak. The Sea of Galilee is not a massive body of water, never more than seven miles across when traveling east-west. Yet, they’ve not been able to traverse it, for the storm has “battered” or “thrashed” their boat. And, as for the churning sea? In their worldview, it represents chaos and danger. The temperature of their anxiety is rising! Then, they think they see a ghost! Fear erupts because they anticipate how the story will probably end. All night they have been threatened by the prospect that this chaos might devour them. They saw themselves as disciples left to die at the mercy of more powerful forces. Talk about a situation that causes the temperature of one’s fear and anxiety to rise! Finally, the disciples realize this seeming “ghost” is Jesus, striding over and above the sea, transcending the watery chaos. And, astoundingly, Peter wants to step out there on that chaotic water. Peter steps out of the boat and enters the tumult. And, Peter flounders. He flounders because he grows afraid. Quite frankly, that fear is justified. The storm is still powerfully raging and it is so intense it could sink the boat, let alone drown a single person. He has perfectly good reason to be afraid. And, so do we. There are multiple reasons each one of us might face fear. Maybe you fear what will happen as school begins and this virus is likely to again spike. Maybe you fear someone in your family will get this virus. Maybe you fear loneliness after loss. Or, fear aging and all the issues that come with growing old. Or, maybe you fear for your kids and what they are experiencing or will experience. Or, you fear facing a new chapter in life, or making a major life-changing decision. Or, you fear for the future of our congregation, or the direction of our country, or global security…. You name it! There are multiple situations and reasons in our individual, congregational and communal lives that make us afraid. And that fear can be paralyzing, debilitating, and make it difficult for us to move forward or even have any sense of confidence. In fact, as theologian David Lose says, “Fear is one of the primary things that robs the children of God of the abundant life God intends for us.” Well, in response to Peter’s fear, Jesus doesn’t simply urge Peter to buck up, be a man, be courageous, let go of his fear and focus on him. Instead, when Peter begins to sink, Jesus literally catches him! He grabs hold of Peter! Jesus grabs him and saves him from drowning. He grabs him and restores him to his vocation as a disciple. And, guess what? He does the same with us. Jesus will not, he absolutely will never, let us go. Jesus is never going to give up on us, no matter what we do! The God we know in Christ is truly THE LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LET US GO! In the depth of our fear, Jesus grabs us, holds on to us when we falter and restores us to where we can again be of service to him. Today’s gospel, life-giving word to us is a message that is not only about our fear. It is a message that is the heart of the gospel message. It is the gospel good news of grace which proclaims that God will never give up on us, that God is with us and for us, that God – in the end – will do what we cannot do for ourselves and save us. This is a message that enables us to cope with life and with our fear because it is a message that enables us to transcend that fear. We may not be able to defeat it, but we can face it, stand in the swirling disorder and chaos, and do what needs to be done even when we are afraid. And, quite frankly, this is the nature of what it means to live out an active life of faith, to be willing to throw oneself into a disorderly world and expect to encounter Jesus there. I love what William Willimon says about this passage. He writes: If Peter had not ventured forth, had not obeyed the call to walk on the water, then Peter would never have had this great opportunity for recognition of Jesus and rescue by Jesus. I wonder if too many of us are merely splashing about in the safe shallows and therefore have too few opportunities to test and deepen our faith. The story today implies if you want to be close to Jesus, you have to venture forth out on the sea and [discover] his promises through trusting his promises, through risk and venture. Yes, we do feel the temperature of our anxiety and fear rising. However, as we face our fear, getting out of the boat with Jesus and going to the places where Jesus goes as we truly love and care for all others is the riskiest, most exciting, and most fulfilling way to live life to the fullest, life that truly matters, life that is abundant. And, this God we see in Jesus, will always be holding on to us and never let us go!
We remember the year 1530 and the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. The reading is a quote from William Willimon. — FULL TRANSCRIPTS available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac GIVE BACK: Support the work of 1517 today CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter This show was produced by Christopher Gillespie (gillespie.media)
For Easter 6 (Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21 and Psalm 66) Robyn and I begin our discussion with 1 Peter 3 by exploring Peter’s description of, and word of comfort for, the unjust suffering in his community. We look at the curious verse 19 “the spirits in prison” and talk about the significance of Christ descending to the dead. We talk about the way the scriptures are realistic about what it is like to live in a world we can’t control, but which shapes and affects us. What is constant is the abiding presence of God and his call on our lives. In this podcast we refer to NT Wright’s article about Christianity and suffering; Leigh Sales’ book Any Ordinary Day; Julia Baird’s book Phosphorescence and William Willimon’s Peculiar Speech: Preaching to the Baptized.
Good Friday With WILLIAM WILLIMON's Lectionary Sermon Resource - Episode 364Will Willimon served as the Dean of Duke Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University for two decades. He returned to Duke after serving a Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2004 to 2012. Willimon is the author of over 70 books. In early 2018 he released, “Who Lynched Willie Earle?: Confronting Racism Through Preaching”. We had a discussion about that book on this podcast shortly after it released, then last year Dr. Willimon came back on the show to talk about his Memoir Accidental Preacher and again we had a wonderful discussion about his life and ministry. In 2020, he released a powerful sermon resource for ministers who use the Revised Common Lectionary in their preaching and service planning called Will Willimon's Lectionary Sermon Resource. To purchase William Willimon's New book, click below:https://amzn.to/2XirYwn William Willimon's Blog: https://willwillimon.wordpress.com/----more---- Become A Patron of this Podcast at the Rick Lee James PATREON PAGE: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=134988&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Frickleejames.com%2F&utm_medium=widget ----more----As Always...Thank You For Listening To Voices In My Head About Your Host: Rick Lee JamesFor more information on Rick Lee James, visit www.rickleejames.com, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Listen to his official podcast at www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com, and get a daily dose of wisdom from Mister Rogers at @MisterRogersSay.“Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast” podcast can be heard HERE.Request the “Thunder Radio Special” at www.crwradiopromotions.com. Official Web Site: www.RickLeeJames.comGet Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunderIn partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James' official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com.----more----For Booking Inquiries Click Hereor contact Gary StriplingBy Phone: 904.745.9151By Email: gary@themanagementagency.comManagement General Office Hours:Monday – 11Am – 5PMTuesday – 11Am – 5PMWednesday – Office closedThursday – 11Am – 5PMFriday – 11AM – 5PMSaturday – 11AM – 5PM This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Stories With WILLIAM WILLIMON - Episode 357Will Willimon served as the Dean of Duke Chapel and Professor of Chistian Ministry at Duke University for two decades. He returned to Duke after serving a Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2004 to 2012. Willimon is the author of over 70 books. In early 2018 he released, “Who Lynched Willie Earle?: Confronting Racism Through Preaching”. We had a discussion about that book on this podcast shortly after it released, then last year Dr. Willimon came back on the show to talk about his Memoir Accidental Preacher and again we had a wonderful discussion about his life and ministry. Well in 2020, he has yet again released another new book called Stories by Willimon, a collection of some of his most beloved, memorable, and impactful stories. Dr. Willimon has graciously stopped by our podcast for a visit again today so that we can talk about Stories, and I am grateful to him for that. To purchase William Willimon's New book, Stories By Willimon, click below:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501894137/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1501894137&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=2ac30bd7ccc5af82d933d96d8e10955f William Willimon's Blog: https://willwillimon.wordpress.com/----more---- LOVE OUR ENEMIES MUSIC VIDEO KICKSTARTER LINK: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rickleejames/love-our-enemies-music-video----more----As Always...Thank You For Listening To Voices In My Head About Your Host: Rick Lee JamesFor more information on Rick Lee James, visit www.rickleejames.com, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Listen to his official podcast at www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com, and get a daily dose of wisdom from Mister Rogers at @MisterRogersSay.“Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast” podcast can be heard HERE.Request the “Thunder Radio Special” at www.crwradiopromotions.com. Official Web Site: www.RickLeeJames.comGet Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunderIn partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James' official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com.----more----For Booking Inquiries Click Hereor contact Gary StriplingBy Phone: 904.745.9151By Email: gary@themanagementagency.comManagement General Office Hours:Monday – 11Am – 5PMTuesday – 11Am – 5PMWednesday – Office closedThursday – 11Am – 5PMFriday – 11AM – 5PMSaturday – 11AM – 5PM This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Stories With WILLIAM WILLIMON - Episode 357 Will Willimon served as the Dean of Duke Chapel and Professor of Chistian Ministry at Duke University for two decades. He returned to Duke after serving a Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2004 to 2012. Willimon is the author of over 70 books. In early 2018 he released, “Who Lynched Willie Earle?: Confronting Racism Through Preaching”. We had a discussion about that book on this podcast shortly after it released, then last year Dr. Willimon came back on the show to talk about his Memoir Accidental Preacher and again we had a wonderful discussion about his life and ministry. Well in 2020, he has yet again released another new book called Stories by Willimon, a collection of some of his most beloved, memorable, and impactful stories. Dr. Willimon has graciously stopped by our podcast for a visit again today so that we can talk about Stories, and I am grateful to him for that. To purchase William Willimon's New book, Stories By Willimon, click below: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501894137/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1501894137&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=2ac30bd7ccc5af82d933d96d8e10955f William Willimon's Blog: https://willwillimon.wordpress.com/ ----more---- LOVE OUR ENEMIES MUSIC VIDEO KICKSTARTER LINK: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rickleejames/love-our-enemies-music-video ----more---- As Always...Thank You For Listening To Voices In My Head About Your Host: Rick Lee James For more information on Rick Lee James, visit www.rickleejames.com, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Listen to his official podcast at www.voicesinmyheadpodcast.com, and get a daily dose of wisdom from Mister Rogers at @MisterRogersSay. “Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast” podcast can be heard HERE.Request the “Thunder Radio Special” at www.crwradiopromotions.com. Official Web Site: www.RickLeeJames.com Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunder In partnership with CRW Radio Promotions, singer, songwriter and worship leader Rick Lee James debuts a brand new radio special. The “Thunder Radio Special” can be heard exclusively on James’ official YouTube channel or his website. It was also recently added to Spotify and Apple Music. Radio stations interested in airing the “Thunder Radio Special” can contact Kathryn Ambrose at CRW Radio Promotions at kathryn@westarmediagroup.com. ----more---- For Booking Inquiries Click Here or contact Gary Stripling By Phone: 904.745.9151 By Email: gary@themanagementagency.com Management General Office Hours:Monday – 11Am – 5PM Tuesday – 11Am – 5PM Wednesday – Office closed Thursday – 11Am – 5PM Friday – 11AM – 5PM Saturday – 11AM – 5PM
Click Image Above to View Worship Guide “In his teaching and preaching, Jesus was forever calling our attention to the seemingly trivial, the small, and the insignificant—like lost children, lost coins, lost sheep, a mustard seed. The kingdom involves the ability to see God within those people and experiences that the world regards as little and of no account, ordinary.” ~ Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon
In this message, we conclude the series, "Fear of the Other," with a clarion call for the church to be an inclusive community of love engaged in the ministry of reconciliation. Pastor Mark explains that we cannot experience the fullness of salvation or be an authentic Christian church unless we are willing to embrace and love the Other as Christ has embraced and loved us. This is message 3 in the series, "Fear of the Other," based on the book by William Willimon.
Two drivers of xenophobia are pride and self-righteousness. In this message, Pastor Mark walks us through some key passages in Paul's letters to help us see that we are the Other before God. This humbling experience gives us empathy so that we can do more than receive God's love and reconciliation, but also share these gifts with others, including our enemies. This is message 2 in the series, "Fear of the Other," based on the book by William Willimon.
Hate is on the rise in our country, and much of it is fueled by xenophobia, fear of the other. Christians should have something to say about this, but too often they remain silent. Why? Because everything has been politicized and many fear that if they speak up they will be attacked. Has Christianity been absorbed into partisan politics? Has the church lost its distinctive public voice in our culture? Have we created God in our own image to support our political agendas? What we need more than anything today are prophetic voices who are courageous enough to speak truth to power. We need to learn to think as Christians--not as Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservative, but as Christians--so that we can have the grace to act like Jesus, regardless of what this means for our politics. Check out this first message in a new series against xenophobia entitled, "Fear of the Other," based on the book by William Willimon.
Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 327: William Willimon - Accidental PreacherDr. William Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He is an internationally renowned preacher and widely read author noted for his humor, his insight into the Christian faith, and his theological commitment. His many books have sold over a million copies. His latest book, a memoir titled Accidental Preacher, releases on July 17th, 2019. In Accidental Preacher, Dr. Willimon recounts memorable moments from his rich and full preaching life, with his signature wit and humor. Accidental Preacher portrays the adventure of a life caught up in the purposes of a God who calls unlikely people to engage in work greater than themselves. William Willimon, welcome back to Voices In My Head. Buy The Book "Accidental Preacher" by William H. Willimon Here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802876447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802876447&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=c1056361ae4483dcb50c1e6a18f4c7b7 Buy The Book "Out of the Depths: A Songwriter's Journey Through The Psalms" by Rick Lee James Here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J1V971M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00J1V971M&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=2084d8eb834a598c1489227d6c25327bAs always, thank you for listening to Voices In My Head. About Your Host: Rick Lee JamesOfficial Web Site: www.RickLeeJames.comGet Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunder This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 327: William Willimon - Accidental Preacher Dr. William Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He is an internationally renowned preacher and widely read author noted for his humor, his insight into the Christian faith, and his theological commitment. His many books have sold over a million copies. His latest book, a memoir titled Accidental Preacher, releases on July 17th, 2019. In Accidental Preacher, Dr. Willimon recounts memorable moments from his rich and full preaching life, with his signature wit and humor. Accidental Preacher portrays the adventure of a life caught up in the purposes of a God who calls unlikely people to engage in work greater than themselves. William Willimon, welcome back to Voices In My Head. Buy The Book "Accidental Preacher" by William H. Willimon Here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802876447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802876447&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=c1056361ae4483dcb50c1e6a18f4c7b7 Buy The Book "Out of the Depths: A Songwriter's Journey Through The Psalms" by Rick Lee James Here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J1V971M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00J1V971M&linkCode=as2&tag=rickleejame00-20&linkId=2084d8eb834a598c1489227d6c25327b As always, thank you for listening to Voices In My Head. About Your Host: Rick Lee James Official Web Site: www.RickLeeJames.com Get Rick Lee James Latest Album: https://fanlink.to/RLJThunder
Scriptures: Luke 3:10-11, Matt. 6:19-20, Luke 19:8, Acts 4:34, II Cor. 8:14, I John 3:17, Heb 10:34, I Peter 4:9, and Isaiah 55:1-2. Quote 1: "St. Basil the Great made explicit in a sermon that nothing that belongs to us is ours alone, particularly that which we have in excess of 'our daily bread': The bread that spoils in your house belongs to the hungry. The shoes that are mildewing under your bed belong to those who have none. The clothes stored away in your trunk belong to those who are naked. The money that depreciates in your treasury belongs to the poor! Our bread is not ours to hoard. Our bread belongs to our sisters and brothers." Lord Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and The Christian Life. by William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. P.76Quote 2: "So as you learn to pray this prayer, note that you necessarily offer your life to others. Put as offensively as we know how, Christianity is about your money, about economics. Salvation is material. Certainly, spirituality is about material things, but we believe nothing is more "spiritual" than money. Through learning to pray this prayer we are taught that our money is not " ours." Thus we can be asked to share because what we have is shared." Lord Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and The Christian Life. by William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. P.76Quote 3: " When money and possessions are situated in a world of God's justice, they will flourish, generate prosperity, and guarantee a good life. Such a possibility, however, is in profound tension with the way of money smarts that must have been a durable temptation in that ancient world as it surely is a living seduction in our world. We are, in our world, subject to a constant barrage of summons to privatized wealth that sets the pusuit of wealth over against the well-being of the community." Money and Possessions by Walter Bruggemann. P129
Scriptures: Luke 3:10-11, Matt. 6:19-20, Luke 19:8, Acts 4:34, II Cor. 8:14, I John 3:17, Heb 10:34, I Peter 4:9, and Isaiah 55:1-2. Quote 1: "St. Basil the Great made explicit in a sermon that nothing that belongs to us is ours alone, particularly that which we have in excess of 'our daily bread': The bread that spoils in your house belongs to the hungry. The shoes that are mildewing under your bed belong to those who have none. The clothes stored away in your trunk belong to those who are naked. The money that depreciates in your treasury belongs to the poor! Our bread is not ours to hoard. Our bread belongs to our sisters and brothers." Lord Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and The Christian Life. by William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. P.76Quote 2: "So as you learn to pray this prayer, note that you necessarily offer your life to others. Put as offensively as we know how, Christianity is about your money, about economics. Salvation is material. Certainly, spirituality is about material things, but we believe nothing is more "spiritual" than money. Through learning to pray this prayer we are taught that our money is not " ours." Thus we can be asked to share because what we have is shared." Lord Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and The Christian Life. by William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. P.76Quote 3: " When money and possessions are situated in a world of God's justice, they will flourish, generate prosperity, and guarantee a good life. Such a possibility, however, is in profound tension with the way of money smarts that must have been a durable temptation in that ancient world as it surely is a living seduction in our world. We are, in our world, subject to a constant barrage of summons to privatized wealth that sets the pusuit of wealth over against the well-being of the community." Money and Possessions by Walter Bruggemann. P129
In part 10 of Redlining & White Noise, Charles Rotramel and Gregg Taylor speak with Will Willimon about his book Who Lynched Willie Earle?, based on the true story of pastor Hawley Lynn's March of 1947 sermon of the same title. Will walks us through the story of the last recorded lynching in Greenville, South Carolina, the complicity of the mainline Protestant church, and how the church can facilitate racial healing. In his distinguished career, Bishop William Willimon served as Bishop in the United Methodist Church and as dean of Duke Chapel. He is currently professor of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School. He is the author of many books, including most recently Who Lynched Willie Earle: Preaching to Confront Racism. More information about William Willimon is available here: https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/william-willimon
This week's episode was from the live Resident Aliens podcast in Durham, North Carolina. Before we hear from Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon, Tripp talks with Molly Brummett Wudel and Tim Conder from Emmaus Way. You'll hear a little bit about the story behind Emmaus Way, the work they are doing in Durham, their community hermeneutic, how they confront the challenges of church planting today, and why helping churches learn to be a part of meaningful social change and also transforming the inner life of the church is so important to their work. Then, Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon talk with Tripp about their book, Resident Aliens. They discuss the christological assertion at the heart of the text, their distaste for Pietism, the distorted character of our world for the formation of people, restoring the adventure to Christianity, the weight of one's identity given at baptism, the burden of deciding who you are, how to address issues of sexuality in the church, and the anxiety of losing culture dominance. Plus, Tripp explains why Hauerwas and Willimon have never been on the podcast before. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s episode was from the live Resident Aliens podcast in Durham, North Carolina. Before we hear from Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon, Tripp talks with Molly Brummett Wudel and Tim Conder from Emmaus Way. You’ll hear a little bit about the story behind Emmaus Way, the work they are doing in Durham, their community hermeneutic,… Read more about Resident Aliens LIVE from Durham
Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 262 Guest William Willimon: Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism.My guest today on Voices in My Head is The Reverend Dr. William H. Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at the Divinity School of Duke University. He served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. For twenty years prior to the episcopacy, he was Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.He is the author of over sixty books including Resident Aliens, Thank God It's Friday, Word, Water, Bread and Wine, Worship as Pastoral Care (which was selected as one of the ten most useful books for pastors by the Academy of Parish Clergy), and What's Right with the Church? In 1996, an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-speaking world.Today we discuss one of his latest and most timely books, Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism. Donate Now To Rick Lee James New Album at www.RickLeeJames.com/Thunder This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe
Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 262 Guest William Willimon: Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism. My guest today on Voices in My Head is The Reverend Dr. William H. Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at the Divinity School of Duke University. He served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. For twenty years prior to the episcopacy, he was Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of over sixty books including Resident Aliens, Thank God It’s Friday, Word, Water, Bread and Wine, Worship as Pastoral Care (which was selected as one of the ten most useful books for pastors by the Academy of Parish Clergy), and What’s Right with the Church? In 1996, an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-speaking world. Today we discuss one of his latest and most timely books, Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism. Donate Now To Rick Lee James New Album at www.RickLeeJames.com/Thunder
Upgrading Leadership In Churches Interview With Rev. Dr. Bishop William Willimon Hugh Ballou: Greetings, this is Hugh Ballou. Welcome to this version of The Nonprofit Exchange. We talk to leaders worldwide about their particular perspective in leadership, their expertise, and to hear from their perspective, from their seat that they led from for so many years. My guest today is Will Willimon, Dr. Reverend Will Willimon. We are sitting in Durham, North Carolina at the Duke Divinity School where Will will tell you a little bit about what he does here. He and I got connected a number of years ago when he came to north Alabama as a bishop, and I was serving in a Methodist church. We first got connected there. I have been extremely impressed with his writing, and we have interfaced a few times. You have even spoken at one of my events in Greensboro. Welcome, Will, to the Nonprofit Exchange. Will Willimon: Thank you. Hugh: It's like when I go somewhere and say, “I'm Hugh Ballou. This is Will Willimon.” Tell us about yourself, your background, and why you're here at the Duke Divinity School. Will: I'm a Methodist preacher from South Carolina. As a young preacher, I was summoned by Duke Divinity School. I came up here and joined the faculty back in the ‘70s to teach worship. Didn't like teaching full-time, so I went back in a parish in South Carolina. Then again Duke called me to the pulpit of Duke Chapel, and I was there 20 years. It was my first experience with a ministry that large, a budget that large, a staff that large. From there, I was a bishop. After being a bishop for eight years, I was invited back to Duke. I teach courses in preaching and mission. I also teach a class for ordained leadership, and for the doctor of ministry, I teach a leadership class. In my latter years, I find myself moving more into leadership. In fact, in my mind, I think every class I teach here at Duke Divinity School is a leadership class because I think leadership is utterly necessary for ordained clergy to be leaders, but often that is something they say they don't get in divinity school. It's right at the top of the clergy list of skills they wish they had more of. Hugh: That's amazing. As people go into this meaningful work in ministry, first off, it's very difficult work. It's very challenging work. Let's go back a minute. We talked about leadership. I want you to define leadership. I also want to ask you about what do you think from interviewing pastors that have been in churches for a while, what do they think they wish they had known before they started? Define leadership. Then what are you hearing from preachers out there they wish they had gotten from this class you're teaching? Will: I hear pastors complain about administration. That consumes too much of their time, they don't enjoy doing it, they had no training in how to administer well. Larger church pastors, whenever you're together, the talk always gets to staff: staff problems, problematic people on staff, hiring people, holding people accountable, all those things you got to do in supervision. I think few pastors come into the ministry saying, “God is calling me to administer a church.” And yet that is the work you find yourself in. Another problem is I know when I went into ministry, my vision of myself was I will be a part of a small rural congregation in South Carolina. I hope I'll have a part-time secretary. That would be wonderful. Then you wake up one day like I did at Duke Chapel, and I had 30 human beings that I was supposed to be supervising and orchestrating and coordinating and leading. That was when I reached out and tried to get better leadership administrative skills. Probably should have reached out sooner. I hear about administration. Then I hear pastors complaining about conflicted congregations, congregations that don't seem to respect their authority and leadership. This whole complex set of things that leaders, managers, administrators have to do. I hear a lot of that. You mentioned that being a pastoral leader is hard. I agree. However, there are times I think when pastors get together and complain, whine about administrative leadership difficulties thinking this is what everybody faces who works with human beings that have some tasks assigned to them, some mission they are engaged in. Maybe the surprising thing is that pastors are surprised this is the world. Hugh: This is the work. It's with people. Years ago, I interviewed you for an article I was doing for a magazine on the topic of conflict. We were talking about particularly how pastors do or don't approach conflict. One of the statements you made was typically, pastors want to move away from conflict. One of the people I interviewed on the podcast was a woman named Dr. Roberta Gilbert. She was a psychiatrist and a colleague of Murray Bowen. I don't know if you- Will: I know Bowen theory, yeah. Hugh: I have been studying it for nine years. She was on this series of podcasts. What she helped me realize was that we move toward conflict, remaining calm, sticking to the facts. Instead of avoiding it, moving toward that. I found that Bowen systems is a way to know self, so it helped me to reframe some of my leadership. But conflict is one of the things that exists in any human system like Bowen talks about. Part of what that theory helped me do was he calls differentiation of self. What are our principles? That is a really foundational piece for leadership is defining self. Will: Agreed. For pastors, self-knowledge is a never-ending task. It may be complicated by the fact that for pastors, we have lots of opportunities to be self-deceitful if we want to be. One, I think people aid us in our self-deceit as they say to us, “You're just so loving and caring. We have never had a pastor like you.” Pushing all those buttons. Then you start to believe that. It is a halo effect. I was in a church recently that has severe problems with decline and severe problems with their staff being unable to step up. The first thing the pastor said was, “We have a wonderful staff here. I feel so privileged to be working with them.” I'm thinking that from one angle, that sounds charitable, and you seem to be a charitable person. You're thinking positively about these people. From another angle though, let's be honest, you don't want to do the work that would be required by being truthful, that you've hired the wrong people, you are going to have some painful conversations, you need to make some moves. Rather than do that work, you are going to say, “We have a wonderful staff, and we are all Christians.” I love that self-knowledge. For instance, in a leadership class I teach here, two thirds of the class always admits they have problems with conflict. Much of the class says one of the appeals of Christian ministry is that they could do this without hurting people. In business, you have to fire people. I know it sounds ridiculous as you know the church. I try to say it's very important to own that. I put it on my list, too, with clergy. I think we clergy think of ourselves as powerless people. We look at our paycheck and say we don't have much influence or power or they'd be paying me more. It's easy for us to say there is a problem of the staff, that it's for the personnel committee. They deal with this; since I'm the pastor, I don't deal with that. I think that can be very dangerous. One of my jobs as a bishop was to discipline errant clergy who had moral lapses, and invariably, the image was, “I am just a loving, caring pastor. I couldn't hurt anybody.” That is dangerous. It's important for pastors to own who they are, the power they have. Use that power carefully. Self-knowledge is a big deal. I don't know if the president of General Motors has to know thyself, as Socrates advised, but pastors do. There are so many opportunities for deceit, for those moments where you say: I am telling you this for your own good and because I love you. Probably more typical is for pastors to say in response to when I ask “Why didn't you tell the truth? Why didn't you share the facts?” “Oh, I am such a loving, caring person. I didn't want to hurt this person.” We pastors have many resources for deceiving ourselves about our real motives. Hugh: Along that channel, I find that the really best leaders have a confidential advisor or coach, a mentor, somebody that helps them discover their blind spots because they are called blind spots for a good reason. That would be one of them. It's an accountability partner. Will: Good advice. I remember we had a consultant in Alabama, and he educated us during a day about what it takes to revitalize a moribund, static, plateaued congregation. You gotta do this and this and this. Have these discussions, these strategies. At the end of the day, at the bottom of the list he put- His voice raised and he said, “None of this can be done by yourself. You've got to get external assistance. You have to get a coach, an advisor, a mentor. You have to get somebody who is not embedded with you, somebody who has no power in that configuration.” I sure found that to be true. As Alabama's bishop, the church gave me a job but I had no training, and as you can see, very few gifts. I had 800 pastors, 600 churches. It was a leadership management nightmare. After a couple months, I got a retired business executive. I asked, “Bill, what'd you make your last year at the life insurance company?” He said, “About $400,000.” I said, “Well, I'm prepared to offer you $20,000 to work with me and to be my coach, to be my advisor. God wants you to do this. God has told me to tell you to do this. You wouldn't want to disappoint the Lord, would you?” He said, “Wow, you really do need an advisor if that's your attitude about things.” It was wonderful. He had an office near mine. Bill went with me to meetings. He sat at the back of the room usually, took notes. We would have an evaluation after the meeting. He would say things to me like, “Once again, you talked about a third of the time, and two thirds of the time, they were talking.” Or he would say things to me like, “You know, you're asking less questions than you did when we first started. I think you have to discipline yourself to ask more questions and make fewer declarative statements. Your questions are not as good as they were in the early days. I'm afraid you're falling into the trap of thinking you know what's going on now. No, you don't.” Because that is a moving target, people are being deceptive, and they don't even know they are being deceptive. It was wonderful. The trouble with being a bishop is it is really hard to find anybody who will tell you the truth, except generally your most severe critics whom you can't stand because they are so critical. Bill was wonderful. Now, when any pastor says to me things like, “Oh, this church. I tried this, and it didn't work.” “Let me stop you right there. I know where you're going with this. I am going to recommend you get a coach. You get some help. Let me just stop you right there and talk about the help.” I'm just not sure pastors can do much of anything without somebody coming in from the outside and making the work as difficult as Jesus means it to be. I use that phrase a lot. If the work assigned to us was simply to be a loving, caring group of people, a lot of churches are a loving, caring group of people because that's all the pastor knows how to lead, the pastor is uncomfortable around anybody in their twenties, so therefore the pastor ends up spending a lot of time with people my age. Unfortunately, Jesus Christ, the work he has given us to do, the mission is much more demanding than that. There is going to be disagreements. There will be crises, not simply because people are hard to work with, which they are, but because Jesus Christ is hard to work with. He won't let us be the men's garden club. I keep trying and thinking about leadership. What difference does it make that we are Christian doing this? How is our leadership of a different quality than, say, leadership by a well-meaning humanist or something? That is a hard question to answer, but nevertheless, I think it important for clergy. Hugh: It is. We take sound leadership business principles, and we learn from them. When we put them in the church, they are different because it is the church. There are things we can learn. In my conversations with Jim Forbes, a pastor from Riverside, New York, he said, “We need for our spiritual journey experience 15-20% outside of our discipline.” Talk about the coach so we don't get stale and blind. Nothing else is there. This is what I know. Part of what Bishop Joe said to us at Blacksburg is the Methodist Church was losing 1,200 members a week in America. We get on a track where we think this is how it ought to go, but it's not working. We have sat ourselves up for failure. Some of the gaps in leadership. When I talked to Cal Turner, and he has talked to the council of bishops, he went to his leadership team at Dollar General and said, “I am the son of the boss. I got this because I am son of the boss.” He was president and chairman of the board. “You have the skills. I have the vision.” He claimed the vision, but he said that he wanted them to do this. Everybody stepped up. Cal said, “Hugh, leadership is about defining your gaps and finding really good people to fill them.” He also pointed out that transparency is- You're not whiny, but he was very straightforward. They know. They know you don't know it. Why pretend? If I didn't tell them, they would be like, “Well, I'll show him.” There is this vision thing. I worked with Dick Wills when he was bishop in Tennessee. We were talking about a cabin retreat. I was talking about the vision for that since I was leading it. He said, “The cabinet is not going to develop the vision. I didn't see anywhere in the Bible where God gave the vision to a committee. Here is the vision.” That is the vision piece. I don't think the great commandment is your mission. That is a commandment. That is a commission. That is not a choice. Paul Borden said that when you brought him in to talk to north Alabama. That is not a choice. What is it that God has called this church or organization? We are talking about leadership in the church. There are some unique differences, but there are some global differences for anybody leading any organization. A lot of what you are talking about corporate leaders have trouble with, too. Talk about the pastor. Back to Bowen systems. There is this pseudo self and basic self. We want to please people, so we go into pleaser mode, which is a downward spiral, rather than going with our principles and making the right decisions for the right reason. Not pulling people in and saying, “This is not how we do things.” It's a pleaser personality. You did say to me in that interview a while back that in addition to avoiding conflict, it gets worse as it goes on. You also said that conflict is the sign of energy in an organization. We don't ever eliminate it. We are energetic people. Managing this and addressing it, I think we misunderstand words. One word is we need to confront the conflict. The root of it is with your front. It doesn't mean you hit them with a baseball bat. With your front means approach it directly, calmly, and openly, stating the facts. There is a huge challenge I see in this area you're talking about. How can pastors equip themselves, besides having a good coach? I suggest it doesn't always have to be clergy. Will: You can have coaches. When pastors talk about difficulty of personalities, because you have graduated from divinity school, you have had zero training in how to handle people, how to hold people accountable, how to have difficult conversations with people about their work. But I guarantee you you have people in your church that God has called to the ministry or personnel work. Draw on them. Commission them to do this with you. There is an arrogance behind the pastor who says, “I have hands laying on my head. I'm good at preaching and administration and budgetary oversight.” With one meeting with the finance committee, I was thinking I have always disliked people like you in high school who were always talking about some really interesting math problem in homework. I'm no good in math. That is one reason I went into the ministry to avoid that. Any wonderful guy who has called you. This is what you're good at. Let me give you that authority to do that. As you were talking, you talked about good business principles and how they are different in the church. That is so true. However, I don't want to let us clergy off the hook by saying a frequent way- It's either arrogance or evasiveness. “Wait, remember now, the church is not a business.” That is just a cop-out for saying, “I am so arrogant I am not going to submit to instruction. I am not going to learn.” You were talking about conflict. You can get better at managing conflict. There are certain things you can learn. You do this, then you do this, then you do this. You develop an attitude, which doesn't say, “There is conflict. I did something wrong,” but rather, “There is some heat being generated here. I can feel it. Maybe I am doing something right.” There have been moments in my ministry where I swear it's like Jesus says to me, “Gosh, ain't it a shame that I didn't have your personality. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up like I did on the cross.” Sometimes, good management leadership principles can be overruled by the theological missional commitments of the church. I remember when I was weighing into the immigration fight in Alabama, taking on Jeff Sessions. My management coach said, “Ah, really, at this time, I hate to see you get into this.” I said, “Well, the better clergy are asking me to get into this with him.” He said, “This is one of those moment when I realize that this is more than about good management coaching. This is about the gospel and Jesus Christ. I guarantee you you're going to do this because I know you. This is where I realize I'm not ordained. I'm not clergy. At your best, you think like clergy. I just want to say now as you go into this, know that you will come into some casualties and take some hits and expend some of your capital, but it sounds like you think this is right.” Part of being clergy is applying theological and knowing- In the class I was just teaching, I had Douglas Campbell, who is our great New Testament scholar here, talking about conflict. He was talking about how Paul served a multi-cultural diverse church. He said, “Boy, it's all blowing up in his face. You have people with Pagan values and Pagan ethics, and you have Jewish Christians, and Gentile Christians. They are fighting it out with each other over who is a real Christian.” A number of the pastors in the program said, “I've been there. I am there.” Then Douglas said, “You know, maybe Paul would say, ‘If you're in a placid, content, homogeneous church, you ain't much of a missionary, are you? You're not much of an Evangelist.' The testimony to how effective Paul was is the squabbles going on, the conflict they're having.” I thought that was a great way to put it. If my church doesn't have any conflict over racial issues or political issues, you better check out your Evangelistic leadership because Jesus Christ is about wider business than simply a happy club of older adults. Hugh: That's what separates us from being a social club. Will: Absolutely. We usually say, “We have love, harmony,” yeah. But if that love and harmony is by our disobeying Christ's commission, it's wrong. You mentioned Paul Borden. I loved him in a church leadership on testosterone way. I remember one of my pastors saying to Paul, “You can't be captured by the older adults in your congregation. You have to free yourself from that. You have to ask yourself, every time you go to the hospital to visit those shut-ins, who are you not visiting? Who are the conversations you're not having?” One of the pastors said, “Paul, don't you think there is something to be said for honoring the sacrifices and love of those dear people who built this church?” Paul said, “No, the church does not exist to honor any human being. The church exists to honor Jesus Christ.” Paul whacks him to the thing he says, “Some of you should have gone into nursing. Maybe you can empty bedpans, do nice things for people. This is better than that. You are a preacher of the word of God.” I don't know how the group perceived that, but I was thinking it is good to be- Sometimes it is good to be reminded that God has called me for more than an efficient, well-run organization. Again, I'm not trying to dismiss leadership management incompetence. For me, preaching was the thing that kept calling me back to say, “I am not simply aspiring to be a manager of an efficient volunteer organization. I am a spokesperson for God. I am the one that says, Okay people, we are gathered again before the scriptures. How are we being challenged?” Hugh: Our duty and delight is to do meaningful work and to challenge people. I am thinking Reinhold Niebuhr, “Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” Will: Quoting Reinhold Niebuhr reminds me of his book, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic. But in there, he says something that has challenged me throughout my ministry. “Before I became a pastor, I thought there were so many boring and tame sermons because preachers were cowards. You have to be careful about how you say things. Now that I have become a pastor, I realized the source of bad preaching is love. You start to love these people, you are with them. You have a front row seat on their misery. The last thing you want to do in a sermon is make them more miserable. That is why there is so many boring and tame sermons.” Not sure if he was right about his characterization of prophets in Israel, but I found that so challenging that many of the really unfaithful things pastors do and lead, they blame it on love. I'm not telling this congregation the truth about their future, the fact that they have no future or very little future because I love them. They are some of the sweetest people. It complexifies leadership and Jesus' name. it also says to me now. Be honest, here. You have noted that when you tell people painful truths, what do they do? They come back at you, and they start telling you painful truths. Then where would we be? We might be something on the way to being the body of Christ where the church says, “We are not only loving and caring and friendly; we are also truthful to a degree that you can't get without the holy spirit working in you.” Hugh: We're also not truthful in how we interpret the Bible. Paul Borden challenged the great commission is not your mission, it's a choice. Richard Rohr or John Bishop, they talk about how we hijack scripture for our own purposes- Will: We do. Hugh: -as leaders. We misinterpret that. That is a built-in liability. You spoke about power earlier. I want to ask about that in a minute. I find a lot of leaders are unaware of the power differentiation. The pastor is an influencer of power, whether they know it or not. We get in trouble with relationships. We get in trouble with money. We get in trouble with authority because we are not aware that we have a position of power with what we do. In my church in Atlanta that I served, the session, which is the ruling body of the Presbyterian church, were Sotheby executives who abdicated their authority to the pastor, which is not in the book of order. He has one vote. The teaching elder gets equal votes. They abdicated because he was the CEO. It was that power position that they gave into. They didn't know how to be the board. But he got things done. He died at 63 because he really wore out his body. He worked hard and grew that church. It was a great delight to know him. I do find that typically clergy especially are unaware that they do have this position of power. What they say has a lot more weight. How does that get us in trouble? Will: It's dangerous- It's also so important to own your power and use it responsibly. We give policemen guns, but then we really expect them to be very careful in using the firearm. When I am ordained in the Methodist church, the bishop says, “Take thou authority to preach the word. Take thou authority to administer the sacraments.” The bishop should have said, “Take care with thou authority we're giving you.” It amazes me that illustration is fascinating. I have been on boards of colleges where you have these powerful executives on the board. It's like they walk into a church meeting and turn off their brains and become docile, smiling people. Some of them will say, “It's the church. It's not like a business.” I say, “I think it should be more like a business. By the way, I guarantee your business for any of its ethical failings would never do anything this unethical that is going on right now in the treatment of staff or whatever. Come on. Be an executive. Use your power. I watched a little college go just about down the drain because of a board sitting there saying, “He is the president, and he has his Ph. D. I just have my B.A. degree, so what do I know?” They tolerated behavior they would never have tolerated in their bank or whatever. Knowledge of power, clergy moral abuse. I remember a dean of a medical school told me one time, “The purpose of medical education, morally speaking, is to produce people who can be alone with naked people and not take advantage of them.” I said, “Turn around. You see the divinity school. We do that in three years for a lot less money than you charge to do that.” I thought it was a great- Clergy are around naked people a lot, vulnerable people a lot. To take advantage of that vulnerability is a heinous act that requires removal from ministry. We can never- You violated a whole thing. Oftentimes, when I have been involved in disciplining clergy, the self-image the clergy person has is, “Me? No, I'm just- She said she was lonely, and her marriage was unhappy. I'm in the business of loving. So I tried to love.” I said, “That is your explanation for what occurred on your desk?” “Yes.” “That is horrible. Goodbye.” It is a big issue. In the congregation, I do think one thing we clergy have to be savvy about is power, power inequalities, power dynamics. Who are the powerless people in the congregation who are not being heard and who are not speaking up? I remember a pastor turning around a congregation. A group came to him and said, “We don't like this. We don't like this.” He said, “Every one of you is over 65. You represent 70% of this congregation.” They said, “We certainly do. Glad you've noticed that.” He said, “I bet you represent 90% of the giving.” “We're glad you noticed that, too.” “If this church is going to live another day, I have to ignore you as much as I can. I've just met with the pitifully six people we have in this congregation in their 20s. Here is what I have heard from them. We could lose those few people. I have challenged them to double their numbers this year. Here is what they tell me we need to do. For the good of this church, I am going to have to take my orders from them. I hope you'll understand that. I hope you'll see that by my doing that, I am giving this church another day.” That struck me as somebody understanding power and saying, “I have to discipline myself not to let you have the power that determines the mission of this church.” Hugh: That is not a typical decision though. Will: I honored this pastor. Teach me how to do more of that. One other thing you said is one thing as a bishop, my coach said to me, “You've been an academic. The way you guys think about stuff is with your mouth open. You say, ‘Hey, this is an interesting idea. I want to know how you feel about that.' You can do that in your old job, but you can't do that in your new job. In your new job, when you say to them like you did in a meeting, ‘Hey, I'm thinking why don't we have district offices? I think you guys ought to be in your car more than in your office. You have to be in the district.' So why don't we make district offices? It was breathtaking. Everybody there froze and said, ‘You have a job now where you have power. You could actually do that if you wanted to.' You have to be a bit more careful about the stuff you throw out. If you want to shock them, if you want to steamroll them, you have the power to do it. I believe you'll end up paying a heavy price for that.” It was a great thing to say. You're the bishop. You could move them to Timbuktu if you're unhappy with them. They know it. Hugh: Leaders do that not only in the church, but also in other charities, and are totally unaware of their consequences of those actions. Will: That's a good word, consequences. Hugh: There are consequences, and they are unaware of them. I want to close this interview out with two more questions. Recently, there was an article in the Washington Post that said at its current trajectory, mainline denominations have 23 Easters left. That is a pretty sobering thought whether it's true or not. What do leaders in mainline churches need to do to turn that trend around? Will: Ooh. I have a long list. A bunch of stuff. Today, I would say: One is we have to look at the painful, ugly stuff, like that statistic. We have to stop lying. We have to find a way to tell difficult truths to people whom we love. Again, I'm a preacher. That is what I think I do every week is stand up and tell difficult truths from Jesus to people that I love, many of them. We ought to be good at this. I think in a sense we ought to be made to stare at that and think, I can't be this kind of leader that I thought I was trying to be. Pastors would often say to me, “This is not the same church I signed on with. I tell you what, when I joined, I didn't sign on for this.” What a dumb statement. We serve a living God for one thing, and not of the dead. But also, every leader has got to constantly retool, constantly go back to school, constantly start over, constantly ditch these principles that worked great at my last job. They are inappropriate at this one. Get used to it. I start my ordained leadership class by saying to them, “I am going to try to share with you what I think I‘ve learned. A lot of it I learned the hard way. Maybe it will help you avoid some of my mistakes. You will get tired of the pontificating and the stories about Alabama, but you need to use that. You take that in. About 50% of that is going to be wrong. You can't serve the same church I served. You can't do what I did. There are people here in their 20s who don't know a lot about ministry, but you know more than I do about the future. That is your job in this class. You take in what I've got, and you sort through it. But you also keep your eyes on the future of things. The Lord is taking me out of this game. But He is sending you in. Step up and take responsibility.” That is the move I think we got to make. We will not have a future in mainline Protestantism unless we can do that. I must say I'm more impressed by local pastors in little out of the way places that are finding a way to lead into the future. I'm more impressed than I am about seminaries and all. Hugh: Hey there, it's Hugh Ballou. Wasn't that a great interview with Dr. William Willimon? We lost the last few seconds when I said thank you and goodbye because of a technical glitch, but you had all this great content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dean Timothy George talks to Will Willimon about his new book, Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism.
Dean Timothy George talks to Will Willimon about his new book, Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism.
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
Fear! Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger. And, if we didn't feel it, we couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good reason. Sometimes, fear can actually be paralyzing and it can keep us from living into the fullness of life, living into life that truly matters. Yet, exposing ourselves to our personal demons by facing our fears is the best way to move through them and past them. In today's gospel, we hear a story that not only addresses the fear that can literally overpower us, but we also hear a story of the even greater power of promise, telling us of a loving presence that will never let us go. At last, Jesus has finally been able to send the crowds away. He has convinced his disciples to get in a boat and cross the lake ahead of him. Finally, he has found time to retreat and spend some time in prayer. As we look at today's gospel reading, Jesus is not a superhero who has retreated to his bat cave. He is not a ghost out to haunt the already terrified. He is a man. Fully God, fully human. He is the Son of God, though those around him don't yet recognize him. His ship of faith is being battered by the rejection of his hometown folks and the beheading of his cousin John the Baptist by Herod. He knows his time is coming. Crowds of needy people have been constantly pressing in on him. And, he needs some time alone. Jesus is praying, perhaps lifting up each of his fears and stuggles to God and exchanging them for faith, allowing the comfort and healing and power of God to fill his inner life, his heart, mind, emotions, and will. After all, this is what the Jewish scriptures tell us to do, to surrender all our lesser fears to our fear of the Lord, which means our reverence for God, for who God is and what God can do. And, as Jesus then looks up and squints at the horizon he sees the disciples' little boat bobbing side to side, back and forth, up and down. The disciples have spent nearly the whole night struggling to get across that blasted lake before Jesus shows up near daybreak. The Sea of Galilee is not a massive body of water, never more than seven miles across when traveling east-west. Yet, they've not been able to traverse it, for the storm has “battered” or “thrashed” their boat. And, as for the churning sea? In their worldview, it represents chaos and danger. Then, they think they see a ghost. Fear erupts because they anticipate how the story will probably end. All night they have been threatened by the prospect that this chaos might devour them. They saw themselves as disciples left to die at the mercy of more powerful forces. Then, they realize this seeming “ghost” is Jesus, striding over the watery chaos. And, astoundingly, Peter wants to step out there on that water. Peter steps out of the boat and enters the tumult. And, Peter flounders. He flounders because he grows afraid. Quite frankly, that fear is justified. The storm is still powerfully raging and it is so intense it could sink the boat, let alone drown a single person. He has perfectly good reason to be afraid. And, so do we. There are multiple reasons each one of us might face fear. Maybe you fear loneliness after loss. Or, fear losing stability as you face a fragile relationship. Or, fear aging and all the issues that come with growing old. Or, maybe fear the return of an illness, or the progression of present illness. Or, maybe you fear for your kids and what they are experiencing or will experience. Or, you fear facing a new chapter in life, or making a major life-changing decision. Or, you fear the future of our congregation, or the direction of our country, or global security…. You name it! There are multiple situations and reasons in our individual, congregational and communal lives that make us afraid. And that fear can be paralyzing, debilitating, and make it difficult for us to move forward or even have any sense of confidence. In fact, as professor David Lose says, “Fear is one of the primary things that robs the children of God of the abundant life God intends for us.” Well, in response to Peter's fear, Jesus doesn't simply urge Peter to buck up, be a man, be courageous, let go of his fear and focus on him. Instead, when Peter begins to sink, Jesus literally catches him! He grabs hold of Peter! Jesus grabs him and saves him from drowning. He grabs him and restores him to his vocation as a disciple. And, guess what? He does the same with us. Jesus will not, he absolutely will never, let us go. Jesus is never going to give up on us, no matter what we do! The God we know is truly THE LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LET US GO! In the depth of our fear, Jesus grabs us, holds on to us when we falter and restores us to where we can again be of service to him. Today's gospel, good news word to us is a message that is not only about our fear. It is a message that is the heart of the gospel message. It is the gospel good news of grace which proclaims that God will never give up on us, that God is with us and for us, that God – in the end – will do what we cannot do for ourselves and save us. This is a message that enables us to cope with life and with our fear because it is a message that enables us to transcend that fear. We may not be able to defeat it, but we can face it, stand in the swirling disorder and chaos, and do what needs to be done even when we are afraid. And, quite frankly, this is the nature of what it means to live out an active life of faith, to be willing to throw oneself into a disorderly world and expect to encounter Jesus there. I love what William Willimon says about this passage. He writes: If Peter had not ventured forth, had not obeyed the call to walk on the water, then Peter would never have had this great opportunity for recognition of Jesus and rescue by Jesus. I wonder if too many of us are merely splashing about in the safe shallows and therefore have too few opportunities to test and deepen our faith. The story today implies if you want to be close to Jesus, you have to venture forth out on the sea and [discover] his promises through trusting his promises, through risk and venture. Getting out of the boat with Jesus and going to places where Jesus goes is the most risky, most exciting, and most fulfilling way to live life to the fullest, life that truly matters, life that is abundant. Today's gospel reading invites us to trust God's promises and do just that.
Professor William Willimon visits The Context of White Supremacy. "Professor of the practice of Christianity" at North Carolina's Duke University, Willimon served as dean of Duke Chapel and professor of Christian ministry for two decades. He's written over 60 books and holds honorary degrees from more than ten institutions. We'll investigate his 2017 publication, Who Lynched Willie Earle? Confronting Racism through Preaching. Professor Willimon writes about the 1947 lynching of twenty-four-year-old Willie Earle. White terrorists blamed him for the death of a White taxi driver and abducted the unarmed black male from a South Carolina jail. Earle was tortured and mutilated before being murdered. No one was convicted for the crime. Willimon's book explores how the religion of White Supremacy encouraged the lynching and enslavement of black people. Like convicted mass killer Dylann Storm Roof, Willimon is a White man and a South Carolina native. He also uses the book to examine his own culpability for the system of White Supremacy. #AnswersForMiriamCarey INVEST in The COWS - http://paypal.me/GusTRenegade CALL IN NUMBER: 641.715.3640 CODE 564943# The C.O.W.S. archives: http://tiny.cc/76f6p
“The Bible seeks to catch our lives up in a grand adventure, a great saga of God’s dealing with humanity – a saga begun in God’s journey with Israel, continued in the surprising call of God even unto Gentiles. The church is the product of that story.” – William Willimon, Shaped by the Bible The […] Related posts: Covenant People Live the Best Lives Becoming Gospel People Connect to Grow
That Old Rugged Cross 2 Cor. 4:7-10Podcast available via the website or iTunes William Willimon tells the story of a funeral he attended when he was serving a small congregation in rural Georgia. One of his members' relatives died, so Willimon...
That Old Rugged Cross 2 Cor. 4:7-10Podcast available via the website or iTunes William Willimon tells the story of a funeral he attended when he was serving a small congregation in rural Georgia. One of his members' relatives died, so Willimon...
What role does preaching play in today's church? The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Master joins Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt to talk about the importance and gravity of preaching. Through the book "Preaching & Preachers" by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, they show the necessity and primacy of the proper preaching of the all-sufficient Word of God. Listen the Mortification of Spin to learn more about this imperative and perennial topic. Free resources from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals on PreachingPractical Considerations for Preaching the Fatherhood of God by Derek Thomas Preaching Christ and Him Crucified by Alistair BeggBenefits of Expository Preaching by Alistair Begg The Foolishness of Preaching by James Boice Books mentioned on Preaching & PreachersPreaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today by John Stott The Priority of Preaching by Christopher Ash Positive preaching and modern mind by Peter Forsyth Proclamation and Theology by William Willimon Speaking God's Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching by Peter Adam
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture six of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The End of the World”. 9 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture six of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The End of the World”. 9 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture six of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The End of the World”. 9 August 2012.
Guest Speaker William Willimon gives the message.
Timothy George talks with William Willimon about his life and ministry.
Timothy George talks with William Willimon about his life and ministry.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture five of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “Should the Church Try to Change the World?” 8 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture five of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “Should the Church Try to Change the World?” 8 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture five of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “Should the Church Try to Change the World?” 8 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture three of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Future of Preaching”. 2 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture three of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Future of Preaching”. 2 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture three of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Future of Preaching”. 2 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture two of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Politics of the Church”. 1 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture two of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Politics of the Church”. 1 August 2012.
The Department of Theology and Religion presents lecture two of the 2012 Thomas Burns Memorial Lecture series. Given by the Reverend Dr William Willimon, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Alabama, this presentation covers the topic “The Politics of the Church”. 1 August 2012.
Will Willimon on what makes a good sermon read more...
George W. Truett Theological Seminary Baylor University Session 1 of the 2010 Fall Preaching Convocation and Workshop presented by Dr. William Willimon and sponsored by the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching. Session 1 consists of Dr. Willimon's remarks at the Monday evening banquet.
This week at our Community Gathering for Worship we welcomed Dr. William Willimon, a Bishop of the United Methodist Church and former Dean of Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University. Dr. Willimon was our guest for the Fall Preaching Convocation and Workshop, sponsored by the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching at Truett Seminary. His sermon is titled: "How Do You Keep at Ministry?" and is taken from the text John 3:1-21.
This week at our Community Gathering for Worship we welcomed Dr. William Willimon, a Bishop of the United Methodist Church and former Dean of Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University. Dr. Willimon was our guest for the Fall Preaching Convocation and Workshop, sponsored by the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching at Truett Seminary. His sermon is titled: "How Do You Keep at Ministry?" and is taken from the text John 3:1-21.
William Willimon on how prayer is a part of sermon preparation and enhances preaching. read more...
Bishop Willimon considers the question "Why preach?" Would you like to share this video with friends? You can find, share, and embed it from our http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-t7i-OdDiA [YouTube Channel]. read more...
February 18, 2007 The Sunday Next before Lent The Reverend Dr. William Willimon, Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama. This podcast featured from: http://www.memorialchurch.harvard.edu/publications/archive.shtml
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