Jay Voorhees This past Monday, we were all shocked to see Nashville added to the list of cities that have experienced a school shooting. As reports came in that morning, our hearts broke at the news of innocent children and dedicated teachers and staff losing their life at the hands of a troubled individual. At that moment, … Read more
As I’ve observed folks over the years, I’ve come to realize that there are two types of travelers. Some people are destination focused, working to get to wear they are going as quickly as possible. These are the people who will take the fastest route, only stopping for gas and snack breaks, and who are … Read more
Yesterday afternoon I met up with Luke Lea, the pastor at Matthew’s Memorial UMC, and we set up a booth at the Madison Night Out Against Crime event at Madison Park. It was hot as blazes but we met all sorts of folks — business and community leaders, neighbors, folks driving by to see what … Read more
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the state of our world and the divisions we face, both in this country and in the broader world. Yesterday I was reading Howard Thurman’s book, Deep is the Hunger, written in the 1950s when I came upon this quote that seems even more true today: We are rapidly … Read more
Yesterday, as I was driving home from a quick visit to Missouri, my phone began buzzing as news reports came in about another school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The story was far too familiar — a young man entered the school with a semi-automatic rifle and took the life of (as of today) 18 children … Read more
God is good! Happy Tuesday. It’s a rainy day here in Old Hickory, but also a good day for a grand experiment. Today at 2 p.m. I will be hosting on online gathering via Google Meet. I will lead us in a short devotion, and it will be a time to check-in, share prayer requests, … Read more
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. –John 1:1 One of the unique characteristics of our Christian tradition is our belief in one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Spirit. The “Trinity” (as we call it) recognizes that Jesus was not only the … Read more
This morning, the scripture focus in my devotional time was from Luke 6. In particular, verses 20-21 jumped out at me: Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. … Read more
Recently, I was asked to be the “Chaplain of the Day” and offer the opening prayer for the Tennessee State Assembly by Representative Bill Beck, who is the House member for our area. I was honored to have this opportunity and hope that I represented City Road Chapel well. Several folks have asked me for … Read more
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following is the work of the author and does not reflect any official opinion of the Tennessee Annual Conference nor the City Road Chapel United Methodist church. We are not far from the yearly gathering of the Tennessee Annual Conference and I have been thinking quite a bit about what that meeting … Read more