Tag: faith

From June 17-20, Methodist from across Virginia hunkered down at the Atlantic Union Bank Center for the 244th Annual Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Methodist are pretty tame. I doubt if they needed extra security at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Occasionally, Methodist do get riled up on a social issue.

Related to Methodist clergy to be able to perform same sex marriages, it felt like the Methodist church took a million years to make a decision.

Even when common ground was found and changes were made, some congregations weren’t happy and left the denomination.

At this year’s annual conference, Bishop Sue Haupert Johnson will preside. Bishop Sue has a tough job.

Her job is not much different from being the superintendent of schools for a large school system. On some days, no matter what a bishop or superintendent tries, they can’t please everyone.

As a life long Methodist, I’ve attended a few annual conferences. The agenda for the gathering is grounded in reports, voting related to conference business, worship services, and opportunities to learn from fellow Methodist across Virginia.

Worrier that I am, I worry that we Methodists are still too resistant to change. At times, I sense we are trapped in the “that’s the way we’ve always done it’ mindset.

Hanging on to that mentality in the future won’t be helpful to Methodist churches.

In the Winter 2026 issue of the William and Mary alumni magazine, I read an interesting article about Will Payne, a 2001 graduate of the school. (Article written by Jeremy Norman)

The article covers many things that Mr. Payne has been involved since graduating.

At this stage of his life, Mr. Payne is heading up Squabble State Hard Cider and Spirits in Bristol, Virginia. This is a 68 acre agritourism destination.

At the core of Mr. Payne’s work are two dedications—“a drive to build things that matter and an unwavering belief in the potential of people.”

Those two givens are not dissimilar to church thinking—build opportunities for people to participate in programs that matter and utilizing the untapped potential of people.

For years, church attendance and participation has been in decline. Mr. Payne’s investments in southwest Virginia, an area that has struggled economically caused him to rethink what was before him.
He did not focus on that “decline.” Instead, he shifted his thinking to “opportunity” and believing that the region could be “reimagined.”

The keys to “reimagining” were linked to building relationships, understanding the region’s “undervalued assets” and wrestling with how “outdated perceptions limited the region’s potential.”

Reimagining churches could pivot off this template too. Developing new relationships, identifying a church’s “undervalued assets,” and understanding how “perceptions” of a church can limit its future are essential for church leaders and their congregations to consider.

Mr. Payne also learned quite a bit in the reimagining of the farm that was purchased and redeveloped. He stated that “farming teaches humility, weather, pests, disease. If it can go sideways, it will.”

Churches know about humility too. But I wonder if we truly understand humility?

How much of churches going “sideways” was caused by our inability to embrace Mr. Payne’s thinking—“honoring a region’s past and building its future are not opposing ideas.” Going forward can churches find a compatible balance between the two?

In his pursuit to make Squabble State a regional destination, Mr. Payne believes this—“Give people more than a reason to stop. Give them a reason to come back. That’s how you become a destination.”

For churches this means if a new family stops in on a Sunday morning for a visit, then what the church offers that Sunday morning must be compelling enough to make them want to come back. For a church staff and its congregation, that means from the pulpit to the last pew everyone must be at their very best every Sunday— not occasionally.

I hope annual conference went well.

And as clergy and their congregations begin another church year maybe some of these observations about Will Payne from his peers can be put to use toward reimagining our churches:

“Will is a problem solver, a uniter, and a natural servant leader.”

“Will has been successful mainly because he listens. Most people talk more frequently than they listen, and they believe they can persuade people to agree. Will approaches things differently. He allows people the space to express themselves, and then finds common ground.”

If the Methodist church in Virginia expects to impact the future of the communities it serves, the church will need to think differently.

Maybe E. B. White said it best: “The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change – and we all instinctively avoid it.”

Methodist, we can no longer avoid change.

I’m honored to be with you this afternoon.

Perhaps, we’ll learn a little bit more about each other over the next hour.

That’s right.

I was told to fill up an hour.

Just kidding. I don’t want you to be late for dinner.

Let’s see if I can do better with the humor.

Perhaps, you recall the comedian, Red Skelton.

I can remember watching his show on television.

Here is some humor from Mr. Skelton:

All men make mistakes, but married men find out about them sooner.

There are three signs of old age—loss of memory—I forget the other two.

I put on a lot of weight. I was only six and half pounds when I was born.

I married Miss Right. I just didn’t know her first name was Always.

I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. She said, “Somewhere I haven’t been in a long time.” I suggested the kitchen.

There is nothing like a bit of humor to distract us from the challenges that might be whirling around us.

During his career, Red Skelton knew it was important for him to help people to laugh.

Mr. Skelton said this: “I personally believe that each of us was put here for a purpose — to build not to destroy. If I can make people smile, then I have served my purpose for God.”

Do you ever wonder what God was thinking when he brought his son, Jesus, into the world?

What was God’s purpose for sending us Jesus?

Was it to frighten us?

Teach us?

Make us think?

Was it to nudge us to understand our purpose in this challenging and complicated world?

Maybe you are familiar with John Chapter 2 verses 1-12.

This is the wedding in Galilee where Jesus changes water into wine. Let’s read through that scripture passage.

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

In this setting where we are today, I always have a disclaimer, I’m no Biblical scholar or theologian.
I’m just a below average knucklehead who is still trying to figure out why the good Lord put me here.

So with water to wine story, I’m drawn immediately to the presence of Jesus’ mother, Mary.

She notes that the wedding has a little challenge—they have run out of wine.

I wonder if Mary is thinking to herself— I know how to resolve this dilemma, I’ll get my son to work some of his magic.

Maybe it’s just me, but I sense a bit of terseness in Jesus’ response to Mary—“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Despite that response, Mary says to the servants— “Do whatever he tells you.”

For me, Mary’s response is an indication that she knows that Jesus will not let his mother down.

This past weekend, I was invited to a wedding.

The wedding was for our youngest daughter.

Perhaps, you have watched the remake of the movie, Father of the Bride. This movie starring Steve Martin as George Banks, the father of the bride, clearly illustrates that for a wedding fathers have no rights—their “Miranda” rights are removed.

There is a scene in the movie where George Banks experiences a meltdown—a humorous meltdown. George’s meltdown is grounded in his minimal input for his daughter’s wedding.

Planning for our daughter’s wedding took almost a year.

During that time frame, I could identify with George Banks.

For example, I still do not understand why an invitation to our daughter’s wedding was mailed to our house. I knew she was getting married.

Why did we waste a whopping 78 cents to officially notify us? I filed it with my long list of “fathers have no wedding rights grievances.”

Subsequently, any attempted whine from me about the planning of our daughter’s wedding was met with this frequent rebuttal from my wife: “just chill William.”

Indirectly, “just chill William” is similar to Mary’s instructions to the servants—“do whatever he tells you.”

In the end, for our daughter’s wedding, I did what I was told to do.

Mary says to the servants “do whatever he tells you.”

In my almost seventy three years of living, I wonder if I’ve complied with those words.

Have I been able to do whatever Jesus tells me to do?

When you look back at your lives, have you been able to do whatever Jesus has told you to do?

A few years ago, I began the process to become a local licensed pastor in the Virginia Conference for the United Methodist Church.

At the time, I received exceptional support from Trinity’s senior pastor, Larry Lenow, and my mentor, Katie Gooch, the director of the Pace Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

That initial support nudged me along, but I became frustrated with the process. I became mired in attempting to understand and respond to the multiple layers of work ahead of me.

So, I bailed out. I quit. I did not do what I felt like Jesus had told me to do.

What might have happened at that wedding in Galilee if the servants had not responded to “do whatever he tells you to do?”

I don’t think Jesus is looking for us to turn water into wine.
However, there are times in our daily living when he needs us to do our part and help people.

At Trinity, we attempt to do our part by helping people through our mission work. Goochland Cares, the Tuckahoe YMCA, the Park at Oak Grove-Bellemeade, the food pantries at Belmont, Sherbourne, and Welborne, the recent United Women In Faith collection for UMCOR care kits, an upcoming youth mission trip to serve people in need in western North Carolina, and the upcoming Joy Circle are examples of “do whatever he tells you to do.”

In case, we didn’t notice, there is another important part of the “water to wine” scripture.

This is the first time that his disciples encounter Jesus performing a miracle. With this conversion of liquids, their journey as believers and followers truly begins.

Being a believer, a follower isn’t always easy.

Sometimes, believers and followers of Jesus are faced with making difficult decisions.

Even Jesus, and his mother, Mary, had to make difficult decisions in their lives.

“Do whatever he tells you to do” impacted them.

How difficult it must have been for Mary to “believe” and trust God with her unexpected pregnancy.

How difficult it must have been for Jesus to “believe” and trust God knowing that Jesus was to die on the cross.

Every month, a copy of Southern Living magazine is delivered to our house. My first read in the magazine is the Rick Bragg column. I look forward to Mr. Bragg’s writing because he usually makes me laugh.
At one time during his career, Mr. Bragg was an accomplished newspaper reporter. In 1996, Mr. Bragg earned a Pulitzer Prize for his work at the New York Times.

Mr. Bragg’s book “Somebody Told Me” is a collection of newspaper articles he has written.

In late October 1994, Mr. Bragg wrote a series of articles about Susan Smith. You might recall that Mrs. Smith was the mother who claimed that her car had been hijacked with her two sons remaining in the car as the hijacker stole the car and drove off.

Howard Wells was the sheriff in Union, South Carolina. In the end, it was Sheriff Wells who was able to get Susan Smith to confess. There was no hijacker and stealing of her boys. Mrs. Smith with her boys in the car drove her car into a local lake where they drowned.

Suspicious of Mrs. Smith from the start, Sheriff Wells who describes himself as “I’m not a smart fellow” was smart enough to know that he had to build a rapport, a trust with Mrs. Smith.

Sheriff Wells’ patience and understanding in working with Mrs. Smith allowed him to tell a lie to catch her.

Sheriff Wells admits “I had a problem telling the lie, but if that’s what it takes, I’d do it again.”(Bragg)

I wonder how Jesus would respond to Sheriff Wells’ “lie?”

How does “do whatever he tells you to do” apply in this set of circumstances?

At the wedding Jesus responded to a plea for help from his mother.

Even though, Jesus might have expressed some initial reluctance to his Mother’s request— he followed through and converted the water to wine.

And yes, Sheriff Wells didn’t like telling the “lie”, but deep inside his soul he knew he had to try this tactic for the sake of those two drowned boys. Sheriff Wells did what his soul, his conscience told him to do to solve a horrible, horrible tragedy.

Remember, Red Skelton stated that he believes each of us was “put here for a purpose.”

The real question for you, me, we, us is will we have the courage “to do whatever he tells us to do” when we are called to help someone?

Let us pray: Father of us all, help us to be better “ to do whatever you tell us to do” to help the people we encounter in our complicated world. Amen

Early on Friday morning, April 3, 2026, I removed the purple cloth from the cross on the front lawn of our church.

I replaced the purple with four torn pieces of black cloth.

The black represents the somber, solemn remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

As you well know, I’m no theologian. Good Friday seems an odd label for naming the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross. I struggle to find the goodness with a good person like Jesus dying this way.

Additionally, you are probably thinking, Bill isn’t much of a Christian if he doesn’t understand this sacrifice as an atonement for sins, thus a win, a victory over sins and death.

Today, I spent my time on the grounds of our church. I was trying to make the place look pretty for Easter Sunday. I had help from a contracted grounds crew, but not every square inch of our property is covered in the contract.

Most of my time, I was in combat with the weeds. Weeds in borders, weeds in sidewalk cracks, weeds in the mulch surrounding the base of trees, weeds in the fissures of asphalt—weeds, weeds everywhere.

In one border, the weeds were so thick that I knew a huge spider, or a slippery snake were going to have a bit of fun with me. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

By late afternoon, I was tired of the weeds, and the weeds were tired of me.

Weeding offers solitude.

Weeding can be a time to ponder.

I have an early morning routine that starts my day with the devotional magazine the Upper Room, a well-worn script for prayers, and a computer stop at Bible Gateway.

At Bible Gateway, I always read the Verse of the Day.

One day this week, the featured verse was from Psalm 14 verse one (New International Version of the Bible): “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

I’ve thought about this verse quite a bit during the week.

I’m sorry, but at my age, I’m having quite a few of those fool days—‘there is no God.’

Easter is such a contrast to Christmas.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and even with this story there is tension. But like a Hollywood script, the early part of Jesus’ life worked out.

With Easter, the contrast is obvious. Now, we are talking about the end of his life, his death on a cross. There is a tension in this story too.

Lots happened in the days following the birth of Jesus. I like the verse of scripture from Luke Chapter 2 verse 19: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

In John Chapter 19, we learn that Mary was near the cross watching her son. His simple words to her were: “Woman, here is your son.” I wonder what Mary pondered in her heart following the death Jesus?

I wonder if she thought, yes, you are my son, and you shouldn’t be dying this way.

Did Mary think—God where are you?

You turned the lives of Joseph and me upside down with his birth, and now he is being crucified on a cross.

What kind of deal is this?

A good man, who did good things in your name, crucified on a cross, right in front of me.

Perhaps, you recall the movie—Steel Magnolias.

Oh no, Bill is going Hollywood on us again. Doesn’t he know that Hollywood isn’t real life?

Yes, I know Hollywood isn’t real life. Yet, a good scriptwriter can make words come to life.
Robert Harling, the writer of Steel Magnolias, accomplishes this in a a powerful scene in the cemetery following Shelby’s funeral.

Shelby’s mother, M’Lynn is joined by four of her closest friends. The women are there in support of M’Lynn.

M’Lynn responds to her friend, Annelle, “And it’s a real good idea. Shelby wouldn’t want us to get down mired down and wallow in this. We should handle it the best way we know how and get on with it. That’s what my mind says. I wish someone would explain it to my heart.”

Returning back to Psalm 14 and my struggle with Easter. Maybe you disagree, but I don’t see my heart as corrupt, vile, or incapable of doing good.

The fool in my heart wants to understand why.

Wanting to understand the why is human.

Doesn’t matter if it is M’Lynn in the loss of her daughter in Steel Magnolias, Mary in the loss of Jesus on the cross, or any parent who has suffered the premature loss of a child.

We want to understand why, and we want to know where was God?

I hope you and your loved ones have a good Easter.

Maybe before next Easter, I’ll spend more time pondering with my friends the weeds the death of Jesus.

And maybe, the fool in my decrepit heart, who argues with God about a lot of things, will finally hear God’s heart.