Bible

The Rev. Dr. Tércio B. Junker Photo courtesy of the Northern Illinois Conference.

Reclaiming faith beyond fear and ideology

The Gospel’s inclusive ethics call us to move toward a living faith rooted in compassion and courage.

The Rev. Jesse Baker preaches at First United Methodist Church of Elon, N.C. A poet as well as a pastor, Baker writes a sonnet based on the Scripture he intends to preach on each week, then uses the sonnet to inspire his sermon. His new book, “Clarity and Light: Meditations on Scripture,” is a collection of his sonnets. Photo by Patrick Abbott, courtesy of First United Methodist Church.

Pastor turns sonnets into sermons

A United Methodist pastor in North Carolina is writing poetry to put Scripture in perspective, which he says helps him write more compelling sermons.

General Agencies

Shirley Watkins, a member of Travis Park United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, addresses the 90th anniversary celebration of The Upper Room on Aug. 21 at The Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tenn. Watkins was one of three representatives from Travis Park, where the idea for The Upper Room devotional was born. Photo by Laura Buchanan, UM News.

The Upper Room devotional celebrates 90 years

From an idea born in 1935, the devotional guide has become a fixture in homes, churches, care facilities and other places around the world.

Theology and Education

New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine enjoys quality time with Morey, her labradoodle. Levine is the author of a popular series of books about the New Testament, published by Abingdon Press, an imprint of The United Methodist Publishing House. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

United Methodists embrace Amy-Jill Levine

An Abingdon Press book series by Levine, an acclaimed Jewish scholar of the New Testament, has been a hit with Sunday school classes and other small groups, yielding her speaking invitations from many churches.

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