Views from a Ridge

How to Respond to a Bully

Wed, 29 May 2013 17:35:00 GMT

What do you do when someone smears your professional reputation with exaggerations and outright misstatements? Cynthia B. Astle responds to recent comments by the IRD.

A Remembrance of the United Methodist Reporter

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:01:00 GMT

Insight coordinator Cynthia B. Astle recalls the history of the United Methodist Reporter and ponders what its impending demise will mean for the church.

Lamentation for Matthew Warren

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:03:20 GMT

The tragic death of Matthew Warren, son of Rick and Kay Warren, co-founders of Saddleback Church, deserves only to be mourned, not villified.

Forrest Gump Was Right – About the UMC

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:48:00 GMT

Think you're still a United Methodist Lay Speaker? Not according to the new Book of Discipline, which has stripped the standing from hundreds of faithful church officers throughout the denomination.

It Ain't Necessarily So

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:05:34 GMT

It's sad that the United Methodist Men's Commission yielded to a backlash against the possibility that the Boy Scouts of America might drop its ban against gay members and leaders -- especially when that backlash was ill-informed prejudice.

Follow-Ups Find Changes and Hope of Reconciliation

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:15:56 GMT

To everything there is truly a season, as changes at UMCOR, MFSA and Walmart attest.

Healing the Moral Wounds of War

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:04:00 GMT

Four decades on, a father's early death brings clarity to the moral injuries inflicted by war and the need for a new ministry to repair wounded souls.

On the Bus with Walmart Associates and Jesus

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:29:00 GMT

Standing up with Walmart associates seeking better working conditions sets off questions about whether today's Christians truly believe another world is possible, as Jesus taught.

Creating Space for Faith

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:52:00 GMT

When we create a space where God's Holy Spirit can shape our lives, we start finding paths into the future God has for us.

About That 'Vital' Thing

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:52:39 GMT

A regular Internet search for the phrase "vital congregations" turns up a remarkable connection.