This Gracevine will cover the next two weeks because several of our staff members are taking well-deserved vacation days. As we approach the July 4 holiday, it is a good time to think about the meaning and purpose of freedom. We celebrate our nation’s founding and history on July 4th, and usually we express gratitude for our freedom. Why is our freedom so valuable? What…

Recently, I read a statement by Eugene Peterson about how Christ changes our hearts and our lives. He said, “The holiness of Christ gets inside us, and when it does, it changes us. Christ’s gaze penetrates and purifies. He doesn’t look at us, he looks into us. When he does, we’re changed.” Have you ever experienced that sense that the spirit of…

One of my favorite quotes is from Fr. Richard Rohr. He says, “Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine…

Next week the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church meets in Lakeland for our annual conference. This year’s theme is “abound in hope.” Paul used this phrase in Romans 15:13, with a prayer that “……by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Notice that the ability to abound in hope is a gift of the Holy Spirit.…