http://jmichaelthurman.com Thoughts Along the Journey Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:07:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do…” Has there ever been a more beautiful prayer uttered by anyone? Of the many prayers uttered everyday… the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer), the Serenity Prayer, the Prayer of Jabez, and the many other prayers found in prayer and service books…can anything ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/14 Do we?  Really?  Even in the Church? I have noticed what I fear is a reality that breaks my heart.  Wherever people gather, it seems that at least one person wants to "increase his or her personal power and prestige."(Note 1)  It happens even among Jesus' disciples...both in ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/7 The following posts are selected from a blog I wrote at www.lamarumc.org. Blessings, http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/6 I've recently been doing quite a bit of reading on spiritual formation. This isn't a new topic for me. I've had more than a few discussions with colleagues from the Methodist, Baptist, and Eastern Orthodox streams of Christianity. That list may seem to be a strange mix, but there seem ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/10 Merry Christmas!  I just re-read my blog post from last Christmas Eve. Wow…has it been that long since I blogged here? Has it been that long since “Dad” and the Arkansas National Guard returned from Iraq?  A lot has happened in the last year.  I’ve another post somewhere that I’ll ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/5 For those of you who don't know about "Annual Conference," here's a brief primer.   The United Methodist Church is organized into regional groupings called "Annual Conference's."   The best analogy to describe this unit of the Church is the diocese.  Like the diocese, the Annual Conference's presiding officer is a bishop.  ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/4 I'm taking a break from wrapping Christmas presents.      It's Saturday night...the 23d of December.   I will soon be finishing up two sermons...one for the morning services and one for the Christmas Eve service.  My reflections, as usual, focus not on the gifts I'll give and receive, but ... http://jmichaelthurman.com/archives/3