Category: Get Your Spirit in Shape

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For more than 38 years, the Rev. Vance Lowe was a successful United Methodist minister, with churches growing and thriving under his leadership. What his congregations and those closest to him did not know was that Vance daily struggled with mental illness, which led to addiction and eventual hospitalization in a psychiatric ward.

Listen as Vance candidly tells his story, sharing hope to those who, like him, live with mental health struggles, as well as suggesting ways United Methodists can combat stigma and offer help.

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No plastic for 30 days! That’s the challenge the Rev. Cary James Jr. and his 16-year-old son, Caleb, recently undertook in support of their roles as EarthKeepers, trained by the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, to address topics such as environmental justice, green technology and waste reduction in their communities.

Hear about the outcome of the “no plastic for a month” endeavor along with why the James family is passionate about environmental stewardship.

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You are invited to ponder the events of Jesus’ final hours on earth through the contemplative spiritual discipline of guided meditation. The Rev. Cindy Serio, a retired United Methodist pastor and current spiritual director, leads us through the narrative as we stay attentive to God’s invitation to us.

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Did Jesus laugh? Did he find humor with his friend, the disciples, as they moved through the region? Robert Darden, Baylor University professor and religious humorist, emphatically says, “Absolutely!” Learn how humor can be a part of your faith journey in this conversation Darden, author of “Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor.”

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Time Magazine called Dr. E. Stanley Jones the most important missionary of the 20th century. Commissioned by the Board of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Board in 1907, Jones traveled the world, befriending Mahatma Gandhi and inspiring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to adopt non-violent methods in the Civil Rights movement. The Rev. John Harnish, a retired United Methodist pastor, details Jones’ work and messages of hope in Harnish’s new book, 30 Days with E. Stanley Jones: Global Preacher, Social Justice Prophet.

One hundred years later, discover Dr. Jones’ messages of hope that continue to inspire 21st century people of faith.

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United Methodist pastor and author Juanita Campbell Rasmus, a self-professed performance-addicted perfectionist, shares her story of hitting bottom, an event that led her on a healing journey of learning to be still and truly coming to know God.

Discover how leaning to be still and ridding yourself of the world’s expectations can help you keep your spirit in shape.

Juanita is senior pastor at St. John’s Downtown United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. She is the author of “Learning to Be: Finding your center after the bottom falls out” and “40 Days on Being a 1.”

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Angela Chadwick, Global Director of Prayer for Alpha International, talks with us about prayer, what it looks like day in and day out, and how prayer is that place where God becomes personal when we show up as our authentic selves.

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Dr. David Boan, a member of First United Methodist Church of Boise, Idaho, and Kathleen Griffith, a veteran global heath leader with the General Board of Global Ministries, discuss Love Beyond Borders, an equitable vaccine distribution campaign.

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Dr. David Field, Ecumenical Staff Officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue for The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops, shares thoughts on how we, as Christians, might follow the complex command to love – and respect – all people, even those with whom we vehemently disagree.

Discover how respect for others can help you keep your spirit in shape.

David is the Ecumenical Staff Officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue for The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops. Originally from South Africa, David lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he is a member of the Kleinbasel congregation of The UMC.

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United Methodist missionary the Rev. John Calhoun, who pastors the English-Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna (ESUMC), shares how radical hospitality with a multicultural population is playing an important role in congregations in Austria.

Discover how hospitality can help you keep your spirit in shape.

John is an ordained elder of the New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church who has served in New York City, Berlin, Jerusalem, Moscow and Kiev.