“Only a small potion of the whole town will be gathered at your church this coming Sunday…it’s a wonder anybody is there, considering all of Satan’s distractions, concerns, riches, and pleasures of life that make hearing the word so hard…

Where we were with Bishop William Willimon —- A woman was telling him about her daughter, who “went off to college, she left the faith. Says she doesn’t believe all this stuff and she’s not a Christian.” “Not a Christian…

Where we stopped yesterday — A woman was telling him about her daughter, who “went off to college, she left the faith. Says she doesn’t believe all this stuff and she’s not a Christian.” “Not a Christian yet,” Willimon corrected.”…

“Sadly,” a parent told Bishop William Willimon, “my daughter who grew up in this church, loved the youth group and all that, but when she went off to college, she left the faith. “Says she doesn’t believe all this stuff…

Wm. Willimon: “I asked a teacher of elementary school teachers what’s the most important characteristic for educators. She replied, ‘A good teacher must be in love with sowing the seed but doesn’t need to be around for the harvest.” Good…

“Nobody’s story is over,” again this is Willimon, “until Jesus says it’s over. He will have the last word. And he loves to make surprise endings. “Sure, a lot of good seed goes to waste. “But Jesus won’t let Almighty…

“‘What’s your greatest challenge in youth ministry?’ I asked a youth pastor. “He leaned under his desk and pulled out a soccer ball. “Our parents would rather their children learn soccer than Jesus.” — Wm. Willimon, The Last Supper, page…

I’m getting out of the way —- https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18EQqb5AV2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

“Leaving the Pharisee’s stuffy table a shambles, Jesus and his merry band hit the road. Along the way, his stories continue. “The word parable comes from the Greek meaning ‘throw out,’ ‘toss.’ “Why pitch these curve-ball riddles toward us? To…

Working with Luke 7:36-50, our retired United Methodist Bishop Wm. Willimon points out that — “We aren’t told of the ‘sin’ of this woman who is ‘touching him’ (Greek: haupto, also ‘caress.’ ‘fondle’). Luke just says she’s a ‘woman of…