Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup # 91

Here's the week in review in the Methoblogosphere:

Abi Carlisle-Wilkes wrote about creativity in the sermon creation process.

Allan R. Bevere wrote about the early Christological controversies, whether the Bible is flawed because of textual variants, that Christians should bond as closely as cops do, and in praise of political gridlock.

Allen Grant wrote about the importance of forgiving Ted Haggard.

Amy Yarnall wrote about the saints who have impacted her life: Oscar Romero and Clarence Jordan.

Andy Bryan wrote about the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (ordination question).

Andy Stoddard lectionary blogged for November 6 and 7.

Art Ruch is pleased by the Ted Haggard scandal and justifies his glee. He also wrote about the confusing language of the gay marriage amendment in Tennessee, the new Methoblog portal, and the theology of punk rock.

Bad Methodist wrote about the election results, particularly in Arizona. She also wrote about re-baptism in Methodism.

Richard Heyduck says that the UMC (and specifically, the Central Texas AC), needs a bold ecclesiology that depends on God to make the church succeed. He reviewed the book Crossing the Threshold of Divine Revelation. He also wrote about whether Islam is compatible with democracy, defining victory in Iraq, and critiqued NT Wright's analysis of foreign policy.

Betty Newman prayed that God make her tolerant of other people.

Brad Smith preached on the greatest commandment and on selfishness.

Brian Russell wrote that Christians should be like geckos, that is, hunters. He also wrote that having a missional focus does not mean losing focus theologically and that we need chatechismal teaching, not expert teaching.

Bruce Alderman wrote that American Christianity is heavily syncretized.

Dave Faulkner preached on war and the demands that Jesus expects of his followers.

Dave Camphouse would prefer that the church not suck.

Sally Coleman wrote about what it means to be healed by Christ, the way that we communicate uniquely through blogging, how the Church silences Christ my marginalizing certain people, the death of her cat, her experiences evangelizing to New Age people, and why she uses Tarot cards in meditation.

Matt Friedeman wrote about what the GOP needs to do to regain the support of its base.

Steve Heyduck wrote about the responsibility of voting.

Gavin Richardson wrote about being a write-in candidate.

Andrew Thompson wrote about Shane Raynor's legacy and how evangelicals are often stereotyped.

Gerry Charlotte Phelps wrote that pulling out of Iraq prematurely would be disasterous, how GOP federal spending hurts the GOP, and asked readers to pray for the new Democratic leadership.

Daniel McLain-Hixon wrote about what we can learn from the Lord's Prayer.

Greg Hazelrig wrote about the falseness of the prosperity gospel, the importance of not letting the devil get your irritable at people, and that tithing is just the beginning of giving.

Greg Lee preached on going back home to God and wrote about the difficulties that UMC local pastors have in working with their mentors.

Guy Williams reviewed the week in college football.

Henry Neufeld wrote about how Christians should respond to Ted Haggard and deliberate, willful ignorance among homeschoolers.

Holy Pirate wrote about the most recent set of UMC Judicial Council decisions.

Jay Voorhees wrote about Ted Haggard.

John Battern wrote about the new, evangelical atheism.

Jonathan Norman wrote a latter to Harold Ford asking him to consider find a way for the US to leave Iraq.

Josh Tinley would like to change the way that college football playoffs are formed, Tennessee's gay marriage amendment, and what he is hoping for from the new Democratic leadership.

Judy Callarman wrote about the findings of neurological studies on people speaking in tongues and the fall of Ted Haggard.

Just As I Am wrote that following Christ includes the discipline of study.

Ken Carter paraphrased Tip O'Neill to say that all missions are local.

Larry Hollon wrote about poverty issues in Mozambique, the Council of Bishops meeting in that country, a visit to that meeting by Nelson Mandela, that 9/11 showed Americans what other people around the world have to deal with on a daily basis, that the UMC really is growing if you look at the global perspective, that most people don't fit into political boxes, and the rise of religious moderates in American politics.

Michael Daniel wrote that we can only have one god in our lives and analyzed the commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain.

Michelle Hargrave wondered if saving historic church buildings is important for the Kingdom of God.

Mitch Lewis looked at Ted Haggard and considered the pervasiveness of sin and the meaning of his oath of enlistment. He also reflected on Veteran's Day and preached on how the incident of the Widow's Mite shows that something had gone fundamentally wrong in Judean society.

Rick Mang says that we're rushing too fast through Advent.

Jason Woolever reviewed the movie The Second Chance.

Praise Habit reviewed the book Velvet Elvis.

Richard Johnson is disturbed by decreasing free speech in Britain, but pleased by the US Congressional elections, of which he made some predictions.

Credo Orthodox wrote about some of the dangers occasionally found in Pentecostalism, Julian of Norwich's description of Christ as a mother-figure, and the theology of the Rapture.

Sandpiper wrote about the appropriateness of wearing a cross, standing up for your faith and the vulnerable humanity of Jesus.

Lorna Koskela wrote about the importance of not yearning for people to suffer karmic backlash, the potential for the Christian church to be driven into extinction, and that evangelism is the consequence of being a Christian, not the purpose of it.

Richard Hall wrote about the death sentence against Saddam Hussein and the way that faith and politics interact not only in America, but in the rest of the world.

Take My Hand wrote about sexism in the UMC.

Jonathan Marlowe wrote about torture of terrorism suspects.

Dale Lature wrote about Bush's faith-based initiatives.

Brian Vinson rejects the notion that blogging is unChristian. He also wrote about how youth ministry prepared him for the pastorate.

Wayne Cook wrote about why he voted for Harold Ford and then looking back at the election results.

Todd Miller wrote about how God draws people to him.

Tony Mitchell preached on the Biblical concept of neighbor and reflected on his grandfather's experience in World War I.

Paul Martin wrote about Saddam Hussein's death sentence.

Jim McKay wrote something about college football, but I'm too ignorant about football and too tired to even begin to understand it. He also noted that Saddam Hussein was convicted of war crimes that he committed while serving as a US ally.

Willie Deuel reviewed a new Bruce Springstein album of Pete Seeger's songs.

What was the Best of the Methoblogosphere? Check out Methoblog tomorrow morning and find out!