One of the priorities that has come out of our recent visioning process is an ongoing desire for Woodmont to keep training leaders for the church and the world. Leadership matters in life. Dr. Porter Meadors, one of our elders, recently said that “humanity is beaten up, perhaps more beaten up than ever before.” At this particular point in history, we can all name the many reasons why this is true. M. Scott Peck begins his famous book The Road Less Travelled with the following words: “Life is difficult. This is a......

Read More

I want to thank our youth for leading worship this past Sunday. It was a joy to sit in the congregation and participate in this great tradition. We are very proud of all the graduating seniors and wish them well in college and the next chapter of life. This past Monday night, many of us gathered in Carpenter Chapel to hear the initial reports of our twelve vision task forces (Worship, Small Groups, Leadership, Mission & Outreach, Reaching 35 & Under, Healing, Children & Families, Youth, the Bridge, Congregational Care, Technology &......

Read More

As we press forward into May and continue our wisdom series on the book of Ecclesiastes, I want to use this article to share some personal thoughts and wisdom with the graduates in our church. This is for those graduating high school, college, or graduate school later this month, preparing to move forward into life’s next chapter. Here are ten thoughts. 1) Because you have been in school during an extended global pandemic, you have experienced the true meaning of resilience. Resilience will serve you well in every stage of life and......

Read More

I want to thank everybody who has made a commitment to support the mission and ministries of Woodmont for another year. We’ve had a strong response but we still have a ways to go to reach our goal. It’s still not too late to make a commitment. Click HERE to do so. Thank you again for your generosity! When baptizing Montgomery on Sunday, I got choked up. Why? I’m not completely sure. Maybe it was because she is the first of my own children that I get to baptize. Maybe it was......

Read More

One of the greatest truths in life is that our mindset, attitude, and outlook is completely our choice. Some understand this, but many do not. We don’t always choose our circumstances or what might come our way, but we always get to choose how we will respond or not respond. This Easter season, it occurs to me that there are three basic ways we can choose to live. The first way is to be “perpetually disappointed.” Life is always a burden. You are always the victim. Nothing ever seems fair. You can......

Read More

Our world needs Easter. We’ve been through a brutal pandemic, political upheaval, racial tension, and we continue to watch innocent people being killed every day in Ukraine from a senseless invasion. We all long for the promise and hope of Easter. I once had a conversation with a prominent therapist in town who told me that most of the clients he sees come into his office at 5 pm on the Saturday before Easter. He did not mean that literally, but metaphorically. Life is full of Saturdays. The worst has happened. Plans......

Read More

This Sunday, we will officially launch our spring stewardship campaign. The theme this year is “Choosing Generosity” with I Tim 6:17-19 being our text. I am grateful to Alex and Polly Ryerson for serving as our chairs this year. Commitment Sunday will be the week after Easter (April 24th), the same day we baptize our disciples class. You can turn in your commitment card any time in April. Every spring, we ask our members to make a commitment to support Woodmont for another year (beginning July 1). We then take these commitments......

Read More

Just war theory is primarily a Christian philosophy, dating back to St. Augustine that seeks to establish when a war is or is not just. It contains seven basic principles that should be applied. First, a just war can only be waged as a last resort after exhausting all non-violent options. Second, a just war can only be waged by a legitimate authority. Third, a just war can only be fought to address a wrong suffered. Fourth, just war is one that has a reasonable chance of success. Fifth, the ultimate goal......

Read More

We are now entering the Season of Lent which is the forty-day period leading up to Easter (not including Sundays). Easter falls on April 17 this year. Lent is an intentional time of spiritual growth, a time of soul searching, a time of introspection – looking within our own hearts. Lent reminds us of the time that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness where he fasted and prayed for 40 days and overcame temptation. Many will give something up for Lent, others will take something on. We would all admit that as......

Read More