Prayer for the Day after Charlottesville

Almighty and everlasting Father, whose sovereignty extends into every life and into every corner of the universe, we pray to you today in our grief , anger, and confusion.

We pray for the families of the persons killed in and around Charlottesville, VA yesterday, and we pray that there will be no more deaths in that troubled place. May they know comfort.

We pray for those injured in Charlottesville. May they know healing.

We pray for those wayward souls who falsely believe that demonic evils like racism and white supremacy can ever be acceptable, and especially, frankly, for those who embrace racism & racist rhetoric while claiming to be disciples of Jesus. They are lost. May they know wisdom.

We pray for those who know that every racist word or act brings more of hell into this already broken world & who are standing against that hell with nonviolent steadfastness. May they know patience.

We pray for those disciples of Jesus who are so obedient that even in the face of hate do their best to offer love. May they know strength.

We pray today for law enforcement officers, military personnel, and governmental leaders, who have the difficult responsibility of protecting the peace as well as individual rights, even when those are seemingly at odds. May they know stamina.

We pray for President Trump, who has far too often failed to denounce racist rhetoric and at times has even seemed to affirm it, which has emboldened those who embrace hate. May he know discernment.

We pray for preachers of the gospel across the land, that today we might all publicly, firmly, unashamedly denounce racism, racist rhetoric, white supremacy, nationalism, hatred, and violence. May we know faithfulness.

We pray for your holy Church in this nation, that we might be resolute in the role you have given us in our Baptism to renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, repent of our sin, accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves, confess Jesus Christ as our Savior, put our whole trust in his grace, and to serve him as our Lord, in union with the rest of the Church, which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races. May we know allegiance.

We pray for our sisters and brothers gathered here today who are appalled & angry by the events in Charlottesville & want to respond in ways that are both firm & helpful. May they know peace.

All these things we pray today, in the power of your Holy Spirit and in the name of the one who brutally died rather than strike back in violence, the Messiah Jesus, the Prince of Peace, our Lord. Amen.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017: My Picks

These are the artists I would choose to induct into the Hall of Fame's next class if I were dictator.

* PEARL JAM   This is a true no-brainer. If Nirvana were the Beatles of grunge, Pearl Jam is the Rolling Stones of grunge. This is the lock for the year.

* CHIC  Enough is enough.

* THE CARS  Critical acclaim AND popular hits? This would be great. An easy call for the Hall.

* THE CURE or THE SMITHS  1980s alternative music continues to be an influence in the contemporary scene, and these two giants of that genre are certainly deserving. Americans probably know more songs by the Cure, but the Smiths were probably more influential. One of these artists ought to make it in this year.

* THE MONKEES  25 years after they became eligible for induction, the Monkees are experiencing a renaissance of sorts with a fine 50th anniversary album & an ongoing tour. Look at their catalog: their hits are among the best of the 1960s. The controversies of the past seem silly today; their influence is trumpeted by many current artists; Micky Dolenz was clearly one of the best pop-rock singers of their (or any) era. Stop messing around & do the right thing. They have become the most glaring oversight in the Hall.

* PATSY CLINE  There are other female-oriented artists deserving of consideration (the Marvelettes, the Shangri-Las, the B-52s, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Eurythmics, Alanis Morissette, to name a few), but none are as impactful as the Queen of Country Music. Listen to her sing & you will immediately be reminded of what great singers sound like. Long overdue.

* THE MOODY BLUES  If I could pick one more, this classic band deserves a nod.


Award for Musical Excellence:

* BILLY PRESTON  He had fine hits of his own but was also a much loved sideman.

* CAROL KAYE  The greatest bassist not in the Hall.

* THE JORDANAIRES  Elvis' back-up singers have long deserved consideration.


Early Influences:

* SISTER ROSETTA THARPE  

* THE CARTER FAMILY


Non-Performers:

* BOUDLEAUX BRYANT & FELICE BRYANT

* BERNIE TAUPIN



Note: I don't think that Janet Jackson deserves serious consideration. Many women have been more influential & have stronger bodies of work.

Considerations for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

If I were given dictatorial powers over the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I would surely not induct all of these artists, but these are artists with significant cases to be made for induction. The exclusion of a few (marked with an asterix) is a real shame & serves as an indictment of the Hall of Fame voters.

Possible inductees as Early Influences:
Charley Patton
Roy Brown

Sister Rosetta Tharpe
WC Handy
Wynonie Harris
The Carter Family
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sonny Boy Williamson II
The Clovers
Chuck Willis
Big Mama Thornton
The Penguins
Lonnie Donegan

Possible inductees as Artists
(* means this is long overdue;
# means female possibility):
The Five Satins
Johnny Burnette & the Rock & Roll Trio
Slim Harpo
* Larry Williams
# The Chantels
* Link Wray
# The Chordettes
# The Marvelettes
Chubby Checker
* # Patsy Cline
The Tokens
Jr. Walker & the All Stars
Ben E. King
Big Walter Horton
Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
Arthur Alexander
# Mary Wells
# The Shangri-Las
The Zombies
Tom Jones
# Sonny & Cher
Aaron Neville / The Neville Brothers

* The Monkees
Procol Harum
The Bar-Kays
* The Moody Blues
Joe Cocker
* Tommy James & the Shondells
The Guess Who
Quicksilver Messenger Service
King Crimson
# Joan Baez
Ravi Shankar
T. Rex
Three Dog Night
Jethro Tull
Harry Nilsson
The Spinners
* Yes
JJ Cale
# Dolly Parton
Donny Hathaway
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
# Delaney & Bonnie
Todd Rundgren
Barry White
* Bad Company
* Billy Preston
The Doobie Brothers
Gram Parsons
War
Roxy Music
Glen Campbell
Kratftwerk
Thin Lizzy
The Commodores
Jimmy Buffett

# The B-52s
Warren Zevon
* # Chic
Cliff Richard & the Shadows
*# Pat Benatar
Electric Light Orchestra / Jeff Lynne
Kool & the Gang
Judas Priest
Rockpile
Willie Nelson
Motörhead
The J Geils Band
Dire Straits
# The Go Gos
Rick James
# Stevie Nicks
Culture Club
Iron Maiden
Herbie Hancock
"Weird Al" Yankovic
# Eurythmics
Steve Winwood
# Chaka Khan
Joy Division / New Order
# Cyndi Lauper
The Cure
# Tina Turner

The Cars
Phil Collins
Mötley Crüe
Sting
Bon Jovi
Los Lobos
INXS
# The Bangles
The Smiths
# Janet Jackson
Traveling Wilburys
Nine Inch Nails
XTC
# Sinéad O'Connor
Jane's Addiction
Garth Brooks
Soundgarden
LL Cool J

Not eligible yet but should be considered when eligible:
Pearl Jam
Radiohead
Alanis Morissette
Smashing Pumpkins
Beck
Eminem
Amy Winehouse
Beyoncé
Adele
Taylor Swift

Possible inductees as Non-Performers:
Jerry Ragavoy
Boudleaux Bryant & Felice Bryant
Don Cornelius
Bob Crewe
Geoff Emerick
Brian Eno
Jimmy Iovine
Casey Kasem
Lorne Michaels
Norman Petty
Barrett Strong & Norman Whitfield
Bernie Taupin
Wolfman Jack

Possible inductees as Sidemen / Award for Musical Excellence
(perhaps the Hall's most neglected category;
* means this is long overdue):
Lee Allen

Richard "Pistol" Allen
Kenny Aronoff
Fred Below
Gene Chrisman
Merry Clayton
Ray Cooper
Jim Gordon
Johnny Griffith
* Nicky Hopkins
Jim Horn
Joe Hunter
Bruce Johnston
* The Jordanaires
* Carol Kaye
Jim Keltner
* Bobby Keys
* The Memphis Horns
Maceo Parker
* Mick Ronson
The Spiders from Mars
* Sam "The Man" Taylor
Tammi Terrell
* Tommy Tedesco
Earl Van Dyke
Robert White

Bands to induct retroactively
(as done with the Crickets, the Comets, etc)
Big Brother & the Holding Company
The Belmonts
The Revolution
The Wailers

The Dilution of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame began inducting artists in 1986 & 1987, it was obvious that the first to enter would be the "founding fathers (& mothers)", those who were most responsible for creating this wonderful music. It was easy to choose Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin & others. They established the foundation upon which all others have built.

Once those originators were inducted, it was time to move on to other god-like figures who helped further the music & our culture - the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, etc. The list of the first 20 years of inductees (1986-2006) is a list of the greatest of greats.

A curious thing happened after about 20 years of enjoying (for the most part) stellar choices for induction. In 2006, Miles Davis was inducted. A truly iconic jazz great, many fans wondered what impact Miles Davis actually had on rock & roll, if any at all. Two years later, Leonard Cohen, a fine songwriter, was inducted as an artist rather than as a non-performer, which seemed a puzzling decision, given that similar inductees such as Carole King were inducted as writers not as artists.

In 2010, things really began to baffle. For the first time, a class was inducted in which no induction was really necessary to tell the story of rock & roll. ABBA, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, the Hollies & the Stooges were all fine artists who surely belong in any "Hall of Very Good", but none were as truly impactful as those inducted in the first 15 or 20 years of the Hall of Fame.

2011 saw the induction of perhaps the most unworthy class of all-time. Again, Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John & Tom Waits all had admirable careers, but, with the exception of the truly great Darlene Love (who should have been inducted decades ago), none forged a résumé or developed an influence anything close to those inducted in the Hall's first 20 (or so) years. I have been at the Hall of Fame in Cleveland & have watched the film of the inductees list, and I can say without hesitation that when this class was displayed, there was bewilderment.

Since then, each year has seen the induction of several artists who simply lack the cachet of earlier inductees. Guns n'Roses surely belong; was Laura Nyro necessary? Rush & Heart are fine bands; they are hardly Cream or the Who. Randy Newman & Donna Summer...fine careers, unnecessary inductions. The same is true for Hall & Oates, KISS (a fan favorite, admittedly), Cheap Trick, Chicago & Steve Miller. Of this year's class, Deep Purple may be worthy, but only NWA is a must.

I say this not disparage any of the above named artists, some of whom are among my favorites. But we have seen in recent years a dilution of the excellence of the Hall of Fame. At one time, it contained only immortals. Now, as my own generation prepares (one would think) to take over the induction process, it has been significantly watered down.

Some have said that the induction process is tainted by a desire to have a star-studded evening on induction night. I sincerely hope this is not the case. I hope that those responsible for the process are simply more responsible than that.

The truth is that rock & roll music is not the force it once was and the music made from (roughly) 1955-1970 serves as the high water mark for rock & roll. Great artists are simply not as plentiful as they once were.

I would rather see an induction night once every 3 or 5 years than further dilution of a Hall that should truly only contain immortals.

(For a complete list of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, go here.)

Evangelicalism or Fundamentalism:Getting Our Terms Right

In today's American discourse, in both culture & religion, the terms "evangelical" and "fundamentalist" are often used interchangeably, both of them contrasted to terms used to designate those who lean to the left regarding faith issues, who are often termed "liberal" or "progressive". I believe there are stark differences between "evangelicals" & "fundamentalists" & that this distinction is vital to understanding today's Church, particularly in America.

Christian fundamentalism as a formal movement arose in the early 20th century as a reaction to modernism in both Church & culture and to Protestant liberal theology, which by the early part of that century was coming to dominate mainline denominations. An attempt to stress what early fundamentalist leaders considered essentials for Christian faith, fundamentalists stressed the inerrancy of & literal interpretation of the Bible, the Virgin Birth of Jesus, the bodily resurrection & physical return of Christ & a version of substitutionary atonement theory. It wasn't very long before this "circle the wagons" mentality became genuine animosity toward those who disagreed with the movement, and it seemed that the wrath of God (a legitimate topic in Scripture) was proclaimed far more passionately than the love of God (also a legitimate Scriptural topic). Fundamentalists became stereotyped as mean, uneducated, separatist, and shallow, rejecting most Biblical scholarship, science, historical/archaeological discoveries & even at times aspects of the Great Tradition of Church history & doctrine.

The evangelical movement (or neo-evangelical movement) was birthed out of fundamentalism in the mid-20th century. Originally known as fundamentalists who were willing to cooperate with non-fundamentalist Christians for evangelism & mission work, the movement quickly broadened & soon began gaining adherents in the very mainline denominations fundamentalism was founded to fight.

Because of the breadth of evangelicalism, identifying core principles in this
trans-denominational movement can be difficult. Wesleyan evangelicals, for example, stress the importance of God's prevenient grace, Lutheran evangelicals stress Luther's delineation of law & gospel, Presbyterian evangelicals stress the sovereignty of God, Catholic evangelicals stress proper celebration of the sacraments, Pentecostal evangelicals stress the gifts & activity of the Holy Spirit, Baptist evangelicals stress their particular understanding of baptism, etc. These & other differences are not unimportant.

But what evangelicalism has become, essentially, is a movement which strongly adheres to the core principles of orthodox Christianity as it has been proclaimed for more than 1500 years. The doctrines of the Trinity & the Incarnation are important, as are the Resurrection of Jesus & the authority of Scripture. Evangelicals may disagree as to which atonement theory is to be preferred (ransom, Christus Victor, Anselmic satisfaction, Calvinist satisfaction & governmental approaches have all been taught by evangelical theologians at one point or another) or which style of worship is most faithful or what is the correct understanding of the sacraments or which polity is best, but they are united in that core doctrines such as Trinity, Incarnation & Resurrection are vital to being Christian.

Fundamentalism has also broadened a bit, but not in terms of cooperation. There are Catholic fundamentalists, for example, who insist that unless one is a faithfully practicing Catholic, one is not a Christian even if adhering to the core doctrines of the Great Tradition. Some go further & believe that unless one is a faithful "traditionalist Catholic" rejecting Vatican II & everything which followed, one is not a Christian. There are similar movements in, say, Reformed Baptist circles, where some teach that unless one adheres to Dordt Calvinism, one is not Christian (which begs the question of how any Christians could have existed prior to 1619). Fundamentalism is thus still generally known as an at times nasty approach to culture & the Church, misunderstanding or even ignoring completely the love of God & the fullness of his grace. Put another way, too often our fundamentalist sisters & brothers "major on the minors".

To understand the full breadth of evangelicalism / orthodox Christianity, perhaps no work has been more important than that of theologian Thomas Oden, who has endeavored for decades to gather the wisdom of the ages for the Church to learn & enjoy again. I highly recommend his Classic Christianity as perhaps the best one volume summary of the Great Tradition in the English language. Here, we read of the fullness of orthodox Christianity & rejoice in its diversity as well as its unity.

I am an evangelical Christian in a Wesleyan context. It's a wonderful thing to be.

God loves you...

40 years ago today...

Presidents Day list: Best U.S. Presidents

(According to me!)

1 - Abraham Lincoln

2 - George Washington

3 - Theodore Roosevelt

4 - Ronald Reagan

5 - Franklin Roosevelt

6 - James Polk

7 - Andrew Jackson

8 - Thomas Jefferson

9 - John Adams

10 - Grover Cleveland

The World Changed 45 Years Ago Today...

Friday Top 10: Best Things About Thanksgiving

1 - An Excuse (as if one is needed) to thank God

2 - An Excuse to spend time with family

3 - Lots and lots of football

4 - Turkey (yum!)

5 - Dressing (yum, yum!)

6 - Potatoes (more yum!)

7 - Gravy (seriously...good with anything)

8 - Pumpkin pie (how can you not love this?)

9 - The Macy's parade & the unofficial start of the Christmas season!

10 - Indians & Pilgrims (It's the only day of the year when Calvinists are actually cool.)

Friday Top 10: Best U.S. Presidents

1 - Abraham Lincoln

2 - George Washington

3 - Theodore Roosevelt

4 - Ronald Reagan

5 - Franklin Roosevelt

6 - James Polk

7 - Andrew Jackson

8 - Thomas Jefferson

9 - John Adams

10 - Grover Cleveland

It was 41 years ago today...

"The Monkees" TV show debuted on NBC. After its first season, the show won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series.

I'm a big Monkees fan; I love the show and the music, and I've seen them in concert several times. It's a dream of mine to see them inducted someday into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was 40 years ago today...

On this date in 1967, EMI/Capitol Records released the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Without question, it is the most influential album of the rock and roll era, and arguably the most significant piece of Western music since Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

If you've never listened to this masterwork by the twentieth century's most important musical artist, I urge you to do so posthaste.

The Beatles began recording the album near the end of 1966. Too tired from incessant touring to even think about hitting the road again, too burned out from controversies ranging from John Lennon's "bigger than Jesus" confusion to a disastrous stop in the Philippines which nearly cost the band their lives, and still by far the most popular musical act on the planet, the group decided to concentrate their efforts on recording an album of music which initially reflected their childhood memories from Liverpool, England.

The first fruits of these sessions were Lennon's achingly lovely "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Paul McCartney's "Penny Lane". Brilliant and far more complex than the pop music of the day, the songs were released as a 45 RPM single, quickly hitting #1 and still considered the greatest double-sided single in history.

Recording continued as the band felt free to experiment with new sounds and new approaches to pop songwriting (as well as popular drugs of the day, such as marijuana and LSD). While the Beatles toyed with their studio masterpiece, the Monkees took over the airwaves and Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (with the aid of the brilliant session band known as the "Wrecking Crew") released the stunningly beautiful album Pet Sounds, which remains one of the true masterpieces of twentieth century music.

When Sgt. Pepper was released on June 1, 1967, it forever revolutionized popular culture, from the music to the artistic album cover to the thoughts, ideas, and freedom evident in the project. Music historians note that with Sgt. Pepper, popular music ceased to be music simply "to be danced to" and began to be music "to be listened to".

From the rocking intro of the title song (employing one of McCartney's all-time greatest "rock" vocals), to the brilliant simplicity of "With a Little Help from My Friends", to the psychedelic beauty of Lennon's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", to George Harrison's trip into Eastern mysticism "Within You Without You", to the dance hall memories of "When I'm 64", to the jaw-dropping experience of "A Day in the Life" (considered by many critics to be the greatest single recording of the twentieth century, and featuring perhaps the finest, most creative drumwork in rock and roll history, courtesy of Ringo Starr), and every song in between, the album is an adventure for the ears and the intellect.

If you're not a Beatles fan, you should be. If you've never listened to Sgt. Pepper, do your ears a favor and listen to it. If you've listened to it before, listen again and experience again God's great gift of music.

It was 30 years ago today...

God bless Elliot! My son had to take a picture to his kindergarten class today of something that begins with "J" (the letter of the day). He wanted to take a picture of a "Jedi"! Sometimes, you get reassurance that you're raising your children properly...

Remembering Thomas Cranmer

One of the most important Church leaders of the second millennium was undoubtedly Thomas Cranmer. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury during the English Reformation, and was martyred on this date in 1556 by the delusional Bloody Mary, Queen of England.

Archbishop Cranmer's finest achievement was the writing and initial editing of the first Book of Common Prayer, the official worship book for the Church of England. This book is without question the best English language liturgical resource ever put together. In the history of the English-speaking world, only the King James Version of the Bible and the writings of Shakespeare have had a more significant influence on language and culture. John Wesley said of the prayer book, "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England." I use the Book of Common Prayer quite often when preparing for worship; usually, I utilize it each week. In fact, my own personal prayer order is largely adapted from the orders for daily prayer found in this wonderful book.

It is miraculous that 458 years after its initial publication, the words, prayers, and orders in Archbishop Cranmer's masterpiece are not only still elegantly powerful, but are among the most relevant liturgical pieces in the contemporary Church. In fact, I urge everyone to read through the Psalter as found in the Book of Common Prayer; the version found in the prayer book remains the most beautiful ever translated (though the 2004 publication of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, which contains a truly lovely Psalter, gives Cranmer a run for his money).

At any rate, I'm thanking God today for the ministry of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who left a rich missional legacy which continues to bless the Church and, through the Church, the world. If you don't own a copy of the Book of Common Prayer (shame on you), you can order a relatively inexpensive copy here, or read it online here.

Farewell Arthur Schlesinger

"If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision, and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our intellectual and moral life begins with an individual confronting his own mind and conscience in a room by himself."

God bless Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1917-2007).

Schlesinger is being euologized today for being one of JFK's key aides, but his most important work had little to do with his time in the Kennedy Administration.

He was one of the most important historians of the twentieth century. What made his work so special wasn't his exhaustive research but rather his writing ability; Schlesinger knew how to take all of his research and utilize it to tell a good story, writing from the heart from a personal perspective, and in the process establishing firmly the American political liberal interpretation of twentieth century events...his first book on FDR was dedicated to Reinhold Niebuhr, whom Schlesinger believed to be the most important liberal ethicist/theologian of the times (until pacifist John Howard Yoder dismantled Niebuhrian thought in his classic The Politics of Jesus).

I heartily recommend Schlesinger's work to anyone. I often have disagreed with him and his interpretations, but, as someone who appreciates good writing, I've really admired him. You may want to take a good Schlesinger read to the beach, which could make for a fine afternoon.

Some of his best works are...

The Age of Jackson (1945 - Pulitzer prize winner)

"The Age of Roosevelt" series
* The Crisis of the Old Order: 1919-1933 (1957)
* The Coming of the New Deal: 1933-1935 (1958)
* The Politics of Upheaval: 1935-1936 (1960)

A Thousand Days: JFK in the White House (1966 - Pulitzer prize winner)

Robert Kennedy and His Times (1978)

The Cycles of American History (1986)

The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society (1991)

U.S. Presidents

Today is Presidents Day in the USA, a day on which we remember and honor those who have served in this nation's highest civil office.

I've compiled two lists in recognition of the day. Both are based on my own personal opinions. While my undergraduate degree is in history, I don't profess to be an expert on presidential history, but I am a person with strong opinions.

The Ten Best U.S. Presidents

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. George Washington
3. Theodore Roosevelt
4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
5. Ronald Reagan
6. Andrew Jackson
7. James Polk
8. Thomas Jefferson
9. John Adams
10. Grover Cleveland

The Ten Worst U.S. Presidents

1. James Buchanan
2. Franklin Pierce
3. Richard Nixon
4. Warren Harding
5. Andrew Johnson
6. Bill Clinton
7. Millard Fillmore
8. Ulysses Grant
9. Herbert Hoover
10. John Tyler

Happy Beatles Day!

On Feb. 9, 1964, the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, which became one of the most watched performances in American history. After Ed Sullivan, the group was by far the biggest act in the United States, which remains true to this day. Today is a great day for Beatles fans and all who love music!

43 years ago today...

The Beatles landed in New York City, their first trip to North America. Greeted by gleefully screaming teenage fans and an extremely curious press, they already had the #1 single in the country ("I Want to Hold Your Hand"). Their arrival in the United States began a conquest and really set them on their journey to become the most important musicians of the twentieth century. Today is quite an important day in American music history.

Thank God for the Beatles!

Christmas Conference

This week in 1784, Methodist preachers in America met at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore at the now famous "Christmas Conference". Francis Asbury wrote in his Journal:

"Friday, December 24, 1784: ...[I]t was agreed to form ourselves into an Episcopal Church, and to have superintendents, elders, and deacons. When the conference was seated, Dr. Coke and myself were unanimously elected to the superintendency of the Church, and my ordination followed ...We spent the whole week in conference, debating freely, and determining all things by a majority of votes... We were in great haste, and did much business in a little time."

Thomas Coke, already ordained in the Church of England, had been previously consecrated to the "superintendency" by John Wesley. Under the leadership of Bishop Coke and (especially) Bishop Asbury, American Methodism grew to become the largest religious movement in the United States, a role it lost in the twentieth century.

Christmas is thus an especially important holiday for American Methodists, since we celebrate not only the birth of Our Lord, but also the formalization of Methodist organization in the United States.

Theologically, there is much to be discussed concerning the ordinations which took place in Baltimore two hundred twenty-two years ago. Were these ordinations and Asbury's consecration valid? Was "apostolic succession" broken, and does that matter?

Here are some interesting resources regarding apostolic succession in American Methodism...

* UM Bishops Ordination Chain (PDF) from the General Board of Archives & History

* Methodism & Apostolic Succession by Gregory Neal, senior pastor of First UMC of Seagoville, TX

Using these two pieces of information, an ordained United Methodist pastor can trace his or her ordination through Asbury, Coke, and Wesley and back to the apostles.