Dear ones in Christ Jesus:

Fat Tuesday is behind us and we begin another Lenten pilgrimage. You may be observing this season by laying aside or laying down certain habits or practices. You have my encouragement, prayers and support if this is a part of your approach to this season of reflection. Historically fasting among the people of God is one of those "in order that" kind of practices. So if you feel called or compelled to fast, to cease and desist from something this Lent, be sure that it is in order to do or enable something of great importance like pray, listen, serve, build.

Every now and again I get the urge to scream at the top of my lungs "stop the madness". The past few months, weeks and days have been such a season when the urge has been irrepressible, especially as it relates to the daily dose of violence that is reported to us.  (continued)

In his Annual Conference Offering letter to the Members of the West Ohio Annual Conference on Febuary 3, Bishop Palmer asked that a "Sunday to Save Lives" be held in each and every church in our conference between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost. Thank you to the many churches who have since written in with your plans to meet the Bishop's Challenge and save the remaining 40,000 lives by raising $400,000! 

Dave Boling, coordinator for Imagine No Malaria in West Ohio has some resources and tips for holding a "Sunday to Save Lives." To help you promote there's a new graphic available (seen here on the left) along with posters, bulletin inserts, postcards and more in the Box at www.inmohio.org. There are new videos available too!  Learn more

On January 18, First United Methodist Church in MIddletown and pastor Rev. John Wagner, hosted the 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ecumenical Service. Organized by The Ministerial Alliance of Middletown and Atrium Medical Center, the service was part of  "Hope for Our Beloved Community" a two-day ecumenical celebration of King's life. A video of the service is at the left, with Bishop Palmer's message beginning around 1:46:30 into the video.  Facebook photos

Ruth Haley Barton, spiritual director, teacher, author and retreat leader trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Washington, D.C.) is keynote speaker at the Young Clergy Retreat this April at Mohican State Park Lodge & Conference Center. 

This is an opportunity for East Ohio and West Ohio clergy age 35 and under to come together with the purpose of energizing and renewal with speakers, worship, conversations around meal times, and lots of free time and options to truly retreat. Guest speakers also include Bishop Gregory V. Palmer and Rev. Dave Scavuzzo of the East Ohio Conference. Information and registration

Ashland Theological Seminary this spring will sponsor a "Ministry of Growing Generous Disciples" continuing education series designed for pastors, finance committee members and ministry leaders. The seminars will be led by the Rev. George Cooper, executive director of the Council on Development for the West Ohio  Conference.  "Stewardship is the management of all the gifts God has given us including life, time, talents, relationships, environment, assets, money and of course the greatest gift of all, God's Son, Jesus Christ," Cooper said. "However in the life of the church we equate 'Stewardship' with 'money' and for most churches, it is an ongoing struggle to have adequate funds to accomplish all God is calling us to accomplish for making disciples and reaching out in missions."  Learn more

By this point, all of us have heard of E.L. James' bestselling erotic novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. The book has sold over 100 million copies around the world, and the movie opened on Valentine's Day at $60 million. Fifty Shades of Grey fills the shape of violence and abuse with the concept of romance, and this is the most dangerous tactic E.L. James could have used, whether or not she realizes this. We cannot continue to mistake infatuation for romance, or obsession for love. While there have been several well-rendered and moving depictions of abuse in media, all of these recognize domestic violence as a cardinal sin; none are as bafflingly oblivious as Fifty Shades of Grey. Films like these are honestly a regressive step back in society's perception of violence against women. Christian Grey should look up the definition of love in 1 Corinthians. Read more