Here is a list of the top three things I’ve read or have been thinking about for the week.

#1 – https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-hot-new-channel-for-reaching-real-people-email-11547874005

Wall Street Journal Article

Evidently social media is losing its steam in terms of getting engagement with people. Time to go back to email as a strategy for reaching people with your message. The article says 1,000 people wanting your email newsletter is better than 100,000 twitter followers. I guess I knew all things would come back into vogue!

#2 – As he formulated his plans, Asbury conscientiously worked to maintain his devotional life. Reading, especially from the Bible, was an important component of this, but prayer and meditation formed the foundation of the holy life. “It is plain to me the devil will let us read always, if we will not pray; but prayer is the sword of the preacher, the life of the Christian, the terror of hell, and the devil’s plague,” he wrote in September 1779.

Francis Asbury (bold mine)

There are few things capturing me more than my devotional life these days. It is the main reason I’ve started a Wednesday blogpost about having a devotional life. I love this quote from Francis Asbury. It is a strong reminder of the most important thing I do as a pastor which is to pray. Here is an excerpt from a previous post entitled “My Role as Lead Pastor”:

“Intercessor.My main role and greatest gift to the congregation is prayer.  Period.  The most important thing I do each day is to be in prayer with and for the people who God has placed me in the middle.  “

#3 – “Your builders will outdo your destroyers. “

Isaiah 49:17 NRSV

This verse from Isaiah gives me great hope for the UMC and our current plight. I desire, above all else, to be a builder.