Michael Beck

2 months ago | ministrymatters.com | Steve Harper |Michael Beck

In Treasures Old and New we reflect on the never-ending task of blending tradition and experience in ways that give life in the present and hope for the future. Thomas Merton described the task as the biggest paradox of the church—that “she is at the same time essentially traditional and essentially revolutionary.”[1]The same combination is at the heart of Native American wisdom. Edith Woolsey (Eastern Shoshone) writes, “Native American elders often drift freely between current and past events.

Sep 11, 2024 | capemaycountyherald.com | Michael Beck

To the Editor:It’s expensive to be pro-life these days. What was once found to be the norm, the support of the unborn child, has become “outdated/old-fashioned.” If you support life from conception, you are swimming upstream and certainly not in line with current thinking. The polls on abortion support show that. Despite the overturn of Roe, the right to abortion is now considered a decided issue to many. But the fight to save the life of the child goes on.

Dec 10, 2023 | ministrymatters.com | Michael Beck

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”Luke 2:10-11Let me take you to church. We arrive at the chemical dependency unit of the inpatient rehabilitation facility. After a prayer and team selfie, we enter, sign in, and go through the screening process.

Aug 22, 2023 | ministrymatters.com | Jake Owensby |Michael Beck

After Sunday worship at one of the congregations in my diocese, I met with the church’s leadership for the standard review of finances, attendance figures, evangelism strategies, and the like. One of the leaders was visibly angry. He said nothing until we came to the “Other Business” item at the end of the agenda. Referring to my sermon, he said, “Where do you get off telling us to love our enemies? They’re our enemies! They’re dangerous.

Aug 22, 2023 | ministrymatters.com | Michael Beck |Jake Owensby

We drove for miles along old US Route 301 through the sprawling tangled underbrush, swamps, and forests of the North Florida heartland. It felt like the space had been somehow unaltered by time and “progress.” We journeyed deeper into the backwoods, wild beauty untouched by suburban sprawl. My wife and children, urbanites all, found ourselves seemingly in the middle of nowhere. No post office. No stop lights. No gas station.