Hey friends. It’s my great joy and privilege to write and send you these emails – two a week for years, and more recently just one per week. I am told people read less than they did a decade ago, which grieves me, but hey…

FYI, I am polishing up the final draft right now of a book Abingdon Press (our United Methodist Publishing House) asked me to write on Religion and Politics. A friend asked me the other day what I planned to say. I joked that it could be summed up in a single sentence: “Everybody has lost their minds!” My book, I hope and pray, will flesh that out, and hopefully be more hopeful and constructive. What times we have the good fortune, or misfortune, to live in… Glad for you to click “reply” and share any thoughts you have on that perilous topic!

Typically for these emails, I just share stuff I’ve been interested in lately. I hope and pray there’s some blessing for you to look over my shoulder and see what God and I are contemplating together!

I’m also interested in what you are interested in, what you wonder about, what questions and puzzlements you have. Please – please, please! – reply to this email and say Hey James, here is something I’d love to talk with you about, or Here’s something I wonder what Scripture might have to say, or Here’s something that makes me and the people around me crazy… Can you help?

Can’t promise anything like brilliance or wisdom, but I’d so love to hear. Take a few moments and let me know. I’d be so honored by your input, and the time you’d take to open things up with me.

Peace to you during these days when peace of mind and peace in the world seem so very elusive. Please know that I love you, and that I cherish these times we share together via the internet – which can be a plague, but can also be a great gift of God to the people of God.