Blog Posts
Appointments for the week of June 28, 2021
6/21/2021
Greg Boyd from Kellyville UMC to Kellyville UMC/Bristow UMC, effective July 1, 2021
What's in and what's out
1/13/2006
"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." - Hebrews 13:8 By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR. I get a big kick at the beginning of every new year reading those magazines and news articles that detail for us the expected trends for the coming year. More akin to a "what's in and what's out" list, it is a genuine effort put forth by people who supposedly keep their fingers on the pulse of the American public. For instance, ladies, did you know long skirts and dresses are declared out ...
Wish big
12/16/2005
"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." -Jeremiah 33:14-15 By ROBERT E. HAYES JR. It has been estimated that nearly 40 to 50 percent of the revenue for retailers and merchants is generated between the Friday after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. ...
One Blessing
11/25/2005
Strength for the journey: Ideas and thoughts from our bishop "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation." -Habakkuk 3:17-18 By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR. The great American statesman ...
Living in God's mysterious universe
11/11/2005
"There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye has not seen." -Job 28:7 By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I reward myself by taking a brisk "wog" at Lake Hefner. In case you are unfamiliar with the term "wog," it's what you do when you think you're too young to walk but too old to jog. I haven't reached the point when I'm ready to admit that all I really can do is walk. That's ...
The need to get it right
10/28/2005
"0 sing unto the Lord a new song." (Psalms 98:1) By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR. When the Psalmist declared that we should sing a new song to the Lord, I don't think he had in mind taking the old songs and turning them into something no one knew. Have you ever given much thought to how we garble and confuse the titles and words of the great hymns of our faith? I remember how my peers and I would mouth the words of songs as children, only to find out later as young ...
What Jesus can do for you
10/14/2005
"And as Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.' And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled." (Mark 5:18-20)By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR.It amazes me that there are people who underestimate the power of Christ and ...
The opportunity is before us
9/23/2005
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR. To even the casual observer, the last few weeks have been an exercise in agony and heartbreak. We have had front row seats as spectators and witnesses to unimaginable ...
Eyewitnesses to suffering
9/9/2005
"They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way, they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them, then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place." Psalm 107:4-7By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR.My article today is the most difficult one I've written since I've been your bishop. It comes at the end of a heartbreaking week, when ...
Special words for an ending and a beginning
8/26/2005
"The end of a thing is better than its beginning..." (Ecclesiastes 7:8)By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR.The famous Yogi Berra, renowned for his great quotes on and off the baseball diamond, once said this: "It ain't over until it's over!" Dick Motta, a longtime coach in the National Basketball Association, once remarked: "It ain't over until the fat lady sings," which was an obvious reference to the "plump" lady who usually gives her aria signaling the conclusion of an opera.Well, Mr. Berra, and ...
The week after
8/12/2005
Strength for the Journey: Ideas and thoughts from our bishop"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15By BISHOP ROBERT E. HAYES JR.Well, here I am, the first week after my vacation. Can't you just sense how excited I am to be back? Aren't you as happy as I am to be back in the old saddle again, solving all the problems of humankind, answering 25 or 30 phone calls a day, while trying to return all the calls and letters and messages ...