Just published!

As the United Methodist Church splinters, Methodists of all stripes need to be reminded of their rich theological and cultural heritage.
In accessible, non-academic style, this book introduces readers to John and Charles Wesley and the Methodist movement they founded.
It weaves historical and theological narrative with the personal testimony of a second-career pastor who “married into” the United Methodist Church, was led by God to seek ordination as pastor in it and remains loyal to it after 30 years of ministry.
The text is richly annotated with references to John Wesley’s works in the hope that readers will be drawn deeper into Wesleyan spirituality.

Still available!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year--or at least we want it to be. Too often our celebration of Jesus' birthday is overwhelmed by bright lights and tinsel, overspending and overeating, plus constant chatter about a "war on Christmas." Can't we do better than this?
There are two Christmases. One is sacred. One is secular. The two have clashed in one "culture war" or another for 1,700 years. Christmas is not (as some falsely claim) a pagan holiday, but pagan-influenced traditions are part of the seasonal clutter.
Keeping Christmas is about helping you find joy in a season of excess and strife. Part survival guide, part history, part cultural commentary, and all laced with spiritual reflection, this book is about how you can celebrate in ways that are most meaningful to you and your family.
It's not easy to thread your way through the Christmas maze. But if Ebenezer Scrooge could learn to keep Christmas well, so can you. Maybe it's time to reinvent Christmas. Maybe we can get it right this time.

Death is as close as the nearest railroad track.
That’s what the people of an Illinois town learn when a leaking railroad tank car explodes, leveling part of the town and creating huge fires that threaten to cause even bigger explosions.
From those working in the freight yards to the police and firefighters summoned to the scene and all those whose homes and lives are smashed that day, life will never be the same – and will always be filled with a gnawing fear that it could happen again.
Published in 1979, this novel was my first book. Alas, it was never widely distributed and is long out of print. The publisher went out of business shortly after it came out – coincidence, not cause and effect, I’m sure.