Category Archives: Discipleship

Whose “Real World”? Power, Morality, and the Prophetic Challenge

Posted on by
2

My present early-morning discipline begins with sustained reading of a biblical prophet—currently Hosea—followed by attentive engagement with the news, especially stories that resonate with or resist the prophetic witness. Using a reflective practice inspired by my late friend, theologian Ted Jennings, I then pray and reflect, seeking discernment, guidance, and courage to live and serve amid the dissonance between God’s vision and the world’s realities.

In recent weeks, that dissonance has come into sharp focus around two governing assumptions that dominate public life and stand in direct tension with the witness of the Hebrew prophets.

The first is the claim that might makes right: that coercive military and economic power defines the “real world” and is therefore the path to security, order, and peace. This conviction was stated plainly by a senior government official: “We live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, by force, by power… These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”*

The second assumption is that individual moral judgment is the final arbiter of truth and goodness. When asked what restrains the exercise of his power, the President replied: “There is one thing—my own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”**

Though voiced by political leaders, these are not merely political claims. They are philosophical, theological, and ethical affirmations. They operate across political parties, national borders, and economic systems. They appear within every major religion. And their temptations lie in wait within every human heart.

Power understood as coercive domination and morality reduced to personal preference are as old as the Garden of Eden and the Pharaohs of Egypt—and as contemporary as the streets of Minneapolis and today’s power-centric leaders.

Against this vision, the Hebrew prophets—and Jesus who stands firmly in their tradition—bear witness to a radically different understanding of power and moral life. Power is not domination but covenantal responsibility. Moral truth is not self-generated but grounded in the character of God and ordered toward justice, compassion, and the flourishing of the vulnerable.

The prophets and Jesus insist that true power serves rather than subdues, and that moral truth is discerned not by private assertion but through concrete practices of justice, mercy, accountability, and humility before God. The decisive test of both power and morality is revealed in how individuals, communities, and nations treat the poor, the stranger, the oppressed, and the powerless.

Set against domination and moral autonomy, the prophets and Jesus announce an alternative to the love of power and the protection of privilege: the power of love embodied in concrete policies and practices that reflect the character and will of God.

The belief that domination secures peace and that morality belongs to the individual alone is not progress but idolatrous regression—an echo of Eden’s rebellion and Pharaoh’s empire.

According to the biblical witness, God’s real world calls for continual repentance from our captivity to domination and self-justifying morality, and for renewed commitment to acts of compassion, justice, mercy, accountability, and peace.

We move toward God’s real world not by force, but by faithfulness—confident that justice is not an illusion, truth is not optional, and love is stronger than fear. As the prophetic tradition reminds us, the arc of the universe bends toward justice. Truth endures. Love prevails.

Whose “Real World” shall we choose?

*Stephen Miller interview with Jake Tapper, CNN, January 14, 2026

**President Donald Trump Interview with NYTIMES reports, January 14, 2026.

A Journey Toward Reconcilation with LBGTQ+ Friends

Posted on by
1

Elaine Eberhart and I have been friends since the mid-1980s when we served together on the pastoral staff of First UMC in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As a delegate to General Conference in 1984, I regrettably voted for the legislation that prohibited the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” A few years later, Elaine surrendered her ordination in an act of integrity and courage.

Elaine’s grace-formed life and faithful witness contributed to my conversion and growth as a person, a Christian disciple, pastor, bishop, and teacher. In 2018, I wrote a short blog on why I changed my mind. Though Elaine was not specifically named, she is prominently among those who contributed immeasurably to my changed perspective and commitment. The blog received more than seventy thousand views. You may access it here: https://shiftingmargins.com/2018/09/25/why-i-changed-my-mind-about-homosexuality-and-the-church.

I continue to repent of the harm inflicted on LBGTQ+ siblings by my complicity and failure of leadership. Elaine has graciously extended her forgiveness, and our friendship has deepened. Although she has had a marvelously productive ministry as a lay person in such institutions as Emory University, Mayo Clinic, and the University of Tennessee, I regret that her exceptional gifts as a United Methodist pastor went unutilized.

In June 2025, I was among those who shed tears of joy as Elaine’s clergy credentials were restored by the Holston Annual Conference. It was a momentous occasion, a visible sign and foretaste of God’s reign of justice, reconciliation, and transformation.

You are welcome to join us on December 9 by zoom as Elaine and I engage in conversation. On this webinar, we share our story in hopes that our journey might be helpful to others who seek to experience the reconciliation so desperately needed in our world and church.

This free webinar is for both laity and clergy and will be held December 9, 2025, from 2 pm to 3 pm. To receive the link for the webinar, please register here https://clergyeducation.com/events/2512carder/.

Autumn’s Grief and Gift

Posted on by
1

I’m ambivalent about autumn. On the one hand, the cooler temperatures and multicolored leaves invigorate and inspire. Yet, such gifts hint of approaching starkness and death. Daylight diminishes as darkness lengthens. Cool will soon turn to cold as winter inexorably draws near.

Autumn’s ambivalence is now poignantly personal. As I participate in nature’s relentless cycle, autumn is my lived reality. I turn 85 soon. An aging body, diminishing capacities and narrowing engagements bear the signs of autumn. Intimations of loomng winter abound.

But there is more to autumn’s story! Priorities shift! Love thrives! Beauty flourishes! Life thrives! Hope intensifies! Nature regenerates!

Parker Palmer and I are about the same age. He expresses the realities of autumn much better than I; and his reflection is a profound gift, adding to my own gratitude for this season of life:

https://open.substack.com/pub/parkerjpalmer/p/autumn-a-season-of-paradox?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=66jk9

Economic Justice and the Common Good: Ken Carder and Tex Sample in Conversation:

Posted on by
Reply

What does God have to do with economics? The short answer is EVERYTHING!

The current economic turmoil exposes and exacerbates the economic injustices that have resulted in gross inequalities, exploitation, and new forms of slavery.

Though the conversation with Tex Sample was recorded prior to the dramatic downturn in the stock market, the discussion addresses such questions as What is the biblical/theological understanding of justice? What is the nature of “God’s economy?” How can people of faith contribute to justice and the common good?

We are planning follow up conversations on this issue as well as others. I hope you will join the conversations!

Conversation with Phil Amerson

Posted on by
Reply

Podcasts have become an important medium for conversations and sharing of experiences and ideas. Phil Amerson is effectively using podcasts to bring people together in conversation on important issues and challenges. Phil’s “Be & Do” introduces the mission and vision of “Belonging Exchange” podcast in which he reflects on faith and life in conversations with friends. I was honored to participate in this week’s segment.

https://www.podpage.com/BelongEx-PhilipAmerson/exploring-shifting-margins-love-belonging-and-moving-beyond-fear-and-exclusion-w-bishop-ken-card/

The conversation focuses on experiences which I share in the book, “Shifting Margins: From Fear and Exclusion to Love and Belonging.”

.We live during a time when fear and exclusion dominate the agenda of prominent political and religious leaders. Bullying, fraud, greed, deception, cruelty, and violence are increasingly normalized and acceptable behaviors and policies.

.As I understand the Christian Gospel, God’s vision for the world is LOVE AND BELONGING for ALL! Shifting from threatening and excluding those deemed as “the other” toward God’s mission of compassion, justice, hospitality, and peace/shalom is the priority challenge of our time.

Let’s join together in countering bullying, hatred, and exclusion with acts of kindness, mercy, and justice! Phil Amerson helps us focus on what really matters, being and doing that which fosters belonging to one another and to God.

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Posted on by
Reply
Dr. Bill Holmes (right)

As I continue my daily reading of the Sermon on the Mount and reflections on its resonance and dissonance in my daily experience, I share this story about my friend, Dr. Bill Holmes. While war rages in Ukraine and elsewhere, Bill was presented with the Muslim Americans for Compassion award “In recognition of service to compassion, promoting peace, and interfaith harmony.”

As the media is filled with news of violence and war as the way to lasting peace, Bill Holmes contributes to peace through compassion, non-violence pursuit of justice, and promoting interfaith harmony.

Bill is a highly regarded pediatric neurologist and an ordained Baptist hospital chaplain. Our friendship was forged through shared grief as we journeyed with our late spouses in their dementia. He is one in whom I see the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount validated and at work as a counter to hatred, division, and violence normalized in the modern world.

With his permission, I share Bill’s response to receiving the award. His brief statement captures his deep commitment to justice and compassion which are at the heart of Jesus’ “inaugural sermon” in Matthew’s Gospel.

Remarks to Muslim Americans for Compassion and the 15th Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner after receiving an award “In recognition of service to compassion, promoting peace, and interfaith harmony.”  March 6, 2025

 I stand here this evening wondering why I, of all people, should get an award for peacemaking. If my mother were alive today, she would be astounded.

Jeremiah of ancient times cried “Peace! Peace! But there is no peace.” Patrick Henry borrowed those words a few thousand years later to let his country men know that the battle against tyranny was already here.

We all long for peace within our hearts and souls and peace in the community around us.

But there is a pre-requisite to peace: First there MUST BE JUSTICE.  Where there is justice, all in the community have what is needed for dignity, freedom, health, joy, and security.

There can be no justice when this group or that is singled out and treated harshly. Nor can there be justice when the safety and health of our children and grandchildren are being threatened.   

We cannot have peace while ignoring injustice.

Where there is no justice, peace becomes a mirage.  

Please know this: Hate and fear are the parents of injustice.

Furthermore, without justice and lasting peace, we might well lose hope.

It is now our task to somehow bring hope, even in the midst of despair that might befall as we see the scales tipping toward injustice all around us.

Thanks for listening—  As-Salamu alaykum, Peace be with you.

Peace, my friends, will always be tenuous, will always be fragile, and must be protected like a newborn baby.

Let’s Have a Conversation

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve been encouraged by responses to the sharing of my journey in “Shifting Margins: From Fear and Exclusion to Love and Belonging,” including requests for conversation around shared personal struggles and ministry issues. I am delighted that Kevin Slimp of Market Square Books has arranged a webinar for Thursday, January 9, during which we will engage in a discussion of challenges and opportunities confronting us as people of faith.


I hope you will join us for the conversation. It will be helpful, but not necessary, for you to have read Shifting Margins prior to the webinar. The book is available from Market Square Books, Cokesbury, and Amazon.

Here is the link to information and registration for the webinar. You do not need to be clergy to register. Laity are welcome and urged to participate. There is no charge.
https://clergyeducation.com/events/kencarder2501/

Honesty: The Core of Character Matters

Posted on by
5

 My grandfather, Dave Walker, was one of my heroes. He died at age 67.  He was a simple man who could neither read nor write; yet, he was perhaps the kindest, wisest, and most honorable person I have known. The memory of an incident during my childhood recently resurfaced.

I was about eight years old. Granddaddy asked if I would like to walk to the store with him about a mile away. He bought me a candy bar along with his purchase of a bag of flour. After we were almost back home, he counted his money in the change purse he carried in the pocket of his overalls. He discovered the clerk had given him a nickel more change than he should.

“We have to go back to the store,” granddaddy said. “I have to return this nickel.”

“But it’s just five cents,” I said. “He’ll never even know he gave you too much!”

“But I’ll know,” he responded.  “You’re only as good as your word,” he added.

The most frequently heard compliments at my grandfather’s funeral in 1961 were these: 

            “He was honest as the day is long!”

            “His word was his bond!”          

“If he promised something, you could count on it.”

            “He never lied; he always told the truth.”

            “You could trust him with your life.”

I’ve thought a lot about my grandfather during the current climate of runaway dishonesty. Lying is being normalized, justified, trivialized, and weaponized in high and low places. Distortion of truth has become a contrived means of achieving desired ends.

In the current political climate, character has been disjoined from policy, as though favorable policies override personal integrity. Without character-embedded honesty, however, promises related to policy are fickle, hollow, and manipulative.

Granddad considered honesty the core of character and dishonesty as symptomatic of a malignantly diseased character. He learned that from Jesus! “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10).

Fred Craddock shared an experience while in the buffet line at an airport food outlet. Dr. Craddock saw the man in front of him slide a small pad of butter under his plate, hiding it from the cashier. The butter only cost five cents! A harmless or inconsequential dishonest act! But Dr. Craddock commented that he kept his eyes on his own luggage when that man showed up at the same boarding gate. Trust was gone!

Dishonesty is a deadly infection of the soul that poisons every aspect of life. It destroys trust, corrodes character, fractures relationships, undermines community, and subverts the common good. Lies are like termites eating away the foundation or malignant cancer cells destroying vital organs, within individuals and society.

 Would you trust your children with the man who hid the pad of butter under his plate? Would you hire him as your financial advisor or banker? Give him a key to your car or house? Buy a used car from him? Give him the combination to your safe? Vote for him? Provide him with the nuclear code?

Albert Einstein is reported to have warned, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”

Character matters! Granddaddy was right: “You are only as good as your word!” He not only believed it; he also LIVED it. He was as good as his word. I would trust him with my life!

Granddaddy’s change purse

Trying to Make Sense of My Life

Posted on by
14

I’ve spent much time in recent years remembering and reflecting on events, relationships, and stories that have shaped who I am. It says a lot about my station in life. I’m poignantly aware of having exceeded by more than a decade my biblically allotted “three score years and ten.”

A few colleagues and several family members, including grandchildren, urged me to share stories from my life and more than sixty years of ordained ministry. It has been a daunting, emotional, frustrating, and yet healing process.

Reliving past struggles, mistakes, failures, hurts, griefs, disappointments, and losses resurfaces unresolved guilt and regrets. The grace I have proclaimed for six decades has been put to a test as a lived reality. Accepting forgiveness for myself is sometimes harder than extending it to others.

But the process of remembering, reflecting, and writing has been predominantly a source of healing, thanksgiving, and hope. I am in awe of the ineffable mystery and resilience of life. Each person’s finite story is mysteriously interwoven into an Infinite Story with limitless connections and possibilities.

Seemingly inconsequential events, encounters, or decisions in retrospect were life-transforming. “What ifs” are part of remembering: What if I had not gone to that conference? What if I had said “no” to a particular invitation? What if I had not enrolled in that school, or taken a different class, or entered an alternative vocation?

Life is a mysterious combination of choices made and conditions prescribed, situations over which we have control and circumstances beyond our control, the “givens” of nature and the influence of nurture.

Life is simply too complex, too interrelated, and mysterious to be fully described. Memory never records the totality of any incident and recall always reflects current contexts as much as the event itself.

Therefore, writing a memoir requires a stance of vulnerability and humility in remembering and interpreting the circumstances, experiences, events, perceptions, and relationships that constitute one’s life. The process is risky and fraught with temptations for distortion and misrepresentation.

The book, Shifting Margins: From Fear and Exclusion to Love and Belonging is my attempt to make sense of my own life. It began with simply putting memories on paper, starting with my earliest recalled experiences and moving through seven decades. Reviewing journals and accumulated files of correspondence and other documents resurfaced forgotten events, transitional experiences, and relationships. The result was almost six hundred pages!

With the help of a skilled editor (who happens to be my daughter), identifying themes, and creating a coherent and readable manuscript followed. Reducing the manuscript by two-thirds became symbolic of my reality. Life’s experiences are narrowing. The circle of engagement and involvement is diminishing. Physical energy is declining. Cognitive functioning remains but with less quickness and retention. The end is far closer than the beginning!

After all this remembering and reflecting, I have concluded that perhaps the goal isn’t to make sense of life. Rather, it is to participate in its unfolding mystery with love, perseverance, and hope.

Whatever the stage, there are opportunities to give and receive love. There are challenges to confront with determination and courage. There is hope that our stories ultimately fold into God’s Story of Endless Love and Resurrection Life.

To order Shifting Margins, https://www.marketsquarebooks.com/store/p123/Shifting_Margins.html

“Betrayed with a Kiss and a Sword”

Posted on by
4

Jesus asked the piercing question of the disciple-turned-conspirator: “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” (Luke 22:48)

Why a kiss? Would not a slap or pointed finger or clinched fist be more appropriate means of betraying Jesus into the hands of his opponents? But, no! Judas betrayed with a sign of affection!

Upon closer reflection, however, Jesus’ question is appropriate for all who claim allegiance to him. We rarely, if ever, hear expressed outright hatred or denunciation of Jesus. Yet, we all betray!

Most often our betrayal takes the form of declared affection for Jesus. Here are a few ways we betray Jesus with a kiss:

  • Singing “O How I Love Jesus” while hating those who are different
  • Declaring “Jesus Is Lord” while prioritizing partisan politics above the common good
  • Claiming Jesus’ forgiveness but holding grudges and seeking vengeance
  • Affirming love for God while despising neighbors near and far
  • Singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children, All the Children of the World” while failing to provide all children with access to education, medical care, safety and love
  • Proclaiming “God is Love” with anger in our voices and hate in our actions
  • Assert that Jesus is ‘the way, truth, and life’ and refuse to obey his command to love one another as he loves us
  • Saying “Lord, Lord” and failing to do what he says, go where he goes, and welcome those whom he loves

Judas resides in all of us!  We, too, betray with a kiss!

But Judas wasn’t the only disloyal disciple present in the garden when Jesus was arrested. Luke tells us, “One of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear”(22:50).

Jesus responded resolutely, “No more of this!”

The kiss and the sword have much in common as forms of betrayal. History is replete with efforts to violently defend Jesus.

The Crusades were fought in name of loyalty to Jesus. Scientists were burned at the stake under the guise of protecting religious doctrine. Preachers used the Bible to promote slavery! Klansmen terrorized and murdered with burning crosses and prayers of devotion to Jesus. The Bible has been used as a sword of discrimination against women.

Defending Jesus with physical, verbal, and emotional swords is a pervasive means of betrayal. Could these be subtle contemporary examples of betrayal with swords?

  • Using Scripture as a weapon for exclusion, hatred, and discrimination
  • Promoting hatred of Muslims, immigrants, gays, and others in the name of defending the Christian faith
  • Applauding the Sermon on the Mount while defending possession of assault weapons as a “God-given right”
  • Proclaiming God’s preferential presence in “the least of these” while advocating public policies that damage the poor, vulnerable, and powerless
  • Increasing spending for weapons of war while decreasing support for education, healthcare, housing, and food for the under resourced

But the final word in the Christian gospel isn’t betrayal! It’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing.

In Matthew’s account of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus calls him “friend.” Judas’ kiss may have been betrayal, but Jesus’ response was one of steadfast love.

After admonishing the disciples against violence, Jesus healed the victim. The final word was/is healing, not violence.

From the cross, Jesus spoke the ultimate response to all forms of betrayal: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Whether betrayed with a kiss or a sword, Jesus forgives, reconciles, transforms.