The Method of Telos is an account of the spiritual journey of a Quaker who has been led to adult ministry in the United Methodist Church, at Georgetown UMC in Jenison, MI. I have a passion for narrative theology, non-violent atonement, and social justice. I have an abiding love for the Bible and my family. My wife Jenn and I have three children together, Emma (13), Rosa (8), and Micah (5). I also have two sons living in Detroit, Kellen (21), and Dylan (18).
My family is committed to Jesus and farming, and Emma has a gift for writing and drama, Rosa has a gift for animals and athletics, and Micah has a gift for air guitar, giving hugs, and being a perfect five-year-old. I am a product of Detroit whose behavior has been rather tamed by West Michigan’s moral vigilance and Quaker sensibility.
Academically, I completed undergraduate studies at Kuyper College, and have graduate degrees for Earlham School of Religion (M.Div., M.A. Religion) and Grand Valley State University (MSW). My education has taught me that most folks are smarter than me.
This blog is so named because of the shared Quaker and Wesleyan tradition of ongoing sanctification, or, spiritual perfection. The author of the Gospel of Matthew remembers Jesus saying that disciples should “be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.” It is most typical for all of us to say that ‘no one is perfect.” However, according to the original language of the text, the word for “perfect” is translated from the Greek “teleos.” This word can best be translated in the sense of a maturation process, progress toward the completion of a goal, or, perhaps, being exactly where God desires for you to be. As I said above, Micah is a perfect five-year-old, but that does not mean his reached the end of his potential for growth or has been thoroughly sanctified. He is right where God wants him to be at age five. Quakers and Methodists strive to be exactly where god wants them to be spiritually, whether they are five-year-olds, 25-year-olds, or 75-year-olds.
