Last semester I taught an undergraduate introductory course in world religions. While my students knew of Confucius, none had previously read his Analects. If you have never done so, I encourage you to take a few minutes to do so online (you can do so here thanks to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Whether or not you read the Analects in full, consider the following excerpt: Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said,"He acts Read More …
Discipleship
What Anchors Your Spirituality? (#0622)
Rev. Otis Moss III, Senior Minister of 8500 member Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, recently wrote the following words in the Huffington Post: "the cultural motif of Jazz and the theological weight of Jesus' love ethic anchor my spirituality." So What? Take a few moments to think about your spirituality. Then, in a sentence or less, share what acts as its anchor. Read More …
Quotes to Ponder (#0620)
William Bole (pictured at right) is an American journalist whose "writing is situated on the borders between religion, ethics, politics, and intellectual life." Recently he wrote a blog post that included several quotes from progressive pastor William Sloane Coffin's book The Heart is a Little to the Left: Essays on Public Morality (1999), including: Socrates was mistaken. It’s not the unexamined life that is not worth living; it’s the uncommitted life. It is a Read More …
Taking Advantage of Mainline Decline (#0617)
Emmy Award winning journalist Chris Yaw is an Episcopal priest who effectively blends his expertise in media and ministry with his passion for building healthier congregations in his new creation: ChurchNext. Recently he interviewed me on the topic of the continued decline of mainline Protestantism in America. You can view the video or download a mp3 here. So What? Yaw asked me the kind of questions congregational leaders should be discussing as they consider what it Read More …
Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus (#0610)
In less than a week a 4 minute video, Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus, by spoken word artist Jefferson Bethke has received over 10 million hits. It is a video with an important message that is worth watching, sharing, and discussing. So What? Organized religion has many strengths, but must not be blinded by its weaknesses. In listening to the poets words over and over again, I hear a prophetic call to put Jesus first in all contexts (including that of institutional Read More …
Low Commitment Christianity (#0609)
Yesterday, I reviewed Rodney Stark's latest book: The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion (2011). Throughout the book he offers considerable sociological insight, including the following paragraph on the shortcomings of low commitment religious groups: The conclusion that competition among faiths will favor "low cost" religious organizations mistakes price for value. As is evident in most consumer markets, people do not Read More …
Good Followers . . . (#0604)
Anthony B. Robinson is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor who currently serves as President of Congregational Leadership Northwest, and who has written several books including Changing the Conversation: A Third Way for Congregations (2008 - read my review here). His article in the January 11, 2012 edition of the Christian Century highlights five ways people can be good followers: Good followers recognize that leadership is necessary, important and Read More …
Different by Design (#0599)
Yesterday I realized that I had not upgraded to the newest release of Mozilla Firefox. On the upgrade page, I found a video that everyone should see (whether or not you ever have used or will use this browser). It is, without qualification, the best video I have seen in 2012. So What? Imagine if the idea captured within this video were to be applied to your local congregation. I transcribed the video, then gave the words a makeover for a new audience. I Read More …
What’s My Grade? (#0583)
As the semester draws to a close, students are increasingly interested in grades. I have received several inquiries about grades, and expect to hear many more this week. So What? Most of those reading this blog are not currently pursuing a degree or enrolled in any type of educational pursuit for which they will earn a grade. We are, however, all heading toward the end of another year. Take a few minutes and grade yourself on 2011: How faithfully have you sought to pursue Read More …
Restoring the Protest to Protestantism (#0580)
Dianna Butler Bass is the author of seven books, a sought after speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. Earlier this year she blogged about the need to restore the idea of protest within Protestantism. Bass places the current situation in context: in recent years the percentage of Americans who self-identity as Protest has declined from roughly 2/3 to 1/2. Furthermore, Protestantism has "often been torn between the impulse to Read More …