As we move toward mid-June many people are creating or actively revising their summer reading lists. Wherever you may be in your planning (even if your plan is not to plan at all), I encourage you to consider picking up some of my recent reads. The following ten books have all been published in 2017. I have rated them on a 1-5 scale allowing for the top of the scale to be extended to a 5+ for the best of the best. (5+) The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear by Michael Read More …
Carol Howard Merritt
Pastor: Best Job Ever (#1341)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 – read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 – read my review here), recently shared her list of 10 reasons why being a pastor is the best job ever. It included relating to anyone, writing, and variety. So What? Pastoral ministry is one of the more diverse professional pursuits. Read More …
Top Challenges for the Mainline (#0667)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 – read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 – read my review here), chaired a national committee for the Presbyterian Church (USA). She shares the four significant challenges for the next generation as identified by the committee: Our denomination is over 90% white, while the overall population Read More …
What About Twitter is Appealing? (#0574)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 - read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 - read my review here), recently was interviewed by the Christian Century. Among other things, she was asked to "say more about what you find so appealing about Twitter." Her response, in part, follows: I use Twitter in a couple of ways. It's a news stream for me . . Read More …
Reflections on 75 Recently Published Books (#0221)
Over the last year and a half (roughly 75 weeks), I have posted my reflections on 75 recently published books. I encourage you to browse the list as you think of your reading list for 2011. Each title is linked to my review. Author Title Year Allison, Jay and Gediman, Dan, eds. This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable American Men and Women 2006 Allison, Jay and Gediman, Dan, eds. This I Believe II: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable American Men Read More …
Top 10 Books Published in 2010 (#0220)
There have been many insightful books published this year. Today, I offer my list of the "Top 10 Books Published in 2010" Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Spy – A Righteous Gentile Vs. The Third Reich Eric Metaxas Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You’ve Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media Bradley R. E. Wright God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World – and Why Their Differences Matter Read More …
Review of Reframing Hope (#0149)
Merritt, Carol Howard. Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation. Alban Institute, 2010. ISBN: 9781566993944. Meet the Author Carol Howard Merritt is an ordained Presbyterian Church, USA pastor. She has served congregations in Louisiana and Rhode Island. Currently she serves Western Presbyterian Church – an intergenerational church in Washington D.C. Merritt is the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007) and Read More …