Ryan Burge's tweets on May 9, 2023, about the decline in membership in the Presbyterian Church (USA), including his suggestion the denomination is less than 20 years away from dissolving, has generated numerous conversations across social media and beyond. The Story of Presbyterian Decline As someone who has spent more years in the Presbyterian Church (USA) than any other denomination, I've been aware of the denomination's decline for many years. And, I've written extensively about it here Read More …
hope
Surviving an Attack & Living a Hope-Filled Recovery (#2013)
I believe all people are created by love for love and possess unique giftedness that should be contributed to the work of co-creating a just world for all people and for all of creation. As a follower of the Way of Jesus, I've dedicated my life to making God's realm more real on earth. Over the course of my journey these efforts have taken many forms, including serving local churches, providing healthcare to underserved populations, and leading faith-based non-profit organizations to care Read More …
Be Ready – Hope (#1971)
Be ready. This is a message I've heard since I was a child. Always be ready. Be ready for everything on your calendar. Be ready for opportunities that are just around the corner. Be ready for the unexpected. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respectI Peter 3:15b, NIV Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and Read More …
Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine (#1912)
What does it mean to love one's neighbor? This is a question that followers of the Way of Jesus should ask (and also answer) regularly. And, it is a question with innumerable answers. Get Vaccinated During the COVID-19 pandemic, one clear way to love one's neighbor is to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. My Experience Yesterday I received an automated notification that I was eligible to be vaccinated today at a set location and at a given time. I quickly rearranged my Read More …
Never Lose Hope (#1911)
Passage for reflection: Psalm 62:5-6 Recent news headlines demonstrate the heaviness of the present moment. Nearly 400,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Domestic terrorists engaged in an insurrection in our nation's capital. Hungry people wait for hours in their vehicles at food banks for the opportunity to feed their families. For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is in God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken (Psalm Read More …
A Word of Hope (#1069)
Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, shared this powerful one minute (71 seconds) message of hope yesterday. So What? As we near the conclusion of what has been an unusual and, for many, challenging week Hanson's reminders are timely and timeless: Wherever you are . . . the promise is Christ is with you. Christ comes and says to you, "peace be with you." There are no God forsaken places and there are no God forgotten people. How did Read More …
Religious Hope for 2013 (#0966)
Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, senior religion editor for the Huffington Post, recently shared how his experiences interacting with religious leaders offers him hope for the future. Rather than attempting to capture the vast wisdom of these leaders in a short blog post, he allowed over forty religious leaders to share their hopes for 2013. Three that were especially meaningful to me follow: For the New Year: may we believe deeply without despising difference; hope extravagantly Read More …
Restoring Hope (#0886)
Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion (my review), recently wrote a piece about hope in the fall 2012 edition of Reflections, a magazine of theological and ethical inquiry produced by Yale Divinity School. She writes: I wonder if hope and courage will join hands to forge a new sense of the common good. But hope comes not through political campaigns. Rather, lasting hope will spring from a rebirth of courage in faith communities, when God’s people prophetically act Read More …
Episcopalian Praise for the UCC (#0809)
John Shelby Spong served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2001. In retirement, he has been a prolific writer and speaker. His latest essay, "A Salute to the United Church of Christ," portrays the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a denomination with the potential to "inspire, bring about and participate in the necessary reformation required to break the Christian faith out of its dying patterns." While Spong has had Read More …
5 Smooth Stones of Liberal Religion (#0362)
Unitarian Universalist minister James Luther Adams proposed five smooth stones of liberal religion in an essay entitled "Guiding Principles for a Free Faith," which was published in On Being Human Religiously: Selected Essays in Religion and Society (Max Stackhouse, ed. Beacon Press, 1976, pp. 12—20). R. Lloyd Ryan summarizes JLA's smooth stones: Revelation is continuous. Relationships ought to rest on mutual and free consent. We need to work together for just Read More …