This morning I preached at Northridge Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas. This is one of many ways the congregation has continued to expand its partnership with White Rock Center of Hope. I'm especially grateful to the Rev. Betsy Swetenburg, Northridge's Pastor and current WRCH Board member, for the invitation. Sermon My message, “Who am I?” was based on Psalm 8. The passage was selected as the congregation is in the midst of a sermon series titled Psummer of Psalms. Sermon Read More …
identity
Be Yourself (#1970)
Passage for reflection: Hebrews 12:1-8 In the 1980s and 1990s the United States Army recruiting campaign was “Be All You Can Be.” Through television commercials, print advertisements, and a wide-ranging messaging tools the Army delivered ads designed to connect with a broad audience and to encourage them to consider the Army as the place where they could maximize their potential. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve come to know another entity with an even more compelling message: “Be Read More …
Church Identity in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1865)
This morning one of the memories Facebook thought I'd like to see was a picture of Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ's monument sign from five years ago. I took the photo while serving as this congregation's Interim/Transitional Pastor. Identity It is important that congregations have a well defined identity. When congregations know who they are and who God is calling them to become they can thrive in normal times and can adapt faithfully during atypical Read More …
Be Who You Are (#1695)
Who are you? Sibling Parent Spouse Neighbor Friend How do you introduce yourself to others when you have only a brief time to do so? Do you begin with one or more of the above or jump right to sharing your name and your primary professional role? Human Being Today, many people spend so much of their time working in a role that they forget they are separate from that role and also more than that role. Christian filmmaker Phil Cooke recently warned his readers not to find Read More …
Being American, Being Christian? (#1679)
Does Believing in God Make You a Better American? This question is the title of a recent article by Kelsey Dallas that addresses how many Americans feel about what the role of Christianity should be in shaping the American experience. While most readers can and will quickly answer the question, it is important to also be aware of how other Americans have answered it in recent years. 4 out of 10 think a culture grounded in Christianity is an extremely or very important Read More …
Identity: Who Are We? Who Am I? (#1598)
I am a planner. The tendency to plan my work and work my plan is a part of my identity. As a pastor, I planned worship themes well in advance. Since I left my last call before the end of the liturgical year, I never fully developed what would have become the last two sermon series before Advent. Identity Identity was a big part of my work as an interim or transitional pastor. In my last call, prior to the start of what would have become back-to-back series on Read More …
Progressive Identity (#1377)
Many people think of the United Church of Christ as a progressive Protestant denomination. Since it is a congregational tradition, it is important to note that this tradition features congregations and members with views all across the theological continuum. Individual congregations that claim progressive as a core part of their identity should be intentional in communicating that message. Recently I encountered an exemplary example of how to tell the progressive story well on Read More …
Who Are You? (#1366)
Last week I modified the words of what I found to be an intriguing Facebook status, and used the new version as a status update. My version read "Share your insight: use 1 word to describe me. (Don't repeat any words already used.)" According to the results, I am keen, organized, smart, pensive, brilliant, intelligent, focused, diplomatic, efficient, gregarious, contemplative, energetic, thoughtful, innovator, friend, spirited, believer, son, and minister. Additionally - Read More …
For not Against (#1169)
Rachel Marie Stone is a writer who writes for places like Christianity Today, Sojourners, and The Christian Century. Recently she wrote a blog post calling her readers to focus on that which they are for rather than defining themselves by that which they are against. So What? When it comes to Christianity, so many tend to define themselves or "their type of Christianity" based on what they are against. Unfortunately, I have met far too many people who were Read More …
Review of Altar Ego (#1019)
Meet the Author Craig Groeschel is the founding pastor of LifeChurch.tv, which has grown from a single campus in 1996 to a multi-campus church with weekly worship experiences in fourteen locations, including an online campus. Groeschel has written six books, including The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist (2010, read my review here) and It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It (2011). Book Basics Altar Ego: Becoming Read More …