After two years of planning, the big weekend finally arrived. Naples United Church of Christ welcomed Diana Butler Bass for our annual weekend lecture series. This year's theme was chosen to compliment Valentine's Day weekend: "The Romance of Faith." At the kick-off lecture on Friday night, Diana spoke on "The God Who Woos." She reminded us that our faith is supposed to be a romance, suggested that we consider our teaching of sexuality not as stop signs (what not to do) Read More …
Valentine's Day
Pastoral Prayer: Love (#1329)
I wrote this pastoral prayer for today's worship services at the Naples United Church of Christ. This unique service is the conclusion of a three day weekend event, "The Romance of Faith," which featured Diana Butler Bass. For this service, her sermon title is "The Journey of Love," and text is Song of Songs 8:6-7. In the tradition of this congregation the pastoral prayer includes a call to prayer, silent prayer, and then the pastoral prayer. The call to prayer connects all Read More …
Diana Butler Bass: The Romance of Faith (#1284)
I am pleased to announce that Diana Butler Bass is coming to Naples, FL for a Valentine's weekend that participants will always remember - The Romance of Faith: Exploring New Ways of Thinking about Love, Faith, Spirituality and Theology. The event is hosted by the Naples United Church of Christ, and is open to all. Please purchase your tickets soon to receive the early-bird pricing shown below. Friday, February 14 The God Who Woos: The Romance of Spirituality 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 Read More …
Valentine’s Expectations (#1005)
A new study from the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute, conducted in partnership with Religion News Service, provided a number of interesting statistics about Valentine's Day. Spending 49% - less than $50 (including 6% who say they won’t spend anything) 29% - between $50-$100 20% - over $100 Sex (percentage of individuals who say they expect to have sex on Valentine's Day, by religion) 57% - religiously unaffiliated 51% - Catholics 48% - Read More …