It is official: I am now serving as Interim Senior Minister of United Church on Marco Island (FL). The congregation was established in 1966, and now consists of 300+ followers of the way of Jesus. United Church is committed to Christian unity, and is affiliated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and the United Church of Christ. So What? While most of my previous ministry positions were firsts for the congregations I served (the first time they Read More …
Precious Moments Christianity (#1171)
Roger Olson, professor of theology at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, recently blogged about something he calls Precious Moments Christianity (a term he borrows from Charles Colson). The term is intended to lead readers to think about Precious Moments figurines or paraphernalia, and to view Christianity through that lens. Olson identifies ten characteristics of Precious Moments Christianity: No or few expectations of members; Promotion of what Read More …
Christians Should be Saying (#1170)
Christian Piatt is the author of multiple books, including Banned Questions About Jesus and Banned Questions About the Bible. Recently, he shared a list of ten things he feels Christians should say more often. His list includes: How can I help? I don't know. I could be wrong. So What? Our vocabulary is of great importance. As people who follow the way of Jesus, we should be agents of love who seek to help others and all of creation while admitting the 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 …
Sermon: Authentic Discipleship (#1168)
Today I have the privilege of preaching at United Church of Marco Island. My sermon texts are Psalm 1 and Luke 14:25-33. Sermon Excerpt Which of you would plan to build a new custom home without creating a detailed budget, and ensuring you have the necessary funds to complete construction? If you do not count the cost and only partially build the home, then it will be worthless and you will be the laughing-stock of your community. Or can you imagine the leader of a powerful nation Read More …
Rise of the Nones (#1167)
Claude Fischer, professor of sociology at UC Berkeley, recently wrote a blog post that provides a solid overview of the growth of "nones" (those who self-identify as religiously non-affiliated) over the last 30 years. The three most significant polls (GSS, Gallup, and Pew) all illustrate the rise of the "nones" from just 7% of the adult population in the United States in the 1980s to 18-20% by 2012. Fischer remarks, "By all these methods, the rise in 'nones' is a major American Read More …
A Compelling Volunteer Culture (#1166)
Many churches spend a lot of time talking about the need to recruit more volunteers. Jeff Brodie, Executive Director at Connexus Community Church and a strategic partner of North Point Ministries, recently shared characteristics of congregations "that have a compelling volunteer culture." His list includes they are motivated by what they want FOR people, not from people; they don’t just tell people that they are important, but they give them Read More …
Jewish Holidays – Generational Shifts (#1165)
How Jewish Americans answer the question "What is the most important Jewish holiday to you personally?" varies considerably depending on the generation of the respondent. More specifically, according to a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute older Jewish Americans (age 60+) and younger Jewish Americans (ages 18-29) answered the question quite differently. Older Yom Kippur - 53% Passover - 24% Rosh Hashanah - 9%, which tied with other - 9% Hanukah - Read More …
Social Media & Approaching Death (#1164)
Paul Bisceglio, a freelance journalist who edits the literary digital magazine Land that I Live, recently wrote an article in The Atlantic suggesting that social media is changing how people approach death. While the proliferation of social media and increasing use of such to speak about personal experiences with end of life is easily documented, how this shift will impact how people view death and dying is not yet known. So What? As people of faith, we have always viewed death Read More …
Too Many Books? (#1163)
Michael Hyatt is the former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S. Additionally, he has worked in the book publishing industry nearly all of his adult life. His own writing has been well received with two of his eight books landing on the New York Times bestseller list. Given his knowledge of the industry, his recent blog post questioning the number of books now being published deserves Read More …