Jessica Misener recently shared 33 ways you may know you were a part of a youth group during your teen years, including You were so excited your crush was going to the lock-in; You went on a mission trip to Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Ghana, Nicaragua, Uganda, or Venezuela; Your parents bought you a purity ring; You prayed at school during "see you at the pole;" and All the concerts you went to gave you the opportunity to sponsor a kid. So What? I was never very involved in a youth 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 …
Review of Not Less than Everything (#1004)
Meet the Editor Catherine Wolff served as director of the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning at Santa Clara University. She is married to Tobias Wolff, an author and professor. Book Basics Not Less than Everything is a one of a kind book that features many voices, including "contemporary journalists, novelists, scholars and poets" (p.5). Each author contributes a single short chapter about a saint -- formally recognized by the Catholic Church or unofficial yet Read More …
Ashes of Transformation (#1003)
Dawn Hutchings, one of the pastors of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Ontario, recently shared an Ash Wednesday homily she wrote from a progressive perspective. On this day when the most familiar words serve as reminders of our mortality, Hutchings suggests another way to receive and embrace the ashes that will adorn our foreheads: Let the ashes you wear be the ashes of transformation; of awakening to the beauty and love of seizing the moment and living it to the fullest. So What? This past Read More …
The Day the Pope Resigned (#1002)
Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI surprised everyone with a sudden announcement he will resign on February 28. While there is much speculation about the timing and reasoning, all agree his health has deteriorated significantly in recent months. He is the oldest pope elected since 1730, first German to hold the title in half a millennium, and the first pope to resign in six centuries. As one who has supported the use of and, more recently, participated in the use of Read More …
Denominational Apology Sunday (#1001)
Lillian Daniel, UCC pastor and author of When Spiritual but Not Religious is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church (my review), recently wrote a humorous piece for the Huffington Post entitled "The Church Year: New and Improved." In this article, she lists and briefly explores eleven completely made up prospective additions to the church year including Bad Preaching Sunday, Jesus, My Buddy! Sunday, and Not Everyone Has a Nice Mother Sunday. My Read More …
Call to Worship for Sunday, February 10 (#1000)
Something - someone - some force drew us here this morning. Regardless of what compelled our presence, we are now in a holy house - a sacred space that can become a temple of transformation. On the mountaintop and in the clouds, On common paths and in familiar places, God is speaking. In embraces and through stories of others, In our experiences and through our imaginations, Help us hear. Together, as the beloved community, let us worship God. Notes: Read More …
1,000 Posts (#0999)
In June 2009, some 44 months ago, I launched this blog. My initial goals were quite modest: Learn more about blogging and social media by deepening my own engagement Share my thoughts on timely topics with an emphasis on raising questions rather than offering answers Encourage conversation about matters of faith that matter (within and beyond the congregation I was serving) After a few months of posting on an occasional basis, I began to be more intentional about when I posted. Read More …
Social Media Shortcomings (#0998)
While I am encouraged to see more and more nonprofits entering the world of social media, I wonder what percentage of these efforts are ineffective primarily because those tasked with overseeing them lack the appropriate training and/or resources. Recently Nonprofit Tech 2.0 posted a list of eleven signs that your nonprofit needs social media training. The list includes: Your avatar is cropped, shrunk, blurry, or too small to make an impact. You are rarely retweeted on Twitter. Read More …
Stunning Sacred Spaces (#0997)
Best College Reviews recently published a list of the 30Most Beautiful College Chapels/Cathedrals. While their list is presented in rank order and features sacred spaces with very different histories and architecture, the corresponding article contains no information about the criteria by which the spaces were selected or ranked. So What? I have visited several sacred spaces on college campuses and far more that have no link to an institution of higher education. I suspect most of my Read More …