Mark Vernon's recent article explores how limited silence is a part of most Christian worship services today. The current preference for services filled with sound is an historical aberration. To consider the topic in greater depth, he defers to Diarmaid MacCulloch (pictured at right), professor of the history of the church at Oxford University. MacCulloch chose the silence in Christian history as his topic for the prestigious Gifford Lectures, which are available online. So Read More …
Pastoral Engagement on Twitter (#0788)
Bo Emerson's recent article explores how pastors are using Twitter to engage their congregations while also reaching much larger audiences. Twitter executive Claire Diaz-Ortiz found that "religious leaders were completely punching above their weight on Twitter" and "were super-engaged." For example, Joyce Meyer has far fewer followers than Lady Gaga (26 million and 1 million respectively), yet Meyer has a greater impact. So What? While the article focuses on notable Christian Read More …
The Summer Slump (#0787)
Joe Smith, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church (Lakewood, WA), recently blogged about one common approach to dealing with drops in attendance and giving in local congregations during the summer months: sending a "summer slump letter" (a letter sent to members encouraging them to keep their giving regular during the summer months). This unhelpful and unhealthy approach "corrodes community" and reaches the wrong audience, since those who are most active are most likely Read More …
Our God is Greater? (#0786)
Kurt Willems, an Anabaptist writer preparing for a church planting project with the Brethren in Christ, recently blogged about some of his concerns with a catchy worship song: Our God is Greater. Interestingly, he affirms the theology of the lyrics yet proposes that singing the words may have the ability to somehow make God "seem less great." The lyrics include these words: Chorus: Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other. Our God is Read More …
Review of How Much is Enough? (#0785)
Meet the Authors Robert Skidelsky is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, and a fellow of the British Academy in both history and economics. He has written numerous books, including a highly regarded three volume biography of the economist John Maynard Keynes (1983, 1992, 2000). Edward Skidelsky is the son of Robert Skidelsky. He is a Lecturer at Exeter University, specializing in aesthetics and moral philosophy. His doctoral research was Read More …
Becoming a Rebel Leader (#0784)
Sister Joan Chittister is a progressive Benedictine nun, a prolific author, and sought after speaker. She recently gave the baccalaureate address at Stanford University. In this moving speech on leadership, she shared these words with the graduates and all who were gathered: No, the world does not really need the skills you learned here. Today's skills will all change in the next five years and change your life with them. The world does not need answers either. Read More …
Thinking Theologically – Social Media (#0783)
It is important that Christian leaders understand and engage in social media. This activity must include both learning about new social media tools and theological reflection. Since finding the balance between these two is difficult, many have given inadequate attention to the theological component. Verity A. Jones, project director of the New Media Project and a Research Fellow at Union Theological Seminary, recently wrote an article that should be required reading Read More …
Continuing Decline in Church Construction (#0782)
The following image illustrates the dramatic decline in total religious construction spending in the United States since 2002. So What? The amount spent on construction has trended downward for the last decade. While a slowdown during a recession is expected, this is something far more significant. This year's religious construction expenditures are on pace to be less than 50% of what was spent in 2002. Many church budgets are flat or declining and many have halted all Read More …
A Holy Bible or Kindle? (#0781)
Thanks largely to the work of the Gideons International, travelers normally find a copy of the Bible in their hotel rooms. The Hotel Indigo Newcastle, one of InterContinental Hotel Group's boutique-style Hotel Indigo locations, recently announced a new approach: Kindle. More specifically, "all 148 rooms at the Hotel Indigo will contain a Kindle e-reader pre-loaded with a copy of the Bible . . . Guests are also permitted to download a copy of any other religious Read More …
God is Not (#0780)
On this Independence Day far too many Americans make astounding theological assumptions about our nation and God's role in it. If it has been awhile since you considered many of the documents of historical importance, I encourage you to consider reading Stephen Prothero's new book The American Bible (I reviewed it yesterday). While I realize there is much I don't know about God, I am sure God is not an American. In fact, I am certain God is not many of the things people commonly Read More …