Every now and again we all need a reminder to slow down. We need to be reminded we are more than our actions; we should find our identity as human beings rather than from our human doings. When things I use every day stop working, I tend to slow down while I seek to I find creative temporary solutions and work toward restoring normalcy. For the last few weeks that opportunity came in the form of an oven that stopped heating appropriately. Last night the message was presented more Read More …
Just How Christian are Christians? (#1982)
Holy Week is a time when many Christians spend more time engaged in overtly religious activities than any other week of the year. Given such, it seems an appropriate time to ask the question, "Just how Christian are Christians today?" Or, put differently, how do others experience and perceive the Christians around them and how do Christians perceive themselves? Looking Back Fifteen years ago, I was introduced to a book to what was then a recently published book considering how Read More …
In-Person Worship Attendance: Continued Challenges (#1981)
In a pre-pandemic world, when people mentioned attending worship, I assumed they were speaking of an in-person experience. This assumption in no way minimizes the many ways in my lifetime people have heard and/or seen services of worship without being physically present - from the days of audio cassette tapes to the more recent options of livestreaming. I was taught that these supplemental approaches worked well for niche audiences, such as those who were homebound, ill, or traveling. Since Read More …
Great New Books – April 2022 (#1980)
The best new books I've read in the last month are (5.0) Necessary Risks: Challenges Privileged People Need to Face by Teri McDowell Ott (Fortress Press, 2022)(4.5) This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley (Convergent, 2022)(4.5) Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care: How to Respond When Things Are Falling Apart by Karen A. McClintock (Fortress Press, 2022)(4.5) The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent & Defy Effectively by Todd B. Kashdan Read More …
How’s Your Foundation? (#1979)
For the last few months, I've watched as dozens of workers have used a variety of equipment to prepare a piece of land just outside my front door for the construction of a building. In recent days all of that work has culminated in pouring a strong foundation. Jesus talked about everyday topics often, including building. In the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (found in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 7:24-27 and Sermon on the Plain: Luke 6:46-49) he compared those who hear his Read More …
It’s Lent Again (#1978)
Lent has always been a big deal to me. I grew up Presbyterian. I spent 20+ years in parish ministry. And, I tend to appreciate anything that inspires more focused action in life or in the life of faith. Lenten Reflections: The Last 10 Years Not surprisingly, I've written quite a bit about Lent here at So What Faith over the years. A sampling from odd numbered years follows: 2011 - Social Media: Fast or Engage? - consideration of a then current article and interview with Bruce Read More …
Great New Books – March 2022 (#1977)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are (5+) 20 Myths About Religion and Politics in America by Ryan P. Burge (Fortress Press, 2022)(5.0) Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week by Jason Porterfield (Herald Press, 2022)(4.5) Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie (Convergent, 2022)(4.5) God is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland (HarperOne, 2022)(4.0) The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your Church in a Rapidly Read More …
Lifelong Retention: A Religious Challenge (#1976)
Do you still affiliate with the general religious tradition of your childhood? If so, you are among the majority. In his new book, 20 Myths About Religion and Politics in America (Fortress Press, 2022), Ryan P. Burge includes the myth that the growth of the nones (those with no religious affiliation) is largely from people leaving the church (Myth #15, p.165-174). Using widely available data, Burge shows that the growth of nones is actually due to generational replacement and high retention Read More …
Contrasting Missional Priorities (#1975)
What do you consider to be the church's top missional priority? According to a survey conducted by Barna in 2020, Protestant pastors answers differ dramatically depending on whether or not they are affiliated with a Mainline denomination or not. The chart below summarizes those Barna findings and is one of a number of Barna surveys found in Glenn Packiam's new book, The Resilient Pastor (Baker Books, 2022). So What? As someone who works in the area of local poverty alleviation, Read More …
UCC Membership Decline: 2,193,593 to 773,539 (#1974)
Membership in all Mainline Protestant denominations has been in decline since before I was born. The United Church of Christ's membership decline is not extraordinary or unusual when compared to other Mainline Protestant denominations. Like many authors, I write about what I know and about what matters to me. As a result you'll find the greatest amount of information about membership decline in the two denominations I've invested more of my life in than the rest: United Church of Christ Read More …