What does it mean to love one's neighbor? This is a question that followers of the Way of Jesus should ask (and also answer) regularly. And, it is a question with innumerable answers. Get Vaccinated During the COVID-19 pandemic, one clear way to love one's neighbor is to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. My Experience Yesterday I received an automated notification that I was eligible to be vaccinated today at a set location and at a given time. I quickly rearranged my Read More …
Never Lose Hope (#1911)
Passage for reflection: Psalm 62:5-6 Recent news headlines demonstrate the heaviness of the present moment. Nearly 400,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Domestic terrorists engaged in an insurrection in our nation's capital. Hungry people wait for hours in their vehicles at food banks for the opportunity to feed their families. For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is in God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken (Psalm Read More …
10 Months (and Counting) Without In Person Worship (#1910)
Gathering with other followers of the Way of Jesus in an indoor sacred space for a time of worship each Sunday was part of my life story from birth until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I participated in the first few weeks of online or virtual worship, I never considered that this would become a new normal much less that it would extend into the year 2021. Six Months After six months without gathering for in person worship, I shared some reflections on my experience Read More …
Great News Books -January 2021 (#1909)
My first post of the year focused on great new books features eight volumes published in 2020 and two published in 2021. (5.0) Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It by Brian D. McLaren (St. Martin's Press, 2021) (4.5) The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine Stewart (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020) (4.5) Future Church: Seven Laws of Real Church Growth by Will Mancini and Cory Hartman (Baker Books, 2020) (4.5) Read More …
New Year, New Worship Experience (#1908)
It has been ten months since I last walked into the sanctuary of a church to participate in worship. Given the current spike in COVID-19 cases where I live and the slower than expected distribution of the vaccine, I am unsure when I may next participate in worship as I'd always known it before COVID-19. Today, for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, I gathered in the same physical place as others for worship. Preparation Last month, First Presbyterian Church (Fort Read More …
Top 20 Posts – All Time (#1907)
Since launching So What Faith in 2009, I've written more than 1,900 posts about matters of faith that matter. Based on page views, my all time most popular posts (as of December 28, 2020) are Prayers of the People - Youth Sunday (2009) Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014) Review of Not a Fan (2011) 12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (2012) My Visit to Next Level Church (2012) Sermon: Lost --> Found --> Party (2015) Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (2019) Reading Read More …
Top 10 Memories of 2020 (#1906)
2020 has been quite a year! When the year started I'd never heard of COVID-19 and rarely used words and phrases that are now commonplace: contact tracing, essential workers, quarantine, pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, and Zoom. As I reflect on a year that offered more time for reflection than any other, the following 10 memories stand out: Vacationing with Susan in Naples, Florida to celebrate that we’ve now been married for more than half of my life Read More …
Top 10 Posts of 2020 (#1905)
2020 has been the year of the pandemic, and a year marked by more changes in the life of the American church than any in my lifetime. This year's top posts reflect this reality while also including content focused on the always popular topics of good books and Mainline decline. My Seminary is Closing (February)Dear HSU Trustees (February)My Seminary is Closing - The Bigger Picture (February)May Love Overcome and Justice Roll Down (January)Easter Miracles: Empty Tomb, Empty Churches Read More …
Top 10 Books of 2020 (#1904)
Welcome to the 11th annual So What Faith list of the top ten books of the year (books are listed in alphabetical order by author's last name): Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons. Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity. Lisa Greer and Larissa Kostoff. Philanthropy Revolution: How to Inspire Donors, Build Relationships, and Make a Difference. J. Douglas Holladay. Rethinking Success: Eight Essential Practices for Finding Meaning in Work and Life. Robert P. Jones. White Read More …
Top 5 Tweets of 2020 (#1903)
The following five tweets by @SoWhatFaith generated the most impressions in 2020. These top tweets are all quotes from books or sermons by William J. Barber, II; Anna Woofenden; Brian McLaren; and Barbara Brown Taylor. I invite you to share which of these quotes you found most interesting or engaging, and why. Read More …