I'm someone who spends most of my time indoors. For the last week I've spent quite a bit more time outside, enjoying the breathtaking views and ideal climate in Naples, Florida. I invite you to take a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of nature by viewing and reflecting on the five images below. Which image do you feel most connected to? Explain the connection.Share an experience of being outside during the pandemic that was particularly meaningful or moving. Explore the sights, Read More …
The Critical Issue of COVID-19 (#1898)
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way most people live, including the way many worship. COVID-19: USA The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States since the onset of the pandemic now exceeds 10.8 million. And, sadly, nearly a quarter of a million of these individuals (245,000 as of November 15, 2020) have died. The spread of COVID-19 is accelerating nationwide. The dramatic growth in new cases is shown below using a screenshot of data provided by the New York Read More …
First Sunday After the Election (#1897)
The past seven days have been unusually stressful for many Americans. The Presidential election produced record turnout and vote counting took longer than many expected. Now, we know that Joe Biden is President-elect. Preaching Pastors have faced unexpected challenges throughout 2020. Nearly all pastors in congregational ministry have learned to preach to a virtual audience or have worked to improve competency. On top of the ongoing (and recently worsening) pandemic, today pastors Read More …
Great New Books – November 2020 (#1896)
My latest list of great books features ten volumes published in 2020: (5.0) Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home by Barbara Brown Taylor (Westminster John Knox, 2020) (4.5) Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump by Heidi B. Neumark (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2020) (4.5) Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World by Tyson Yunkaporta (HarperOne, 2020) (4.5) The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket Read More …
No Longer Presbyterian (#1895)
Donald Trump was raised in the Presbyterian church, and in recent years continued to identify as Presbyterian despite not holding membership in a Presbyterian congregation or regularly attending worship. One week ago today Trump attended worship at the non-denominational International Church of Las Vegas. A few days after this experience, Trump changed his religious affiliation from Presbyterian to non-denominational Christian. Rather than announcing this shift in a televised event, Trump Read More …
Practice Christian Kissing (#1894)
Passage for reflection: 1 Peter 5:14 Churches are some of the friendliest and most welcoming places around. Whether navigating as newcomer or returning as a regular, people expect to receive a warm welcome. In reality, first-time experiences fall short of the ideal more often than not. When I visited one of the fastest growing congregations in the country I stood alone in the lobby for an extended period of time before and after worship watching people pass me by without receiving a single Read More …
Staying Put (#1893)
Passage for Reflection: Jonah 2:1-10 Jonah’s time in the belly of a whale – or, more likely, just a big fish – is one of the best-known stories from the minor prophets. The story is simple enough for even the youngest listener to picture yet nuanced enough to keep the serious scholar engaged. How did Jonah find himself in such a predicament? What’s it like to live for such a long time in such a strange situation? The top story of 2020 is the global pandemic of COVID-19. As this story Read More …
Great New Books – October 2020 (#1892)
My latest list of great books features ten volumes published in 2020: (5+) Make Change: How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Future by Shaun King (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020) (5.0) Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons (Broadleaf Books, 2020) (5.0) Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife by Ariel Sabar (Doubleday, 2020) (5.0) After Evangelicalism: The Path to a Read More …
Consistently Progressive Christians Outnumber Consistently Conservative Christians (#1891)
Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons devotes an entire chapter in his timely new book - Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity (Broadleaf Books, 2020) - to explaining that consistently progressive or liberal Christian adults in the United States outnumber consistently conservative Christian adults by a margin of almost two to one. Graves-Fitzsimmons relies on research conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2018 for his Read More …
In Person Worship: Worship Capacity in the UCC (#1890)
In recent months I've seen hundreds if not thousands of images of empty sanctuaries or other sacred spaces used for worship shared on social media. And, I've seen nearly as many images with just a few people who are leading or preparing to lead virtual worship services during the COVID-19 pandemic. While average weekly worship attendance has long been among the common statistics used to communicate the size of a congregation that statistic usually stands on its own with no mention of how Read More …