This evening while watching the Olympics I encountered the Dunkin Donuts commercial, "The Usuals," which features several regular customers ordering "the usual." I realize that having the usual beverage at your favorite coffee place or usual lunch at the restaurant you frequent regularly is common behavior. So is driving the same route to reach your workplace each day and sitting in the same pew (or chair) for worship each weekend. Something Else I'm not against enjoying the usual elements of Read More …
Waiting (#1722)
Some people are good at waiting. I have never claimed to be among them. I have many gifts. Patience is something I'm glad many consider a virtue, but not something others use to describe me. Waiting At the start of 2018 my wife and I moved into our new home. One day later we expected to receive the delivery of a refrigerator. We purchased a new fridge because our old fridge would not fit in the space in our new home. Anything that could go wrong with this experience Read More …
Stuck in the Past? (#1721)
Boston Logan aka General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport or BOS is "the largest airport in the New England region and 17th-busiest airport in the United States." It is also home to the bank of pay phones shown at right. Pay Phones I traveled to the airport with colleagues, and arrived at my gate well before it was time to board the plane. When I sat down I immediately noticed the pay phones, and had to take a picture. I positioned myself in a Read More …
Spiritual Entrepreneurship (#1720)
"What do you do?" One of the simplest ways people interact with others is by asking polite questions that are normally considered safe in nearly any social setting. And, one of the most popular of these questions is to ask about the kind of work someone does. Many Answers For many years I did like most people did during that era and worked in one professional capacity at a time. Most of the jobs I held had titles that provided a new conversation partner with a general concept of Read More …
Every Day is MLK Day (#1719)
This year I did not use Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as an opportunity for furthering the important work Dr. King began. Instead, I occupied myself with the task of unpacking boxes as my family settled into a new home. I did, however, manage to see many familiar quotes attributed to Dr. King on my social media feeds. I also saw a few recommendations that the work these quotes spoke of is a way of life rather than merely the exception to be noted once a year. John Lewis John Lewis Read More …
New Year, New Home (#1718)
Happy New Year! To start 2018 my wife and I purchased a home in downtown Fort Worth and started the process of relocating. This is the ninth place we have called home during the first nineteen years of our life together, and the eighth we have owned. Our first four homes were in Texas, and appear below on the first row and the first image on the second row. Our next three homes were in Florida, and are depicted in the remaining images on the second row and the Read More …
9 Years of So What Faith (#1717)
There are very few things in life I have done for nine years. Today ends my ninth year of blogging here at So What Faith. Asking Questions The core content of my posts has evolved and will continue to evolve. Throughout the nine years, however, I have focused on matters of faith that matter with an emphasis on encouraging my readers to think deeply about topics and continue the conversation. With this emphasis, one constant has been asking more questions than I Read More …
Top 5 Posts of 2017 (#1716)
2017 has been a year marked by transitions in my personal life. And, not surprisingly, posts about two of those transitions rank among the top five posts of the year here at So What Faith (ranking determined by number of page views during this calendar year among all posts made during 2017). The top five are I'm Back: My Return to Ministry Christian Alternative Facts The Immigrants Creed Our Search for a Church is Over The Least Educated Americans: Read More …
Faith Palm Banners Go Viral (#1715)
Until a few days ago I had never heard anyone use the term "faith palm." Thanks to a tweet by Daniel Dale, a Washington D.C. correspondent for the Toronto star I not only learned the term, but also was introduced to a unique marketing campaign by a progressive Episcopal congregation in D.C. The President Said What? The image at right is one of four banners on a chain link fence outside of a construction area on the campus of St. Thomas' Parish Episcopal Church. Each banner contains Read More …
Top 10 Books of 2017 (#1714)
There are so many good books published every year. The best of the best among those I read this year follow in my eighth annual listing of my top ten books of the year. Author Title Marcus Borg Days of Awe and Wonder Tony Campolo and Bart Campolo Why I Left, Why I Stayed: Conversations on Christianity Between an Evangelical Father and His Humanist Son Joan Chittister Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and Authentic Life Elizabeth Currid-Halke The Sum of Small Things: A Read More …