Sermon Text: Luke 8:40-56 Sermon Excerpt Have you heard about people who claim to heal in Jesus’ name by doing very unusual things? Perhaps in flipping through channels on your television you have stopped on a curious sight only to find yourself watching a faith healer in action. Today there are more odd options than ever before. In my own limited quest for understanding I have found one man to be the strangest of all. This so-called man of God is best known for holding what Read More …
Megachuches in America (#1540)
When I first saw the image at right I immediately realized I have spent my entire life living in two of three states atop the list of states with the most megachurches in America. While I have visited several such churches, my professional experience has been in smaller congregations (though dominantly in those significantly larger than most American congregations). Mega-Interesting The term megachurch was first used in print in 1983 in the Miami Herald, Protestant Read More …
World Religions from 2010 to 2050 (#1539)
Last week the Pew Research Center released projections for how the makeup of the world's largest religions are likely to shift between now and 2050. These projections rely on complicated assumptions and modeling designed over the last six years by team of demographers from the Pew Research Center (Washington, D.C.), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Laxenburg, Austria). Globally between 2010 and 2050: world population will increase by 35%, number of Read More …
Sermon: The Easter Difference (#1538)
Sermon Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Sermon Excerpt Think about how the day begins. The two Mary’s know that Jesus is dead. The future they had been planning for themselves died with Jesus. They were mourning. In the midst of their grief they did the only thing they knew to do; they went where Jesus was. While all four Gospel writers include this story, only Matthew features special effects that would play well to a modern audience, especially on the big screen. One Read More …
Review: Did God Kill Jesus? (#1537)
Meet the Author I have quoted Tony Jones on this blog a few times (Proposed Inaugural Benedictions, The Future of Seminary Education, and Incarnational Christian) over the years. Tony is is an ordained minister in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches with a Ph.D. from Princeton Seminary (2011) best known for his role in helping launch what has become known as the emergent church movement. Currently he serves as theologian-in-residence at Solomon’s Read More …
April 2015 Book Recommendations (#1536)
Over the last few weeks several pastors have told me that they have a growing list of things they plan to do after Easter, including catching up on their reading. Whether or not you have slowed your reading pace during Lent, I encourage you to consider reading one or more of the following books. As has been my custom for around a year, my ratings are given on a scale of 1 to 5. (5) One Nation Under Gods: A New American History by Peter Manseau (Little, Brown, and Company, Read More …
Sermon: Parade Participants? (#1535)
Sermon Text: Matthew 21:1-11 Sermon Excerpt When we think of parades today we tend to think of relatively fun affairs that are a big draw to a wide audience. The media covers them as feel good events that contribute to community spirit. We need to think of this parade differently. Before you decide to accept or reject your invitation to the Palm Sunday parade you need to know that it wasn’t the parade that was happening on that day – in fact, it was “the other parade.” The main Read More …
Millions More Leaving Organized Religion (#1534)
The rise of the nones (those people claiming no religious affiliation) has been a popular topic of conversation since well before I started this blog in 2009. As one who has long been involved in leadership positions within so-called organized religion, I find this ongoing shift has significant implications for Christian communities of faith. Earlier this month the Public Religion Research Institute shared the latest statistic: 22% of American adults are now nones. There are, Read More …
Sermon: Concert of Prayer (#1533)
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:5-13 Sermon Excerpt The Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father is a model for prayer. While you can pray through it quickly as we do in worship, it is also a rich resource for a slower form of prayer. If you look at the chart I placed in your bulletin you will see that the prayer begins with an introduction and ends with a conclusion. In between, in the body of the prayer, there are seven petitions. The first three focus on God. The final four Read More …
Leaders Clear Obstacles (#1532)
Dave Odom, Executive Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, recently explained an important yet often underdeveloped and under-appreciated aspect of leadership: clearing obstacles. After leaders set vision and motivate people to move toward that vision, they must also be intentional about assisting people in moving forward by removing or helping to remove obstacles that emerge in their paths. Odom explains: In my experience, the senior management of larger Read More …