Sermon Text: Mark 4:1-20 Sermon Excerpt This morning things are different than usual. For you, maybe that difference started well before you got in a vehicle and made your way to church . . . Or maybe it started moments ago when you saw something unfamiliar happen as Pastor Ron moved a screen onto the chancel . . . Or maybe it will begin the moment I hit play . . . <Show World's Toughest Job Video> While not a religious holiday, many Christian worship services in Read More …
Print Media Costs How Much? (#1412)
Without giving away my age, I will admit that when I started out in ministry print media was at the center of the church communications world. Nearly everything deemed worth communicating was printed. Anything of real significance was communicated through a variety of print pieces usually including a specialty piece (brochure, postcard, etc.) and mentions in the big two (weekly worship bulletin and monthly newsletter). While websites did exist, they certainly were not a central Read More …
Music in Worship (#1411)
David Neff, former editor in chief of Christianity Today and church music director for nearly three decades, recently suggested that music in worship should be intentionally eclectic - utilizing a variety of styles and sources, and focused on enabling worship rather than artistic excellence (or a performance mentality). So What? Music plays an important role in Christian worship. When a given congregation experiences only a very narrow range of music styles or theological Read More …
Youth Min: Exit Interviews (#1410)
Every congregation I have served has recognized students when they graduate from high school. In most cases this recognition has included both formal recognition in a Sunday morning worship service (or services) along with a more personalized celebration in the context of youth ministry. As these new graduates prepare to transition from the youth ministry (those devised for students in middle school and high school) into a college or young adult ministry, youth ministry leaders Read More …
Only in Church (#1409)
Jon Acuff recently shared a short list of things that only happen in church: ask a stranger to scoot to the middle, hug people you don't really know, and shout phrases of encouragement when someone says something good. So What? As I read his post and skimmed some of the many comments on it, I realized the focus was primarily on worship. While I am not part of a community of faith that practices shouting in worship (words of encouragement or otherwise!), I certainly have seen Read More …
Happy or Meaningful? (#1408)
Daisy Grewal's recent article - "A Happy Life May Not Be a Meaningful Life" - is a good reminder of the difference between happiness and meaningfulness. Happy According to recent research, happiness "was strongly correlated with seeing life as easy, pleasant, and free from difficult or troubling events." While money alone may not be enough to create happiness, "having enough money to buy what one needs in life, as well as what one desires, were also positively correlated with greater Read More …
Recent Reading – May (#1407)
Busy is a buzzword. It is, however, also an accurate description of my world at the moment. With this in mind, I offer ratings rather than reviews for the last four books I read (listed by rating, on a scale of 5.0). For those awaiting regular weekly reviews, stay tuned! I hope to return to that feature in July. (5+) The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown by Paul Taylor (2014). (5) Learning to Walk in the Read More …
Sermon: More Than Showing Up (#1406)
Sermon Text: Matthew 22:1-14 Sermon Excerpt: I still remember the first sermon I ever preached. Actually, I remember the preparation far better than the actual message . . . Thankfully no parishioners were exposed to or harmed by my effort. During the spring semester of my freshman year in college, I took an introductory course on preaching. The goal was to learn how to prepare a sermon, and how to deliver it. When it came time to actually work on our own sermons the first Read More …
UCC Files Landmark Lawsuit (#1405)
By now I hope you have heard that earlier this week the United Church of Christ filed lawsuit arguing that North Carolina marriage laws limit ministers' choices, violate the principle of "free exercise of religion" upon which the church is built, and restrict the freedoms of religion and expressive association guaranteed in the First Amendment. The following 2 1/2 minute video message from Geoffrey Black, President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ, provides a helpful Read More …
Religious Profiles (#1404)
Since the American religious landscape is always changing, it is important to note current demographic data. The following image is from the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings based on data captured last summer. So What? According to this survey of just over 2,000 people religious progressives are more racially diverse than any other group, and are more than twice as successful in attracting the affiliation of America's youngest adults: the Millennials. On the other end Read More …