In their recent book, Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible (2013), Thom and Joani Schultz' shared "10 Wishes of a Pew Sitter." They suggest that people attending worship really want their pastors to end the "meet and greet" time during worship, avoid preaching a 3 point sermon, invest time in their congregants - especially away from the church campus, invite their input, ensure that musical leaders don't Read More …
Discipleship
Diana Butler Bass: The Romance of Faith (#1284)
I am pleased to announce that Diana Butler Bass is coming to Naples, FL for a Valentine's weekend that participants will always remember - The Romance of Faith: Exploring New Ways of Thinking about Love, Faith, Spirituality and Theology. The event is hosted by the Naples United Church of Christ, and is open to all. Please purchase your tickets soon to receive the early-bird pricing shown below. Friday, February 14 The God Who Woos: The Romance of Spirituality 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 Read More …
Sermon: Look Again (#1280)
Sermon Text: Matthew 2:13-23 Sermon Excerpt Everyone loves Christmas, or do they? Just in time for Christmas this year the Pew Research Center released information about how we view the holiday. According to their latest survey, 92% of Americans celebrate Christmas, but there is considerable diversity when it comes to the basis of such celebrations: just over half (51%) celebrate it as more of a religious holiday, around a third (32%) celebrate it as more of a cultural Read More …
Sermon: That Changes Everything (#1273)
Sermon Text: Matthew 1:18-25 Sermon Excerpt . . . Immediately, Joseph flip-flops. He goes from being certain he must divorce Mary to knowing he must marry her. God has shown him a better way. Rather than seeking to live by the letter of the law, he chooses to be guided by the greatest commandment: love. Guided by the strength of this love, he recommits himself to his relationship with Mary. He continues with the engagement. Joseph marries Mary. He abstains from Read More …
InstaChristmas (#1272)
Tis the season for preparing. As a part of your Advent journey, I encourage you to take the less than 90 seconds needed to watch the InstaChristmas video created by Discovery Church (Melbourne, Australia) using 600 Instagram images. So What? The use of many diverse images to weave together a familiar story allows viewers to enter the story in new ways. Which images within the presentation do you still "see" in your mind's eye? What is your main takeaway from the video? Read More …
Jesus Didn’t Say This (#1271)
Just over a week ago, Brian McLaren made the following Facebook post: Jesus did not say, "Blessed are the deserving poor," or "Blessed are the legally documented poor." The power of these brief phrases spread quickly, and led him to reflect on the response. So What? Rarely do we see the poor with the eyes of Jesus. Typically, we bring a good deal of baggage and many invalid or incomplete assumptions to the task of really Read More …
Keeping Christ in Christmas (#1269)
Christmas is now just a week away. This Advent I have heard the phrase "keeping Christ in Christmas" more often than most. It is a phrase with nearly endless possible meanings. A few weeks ago Ron Patterson, Senior Minister of Naples United Church of Christ (Naples, FL), wrote a helpful piece on the topic in the Naples Daily News. Consider these excerpts: Taken literally "keeping Christ in Christmas" might mean imprisoning the power of God in a single day or single season. Read More …
Personally Helping the Poor (#1267)
December is a time for gift giving. In addition to choosing just the right gift for friends and family, many people also extend their generosity to charitable organizations. As I was thinking about my own end of year giving, I happened to read Stephen Mattson's recent blog post featuring five reasons why we should consider going beyond funding charities to getting personally involved in helping the poor. So What? Mattson wasn't suggesting that giving money to organizations that Read More …
Christian Expectations (#1263)
Stephen Mattson recently shared a list of invalid stereotypes held by Christians about Christianity. His list includes: all your questions will be answered; you’ll be “blessed” with wealth, prosperity, comfort, and security; and you're always happy. So What? Christianity is thankfully far too rich a tradition to answer all the questions thinking people ask. It is far too deep a religion to suggest material prosperity is associated with living out one's faith; it acknowledges Read More …
Sermon: Misguided Expectations (#1259)
Sermon Text: Matthew 3:1-12 Sermon Excerpt I begin with a question that has likely never been asked in this sanctuary before during a service or worship. It isn’t the kind of rhetorical question I typically include in my preaching. It will likely surprise you and may even disturb you. Nevertheless I must ask it: has anyone ever tried to scare the hell out of you? During my years in Dallas there was an annual event focused on just such a goal. Of course, the organizers Read More …