Cynthia Rigby, professor of theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, recently contributed to Bill McKenzie's Texas Faith Blog on the topic of whether or not religion has lost its bite. Rigby's words are appropriately challenging for those who follow the way of Jesus: The point of true religion is not to notarize our behaviors, but to challenge us to change. The Gospel pulls the rug out from under us and our ways by telling us we should do radical things such as Read More …
Discipleship
Radical Hospitality Isn’t Enough (#0825)
Scott Benhase, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia, recently wrote that radical hospitality alone is no longer adequate. In his understanding, the theology most commonly undergirding radical hospitality is such that it supposes something of a "law of attraction" wherein "if we’re just open and welcoming enough people will naturally be attracted to us and want to come and join our churches." In reality, the number of people who are attracted continues to dwindle thereby Read More …
Recovering from Disappointment (#0820)
Ron Edmondson recently shared his list of 10 ways to recover from major disappointments: Reconnect with God Evaluate your life Create some new dreams Call in the advisors Don't take your pain and anger out on others Take a break When it's time, be willing to risk again Don't let failure or disappointment define you Do something Get back in the game So What? The list of possible major disappointments one can experience in life is nearly endless. When struggling with a Read More …
An Extravagant Welcome (#0816)
John Acuff recently shared the extravagant (and lengthy!) welcome found in the bulletin at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community in Daytona Beach, FL: We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds. We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a Read More …
12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (#0814)
Eric Elnes, Senior Minister of Countryside Community Church (UCC) and host of Darkwood Brew, has recently written several blog posts on Convergence Christianity. His latest post features twelve defining characteristics, which are evenly divided into three categories: Love of God, Love of Neighbor, and Love of Self. Elnes attributes resonate with others, including Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, Frank Schaeffer, and Diana Butler Bass. Love of God They are letting go Read More …
Call to Worship for Sunday, August 5 (#0811)
Our journey into this moment is intentional; we find ourselves fully here as we set aside activity for stillness certitude for curiosity self-interest for communal possibility We open ourselves to the Divine, seeking nurture and nourishment connection and communion healing and wholeness We welcome the possibility of transformation as together we worship the God of Many Names Read More …
Bible Belt Too Tight? (#0810)
Peace Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in Clemson, SC is a new church with a creative marketing campaign designed to share the congregation's progressive form of Christianity, including their extravagant and inclusive welcoming mentality, with their community. The effort includes "a series of 10 catchy, thought-provoking posters lifting up the church’s commitment to re-imagine faith, justice and mission." So What? The United Church of Christ's decade old Read More …
A New Chick-Fil-A Conversation (#0808)
Monday, July 16 will be remembered as an important day in the life of the business known for its chicken sandwiches and creative marketing. That was the day when Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fil-A, was quoted in a Baptist Press article about several topics, including his understanding of the company's "Christian" view of marriage and family: We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led Read More …
Troubling “Christian” Happenings (#0806)
Christians who are engaged in works of justice and compassion make a tremendous difference in the world, but usually do not receive considerable attention from the media. Over the last few days several stories have put on display behaviors that can only be viewed as unhelpful, unhealthy, and un-Christian. Three such stories are Fake church kidnapping; Black couple denied church wedding ; and Puppeteer who performed at churches sought to become a cannibal. So Read More …
Church Size & First Time Guests (#0805)
Faith Perceptions recently released the latest edition of their church index, which provides insight into the experiences of first time guests. More specifically, the findings are based on 1,152 separate and unique church services attended by the company's mystery guests (think mystery shoppers for church attendance) between early 2008 and June 1, 2012. The overall results for each church size are shown below (p.6). So What? Large churches (those with average weekly Read More …