Tripp Hudgins recently blogged about God. He writes: God is who God says God is. God is bigger than the craft that is religion. God is not what we do. Nor is God some Collective Self. God is more than we can contain in even our most imaginative moments. God is more than the people who have claimed God over the years. God is more and thus, when we want to know God we have to pull the Moses Hat out of our bag and ask the Almighty "Who do I tell them sent me?" God is a Who. This is Read More …
Discipleship
Teaching = Learning? (#0852)
Roger Olson is an evangelical scholar who serves as Professor of Theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University. Recently he blogged about several unhelpful continuing education experiences in his thirty-one years teaching in higher education. One workshop, focused on communication and teaching, unsettled Olson: . . . the over riding message left me dazed and confused: “If they have not learned, you have not taught.” Huh? No amount of Read More …
A Healthcare Challenge (#0851)
Faith and Health recently posted Teresa Cutts' interview of Dr. Augustus A. White, Professor of Medical Education and Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. White is the co-author of Seeing Patients: Unconscious Bias in Health Care (2011), which considers "the largely hidden yet massive injustice of bias in medical treatment." The following excerpt from that interview offers a real challenge to religious leaders: What are your thoughts on Read More …
Unlearning God (#0850)
Jon Acuff recently blogged about his realization that "God is not who I thought he was," which has led him to new experiences of "unlearning God." So What? Our images of who God is develop over time. In honest exploration, it is often appropriate and helpful to unlearn or set aside some aspects of our prior understanding. What about God are you currently seeking to unlearn? Read More …
Refusing a Handshake (#0849)
Within church life, many congregations include a time of greeting/welcome during the worship service. During that time participants are encouraged to talk to one another, and many include friendly handshakes in those interactions. In recent years, however, an increasing number of people have opted out of the handshaking or any type of physical contact during these moments of fellowship. This trend is most noticeable during flu season. So What? Whether invited to pass Read More …
The Gospel in 7 Words (#0844)
The September 5, 2012, edition of the Christian Century includes an article entitled "The Gospel in Seven Words." A few of the many submissions follow: We are the church of infinite chances -- Mary Karr God through Jesus Christ, welcomes you anyhow -- Martin E. Marty We are who God says we are -- Nadia Bolz-Weber (p. 20-25) So What? Articulating one's faith or significant components of such briefly is challenging, but important work. The contributor's to the article Read More …
Reaching Young Adults (#0839)
Bruce Reyes-Chow is a consultant who previously served as founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, and was the former moderator of the General Assembly of the 2.3 million member PCUSA. On the conservative Red Letter Christians blog he recently shared three common faulty assumptions church leaders make when seeking to begin or expand young adult ministries: We (older adults) can build ministry from them (younger adults) Young adults are all alike Read More …
Megachurches Offer a “Religious High” (#0838)
According to a new University of Washington study, there may be a scientific reason why people return again and again to megachurches: a religious high. Put differently, the hi-tech high energy megachurch worship service experience is thought to "trigger feelings of transcendence and changes in brain chemistry – a spiritual “high” that keeps congregants coming back for more." So What? While megachurches comprise a very small percentage of churches in America, they are home to Read More …
Adult Education Opportunities (#0836)
One of my current roles is organizing adult educational offerings at Naples United Church of Christ (Naples, FL). Since our congregation grows significantly during season (the time of year when many snowbirds visit), we provide a more robust program during that portion of the year. A preview of some of the highlights of the season to come (Advent 2012 - Pentecost 2013) follows: General Education internet guru Marcus Zillman memory expert Dr. Bill Beckwith Read More …
Obama & Romney on Faith (#0834)
President Barrack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney both responded to questions about their religious experiences in the current edition of "Cathedral Age," the quarterly magazine of the Washington National Cathedral. Their responses to the question "How does faith play a role in your life?" follow: Romney: Faith is integral to my life. I have served as a lay pastor in my church. I faithfully follow its precepts. I was taught in my home to Read More …