In the June 28, 2011, edition of the Christian Century, Thomas G. Long contributes an article that questions the wisdom of the idea of well defined stages of grief. Over the last generation, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) gained widespread acceptance and led to the creation of a "cottage industry of bereavement counselors and grief managers" (p.35). Drawing on Ruth Davis Konigsberg’s new book The Truth About Read More …
Discipleship
America’s Best Read Cities (#0408)
Across the country book stores have been closing their doors as more and more people opt to purchase their reading material online. Amazon has secured a seemingly ever increasing share in the market and has begun to leverage this new position. Recently, Amazon announced its list of America's "Most Well Read Cities," which is based on "sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format" for the calendar year to date for "cities with more Read More …
No Vacation Nation (#0406)
Rebecca Ray and John Schmitt's report for the Center for Economic Policy and Research, "No-Vacation Nation," explores how different America is from the rest of the world's industrialized countries when it comes to vacation: The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation. European countries establish legal rights to at least 20 days of paid vacation per year, with legal requirement of 25 and even 30 or more days in some Read More …
Random Act of Kindness Or Not? (#0405)
WAY-FM provides listener supported Christian radio in multiple communities throughout the United States, including Southwest Florida. Like most stations, they engage in a significant amount of programming. One such appeal has captured my attention: Drive Through Difference. The local station has encouraged its listeners to participate in this endeavor on multiple occasions with the most recent being held yesterday on June 24. According to their description, participants are Read More …
Progressive Theology – Shared Affirmations (#0401)
Patheos recently launched a progressive Christian portal. During the next two weeks, this new portal is hosting a symposium exploring what progressive Christianity is and why that matters today. Bruce Epperly, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who serves as Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Continuing Education at Lancaster Theological Seminary, contributed an article to this week's discussion Read More …
If You Work . . . (#0400)
Seth Godin is the author of twelve books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change, and work. He recently posted these challenging words about work on his blog: If you're going to work . . . work hard. That way, you'll have something to show for it. The biggest waste is to do that thing you call work, but to interrupt it, compromise it, cheat it and still call it work. So What? I have had a number of jobs in both sacred and Read More …
How Happy Are Americans? (#0399)
According to a new list of the happiest nations, the United States has considerable room for improvement. Created by 24/7 Wall St., the list relies on data from the new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Better Life Index, which is based on measurements of quality of life including housing, income, jobs, community, education, the environment, health, work-life balance, and life satisfaction. According to these standards, the world's happiest nations Read More …
Is Christianity on a Path Toward Extinction? (#0398)
John Shelby Spong served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2001. In retirement, he has been a prolific writer and speaker. He concluded a recent essay outlining his thoughts on the future of Christianity with these words: The problems facing institutional Christianity today in the Western world cannot be addressed by tinkering around the edges of our theological formularies or structures . . . We are not today in a temporary Read More …
Could Church Membership Soon Be A Thing Of The Past? (#0397)
Will Mancini is an author, pastor, and speaker who founded Auxano – a church consulting group with a unique approach to developing a church’s vision frame before providing traditional consulting services. He recently blogged about why church membership is no longer as helpful a construct as it once was. In addition to references to churches that have moved away from church membership in favor of partnership, Mancini suggests five reasons churches should consider making the Read More …
The Abbreviated Sermon on the Mount (#0394)
Drew Willard, pastor of the United Church of Christ of the Villages, FL, will be leading a session on Biblical storytelling, entitled "The Three Point Sermon on the Mount," on July 3 at the United Church of Christ's General Synod. Recently he shared what he calls "the Cliff Notes of the Sermon on the Mount" with some of the folks in the Florida Conference: You have heard that it was said, "One Way," but I say to you, "God is still speaking..." Don't pray, donate or serve Read More …