Georgia has a new law -- the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014 -- that includes provisions allowing "residents who have concealed carry permits to take guns into some bars, churches, school zones, government buildings and certain parts of airports." So What? Intentionally naming churches in a law expanding the places people can carry concealed weapons is troubling on many levels. The law does, however, still allow churches and other houses of worship to opt out by banning them. Read More …
Trends
Proper Clothing for Church (#1401)
John Blake's recent "Stop Dressing So Tacky for Church" piece explores the shift toward worshippers opting for more casual attire, and some of the possible reasons for this shift. He notes some suggest that we dress up for that which we have gratitude for while others look to the example of Jesus and the words of the Bible for guidance. Additionally, he correctly notes a trend toward more casual dress in the culture in general, which has an impact on how people dress for a wide Read More …
Boosting Church Attendance (#1400)
The comedian Stephen Tyrone Colbert recently offered this four minute segment entitled "Extreme Measures for Boosting Church Attendance." As you watch, I encourage to admit when the humor is funny only because it reflects current reality. The Colbert Report Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook So What? While most churches seek to grow, only a small percentage engage in very radical campaigns to help ignite Read More …
TEDx Presenters vs Preachers (#1399)
I typically use my Sunday blog post to share my sermon. Since I am not preaching today, I offer instead a comparison of two popular speech acts: TEDx talks and sermons. The basis for such an analysis comes from Nicholas McDonald's, a M.Div. student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, recent blog post on the topic. More specifically I have chosen to create a chart with columns for the characteristics McDonald suggests are common among TEDx speakers but uncommon Read More …
Declining Worship Attendance (#1398)
The United Church of Christ is a lot like other mainline Protestant denominations in terms of general trends in worship attendance. In general the long term trend is toward fewer congregations featuring fewer present in worship. The UCC's Fall 2013 Statistical Profile notes that more than 7 in 10 congregations have an average weekly worship attendance of less than 100 individuals compared to just over 6 in 10 a decade earlier (an increase from 62.8% to 70.4%). Not only are small Read More …
Bible Over Facebook? (#1397)
Around 143 million people in the US and Canada check their Facebook accounts on a daily basis. By comparison, the number who read the most popular book of all time - the Bible - in those countries on a daily basis is around 40 million. In other words, the daily Facebook users outnumber the daily Bible readers by more than 3 to 1. So What? I will admit that I check Facebook more often than I open a Bible (in any and all formats both online and offline). Is the same true for Read More …
More Church at Easter or Christmas? (#1394)
Many local churches see dramatic increases in worship attendance at Christmas and Easter. Perhaps then it isn't surprising to learn that people Google the word church more during Christmas week and Easter week than on any other weeks of the year. More specifically, over the last ten years more Americans have searched the word church during Easter week than at any other time of year (Christmas, of course, came in second). So What? While many churches do an excellent job of targeted Read More …
Causes of Religious Non-Affiliation (#1390)
Allen Downey, a computer scientist at Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, recently published a paper suggesting that the rapid rise in those who label their religious preference as "none" (no religious affiliation) is likely caused by generational replacement - 50%, religious upbringing - 25%, internet use - 20%, and college education - 5%. So What? As one who studies changes in American religious affiliation, I am fascinated to find a computer scientist suggesting a list of Read More …
Check Your Privilege (#1387)
I rarely click through when I see friends sharing their score to the latest quiz, but I did a few days ago after seeing a number of posts on my Facebook feed declaring just how privileged people were based on their response to a rather lengthy checklist. As I took the assessment, I realized my score would be high. I was, however, surprised by just how high it was, and that this placed me in the "you're the most privileged category." So What? I invite you to take the quiz, and to reflect Read More …
What I Really Do (#1384)
James McGrath, an associate professor in the Religion and Philosophy department at Butler University, recently shared his contribution to the meme "What I Really Do." He later, after receiving input from readers, added a second image that intentionally differed from the first with regard to the inclusion of women. Since the first image is what captured my attention, and since that is largely the goal of a good meme, I will repost it below. So What? One of the many roles I have in life Read More …