I have heard people with widely divergent theological perspectives utter the same message on many occasions: you may be the only Jesus others see. In the parish I serve, the senior minister often challenges the congregation to live into this truth. So What? For those who follow the way of Jesus, the quest should be a 24/7/365 venture. How do the words "you may be the only Jesus someone sees today" inspire you to live out your faith? Read More …
Review of Selling Water by the River (#0897)
Meet the Author Shane Hipps is a second career pastor. This portion of his journey started after working as a strategic planner in advertising. Hipps served as lead Pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church (2005-2010). He is now nearing the end of his time as teaching pastor at Mars Hill (2010-2012). Hipps is the author of two books: Selling Water by the River (2012) and Flickering Pixels (2009 - my review) as well as the co-author of The Hidden Power Read More …
Football, Jesus, and Ninja (#0896)
Football, Jesus and ninja sound like words that might be associated with some form of a youth group game. In fact, I may have played a modified version of ninja football on a retreat years ago. Interestingly, these words can be found on the list of the 25 Most Popular Passwords of 2012. So What? Reality check. Apparently many people still don't take security seriously. How else could the #1 most popular password be "password"? Also appearing on the list Read More …
Removing the Cross (#0895)
Louisiana State University recently shared an image of the Painted Posse in the school's e-mail newsletter that has generated significant controversy. Rather than using the original image, the school shared an edited image that removed the small cross painted on each man's chest. When questioned, the following explanation was offered: We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we air-brushed it out. Later, the University reversed Read More …
Tomorrow’s Church (#0894)
Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion (read my review), recently sat down with Chris Yaw (check out my conversation with Yaw on mainline decline) to discuss what the church of tomorrow will look like. This fifty-five minute conversation is a rich resource for those who care about the church, and want to better understand what the church will look beyond an era dominated by conventional religion. She cites research that shows belief in God has fallen from 99% Read More …
Winning a Re-Tweet Award (#0893)
Earlier this month I attended the 18th Annual Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning. When I checked in at the registration area, I was pleased to see an advertisement for a Twitter contest. The instructions were simple: the tweet using the conference hashtag (#aln12) that received the most retweets would be win the contest. Since I planned to tweet, I kept the flier. With nearly 3,000 people attending the conference, I didn't think I would be a Read More …
Televising Jesus’ Return (#0892)
In reviewing news stories for potential discussion on this blog, I have encountered many unusual happenings. The latest to make that list is the preparation being undertaken by not one but two "Christian" television networks to ensure they have the resources necessary to provide live coverage of Jesus' second coming. Daystar, one of the two networks, now features a live stream from the Mount of Olives on its website. So What? Over the years I have heard Read More …
My Visit to Next Level Church (#0891)
Next Level Church in Fort Myers, FL was featured in Outreach Magazine as one of the top ten fastest growing churches in America (for more on the article that sparked my curiosity, read this post). Since this was the only congregation within a reasonable driving distance to make the list, it was an easy decision to visit. This past Saturday, accompanied by a seminarian, I attended the 4:30 p.m. service: the first of five identical weekend services (Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and 6:15 Read More …
Review of God Believes in Love (#0890)
Meet the Author Gene Robinson has received widespread recognition as the first priest in a blessed and openly gay relationship to be ordained a bishop in a major Christian denomination believing in the historic episcopate. Robinson, an Episcopal priest, has served as Bishop of New Hampshire since 2004. Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow at American Progress. He is the author of two books: In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God (2008) and God Believes in Read More …
Creative Pastoral Search (#0889)
A few days ago The Telegraph ran a story about a church in Essex "who have been without a vicar for 16 months have taken to YouTube to advertise for a replacement." Their creative effort is worth 3 minutes of your time. So What? Searching for a new pastor / priest / vicar / spiritual leader is a challenging undertaking for any congregation / parish. While denominational churches must follow basic denominational protocols, all congregations can include creative expressions as a part Read More …