The best new books I've read in the last 30 days include volumes written this year and last year. From 2023 (5.0) The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schultz (Simon & Schuster, 2023)(4.5) Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times by Otis Moss III (Simon & Schuster, 2023)(3.5) Polished: The Guide to Excellence for the Modern Professional by Tiffany L. Adams (River Grove Books, Read More …
The Median Presbyterian (PCUSA) Congregation (#2029)
The narrative of Mainline Protestant decline is well established. Few people, however, understand how that decline has impacted the typical congregation in any given denomination. PC(USA) Decline The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the denomination I have been associated with longer than any other. In the past, I've shared extensively about the topic of PC(USA) membership decline, including PC(USA) Membership Declines by 62% (April 2022)PC(USA) Membership – 30 Years of Decline Read More …
Ponder This: 10 Recent Remarks (#2028)
Now that Twitter is not what it once was, I've found myself struggling a bit to find my way on that platform. Earlier today I looked back through my recent tweets, and selected 10 insightful quotes worth pondering. This listing includes three books published in 2023, three books published in 2022, three articles, and a sermon. Don’t use black/white language to mean bad/good. Just don’t do it (even though it’s biblical). The racist interpretation is too immediate, too easy to infer. –Steve Read More …
A Story of Stoles: Discerning What Next (#2027)
Five months ago, my wife and I moved. Ever since, we have been engaged in the work of making the new house into our home. We've hired a variety of professionals to assist along the way with plumbing, flooring, HVAC, painting, and more. This weekend, I finally got around to finding places for or deciding to get rid of the pieces of furniture that had remained in our garage. And, I engaged in similar work with items that had temporarily been stored in boxes or bins in several closets. Read More …
PC(USA) Membership – 30 Years of Decline (#2026)
Mainline Protestantism has been in decline my entire lifetime. Since it is the tradition I know best and the one that has shaped and continues to shape my religious identity, I strive to understand these changes. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was created by a merger of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church in the United States in June 1983. In one of my more popular blog posts - Presbyterian Decline: PCUSA -The First 35 Read More …
Star Word for 2023 (#2025)
I've resisted engaging in the growing practice of "star words" for long enough. For the first time ever, I've received a star word for 2023: clarity. Clarity Clarity is a word that resonates deeply with me. I trust that my life will be better because of the time I'll devote to achieving greater clarity in 2023. Transition The years 2021 and 2022 were marked by transitions, including new professional roles for my partner (2022) and myself (2021)new home (2022) and renewed Read More …
Top 20 Posts – All Time (#2024)
I've written more than 2,000 posts here at So What Faith over the last 13 years. The Top 1% of these form the Top 20 Posts of All Time (based on total page views). The list below includes the title of each post, year of publication, and change in popularity when compared to last year's list of top all time posts. Prayers of the People – Youth Sunday (2009) [+1]Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014) [-1]Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (2019) [unchanged]Review of Not a Read More …
The Only Major Denomination That Keeps Growing (#2023)
Decline is the one word summary we all know summarizes the state of American Christianity, especially when focusing on membership numbers. It is true that the decline came earlier for Mainline Protestants, but also true they've been joined by Evangelicals. According to sociologist Ryan Burge, only one major Protestant denomination, "has seen consistently positive year over year growth over the last four decades." That denomination is the Assemblies of God. AoG on SWF The Assemblies of Read More …
Top 10 Plates (#2022)
This is the time of year when food is more central than usual. From Thanksgiving through Christmas there are many reasons family and friends gather at table to share food and life with one another. Given this emphasis, I've curated a top ten list related to food. Shown below are the top ten plates I've posted on Google, based on view count. For fairness to all restaurants, I've limited each establishment to a single picture (whichever plate had the highest view count). #10 - Calamari from Read More …
The Thirsty (#2021)
Passage for Reflection: Psalm 42:1-2 I’ve spoken with many people who were raised in the church, but in traditions that didn’t include Advent. One of these folks told me that starting to embrace Advent later in life has been meaningful, but that each year the season of waiting and preparation seems longer and more difficult to navigate. There are times in life when each of us longs for God’s presence with greater intensity than we might have planned or even imagined possible. Read More …