I've never not been a Christian. Put more directly: I've been a Christian my whole life. I was blessed to be raised by parents who followed the Way of Jesus, who embodied the love of Jesus, and who encouraged my full participation in the life of the local congregation I participated in from birth until college. In that congregation (First Presbyterian Church, PCUSA - Arlington, TX) I was nurtured, challenged, and supported. It was there that I was confirmed and there that I discerned a Read More …
Blogging in the 2010s (#1991)
When the 2010s began, I had been blogging for seven months. While I planned to continue, I had no idea that I would blog for the entire decade (and beyond). During this decade, I continued to write about matters of faith that matter. Content included discussion of hundreds of new books, sharing of resources I created for use in worship (sermons, prayers, etc.), reflections on my lived experience, and exploration of new data focused on American religious belief, belonging and behavior. Over Read More …
Pandemic Posts: Wisdom for Ministry During the Time of COVID-19 (#1990)
When COVID-19 was initially announced no one knew how to respond, and everyone wondered how long it would last. Over the last two years and two months, I've written 35 posts focused on ministry during a pandemic. This post provides a comprehensive listing of these vital resources. In-Person Worship Attendance: Continued Challenges (April 2022) All Saints & All Souls in a Pandemic (November 2021)Pandemic Worship: 10 Sacred Spaces (October 2021)Mask Up (August 2021)Latest Church Trends: Read More …
Mainline Decline: 1990 to 2020 (#1989)
I've been hearing about Mainline decline for my entire life. As a lifelong participant in multiple denominations within this tradition, I don't remember a time when I was not a part of conversation about what's been happening and why. And, as someone who has served 9 congregations affiliated with denominations in the Mainline Protestant world, I know the practical challenges this trend presents to the local church and to denominations. Decline - The Last 30 Years I was confirmed in Read More …
Blogging in the 2000s (#1988)
In the spring of 2009, I decided I'd like to enter the world of blogging. At the time I was serving First Presbyterian Church in Naples, Florida, and felt blogging would be an easy way to share some of my thoughts with congregants between newsletters and other more formal communications. And, from colleagues I knew who had started blogging ahead of me, I expected my content would have the potential of reaching a much larger audience. Naming the Blog Before I could begin, I needed to Read More …
Praise the Lord (#1987)
Passage for Reflection: Psalm 148 I grew up in the Presbyterian Church. We were an intellectual bunch who fit the stereotypical label: “frozen chosen.” No one spoke up in worship, and I could not imagine the liturgy being interrupted by an exuberant “praise the Lord” shouted from the pews. Now, I live in downtown Fort Worth, surrounded by large buildings of varying shapes and sizes connected by roads and sidewalks. The limited remaining undeveloped land is more likely to be occupied by a Read More …
Tweets Worth Thinking About (#1986)
In the past, I've limited my blogging about my tweeting to times when what I said was amplified by others. This has resulted in posts that include 10 Most Popular Tweets in the Last 10 Years (2021)Top 5 Tweets of 2020 (2020)Christians Don't Own Jesus (2019)My Top 5 Tweets of 2018 (Jan. – May) (2018)Winning a Retweet Award (2012) Today, I offer an entirely different sort of collection of tweets: tweets worth thinking about. Ten Tweets - Quotes from New Books The following ten tweets Read More …
Great New Books – May 2022 (#1985)
The best new books I've read in the last month are (5+) The Flag + The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy by Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry (Oxford University Press, 2022)(5.0) Render Unto Cesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament by John Dominic Crossan (HarperOne, 2022)(4.5) Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation by Robyn Henderson-Espinoza (Broadleaf Books, 2022)(4.0) The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman Read More …
PC(USA) Membership Declines by 62% (#1984)
Since the denomination was formed in 1983, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has experienced a membership decline of nearly 62%, shrinking from 3,121,238 members in 1983 to 1,193,770 members in 2021. The year over year decline from 2020 to 2021 resulted in the loss of 51,584 members, which equals an annual decline of 4.1%. Given recent losses this net loss is well within the range one would expect. 2021: -51,584 members2020: -56,691 members2019: -50,635 members Older and Grayer More Read More …
Slow Down (#1983)
Every now and again we all need a reminder to slow down. We need to be reminded we are more than our actions; we should find our identity as human beings rather than from our human doings. When things I use every day stop working, I tend to slow down while I seek to I find creative temporary solutions and work toward restoring normalcy. For the last few weeks that opportunity came in the form of an oven that stopped heating appropriately. Last night the message was presented more Read More …