During the first month of 2020, I read ten great new books (published in 2020): (5.0) Where Goodness Still Grows: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy by Amy Peterson (W Publishing Group, 2020) (4.5) We Were Spiritual Refugees: A Story to Help You Believe in Church by Katie Hays (Eerdmans, 2020) (4.5) Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (Knopf, 2020) (4.5) Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose by Stephen Read More …
May Love Overcome and Justice Roll Down (#1849)
I was introduced to the music of Daniel Deitrich a few days ago. In the two weeks since his song "Hymn for the 81%" first debuted on YouTube, it has been viewed more than 140,000 times. An Invitation Long-time faith columnist for Kansas City Star, Bill Tammeus issued what I've found to be the most compelling invitation for all to listen to the song and to do so with an understanding of the heart of the songwriter: I hope you'll give it a listen, remembering that he's not telling Read More …
Open and Affirming: Significant New Stats (UCC) (#1848)
I have long been an advocate for the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in the life of the Christian church, and have been privileged to be a part of three Open and Affirming (ONA) congregations in the United Church of Christ (UCC): Naples United Church of Christ - Naples, FLFort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ - Ft. Myers, FLCathedral of Hope United Church of Christ - Dallas, TX Note: According to the denomination: ONA is the UCC's designation for congregations, campus Read More …
Low Wage Workers: The 44% (#1847)
For quite some time the dominant American narrative has focused on strong and growing economy, low unemployment, and significant returns in the stock markets. This is part of the story, but certainly not the whole story. As we start 2020, I've been thinking quite a bit about the nearly 1 in 2 (44%) American workers who are working low wage jobs. Meet the Low Wage Workfoce "Meet the Low Wage Workforce" is the title of a 67 page report written by Martha Ross and Nicole Read More …
Epiphany: Shining God’s Universal Love (#1846)
Today is January 6: the twelfth day of Christmas and Epiphany (or the first day of the season of Epiphany - depending on your tradition). I invite you to read the Epiphany story in Matthew 2:1-12, and to consider the following The insecurity of the King (if you keep reading in Matthew 2 you'll encounter the slaughter of the innocents)The geographical origin of the the Magi (likely modern Iran)The importance of light (in the form of a star) So What? Those reading this post today Read More …
Top 20 Posts of the 2010s (#1845)
You voted with your readership. The top 20 posts of the 2010s are the best of the best. Only the top 1% of all posts published during the decade made the cut. Based on the most views per Google Analytics, the top 20 posts are Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014)6 Decades of Decline in the United Church of Christ (2018)12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (2012)Valentine's Expectations (2013)My Visit to Next Level Church (2012) Pulpit Plagiarism (2014) Leaders Clear Read More …
Top 20 Books of the 2010s (#1844)
For the last ten years I've published an annual list of my top ten books published each year. While these lists have been alphabetical rather than in rank order, they've also included mention of two books from each list that had the greatest impact on me that year. Over the last decade that adds up to 20 books that have significantly impacted me. Author Title Year Diana Butler Bass Christianity After Religion: The End of the Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Read More …
Top 20 Experiences of the 2010s (#1843)
The decade of the 2010s will end in just a few days. To celebrate my lived experiences this decade, I created a list of my Top 20 Experiences of the 2010s. Rather than present a single lengthy list of twenty items, I've grouped the top twenty into four categories. The first two are primarily professional in nature (employment and education) while the final two (homes and happenings) are primarily personal. Employment (9) In addition to working as a consultant, I worked for nine Read More …
Top 10 Posts of 2019 (#1842)
2019 has been quite a year. My return to the Mansfield Mission Center and decision to join First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX) both made the top ten list of most viewed blog posts written in 2019. The full list appears below. Volunteer Appreciation – Closing Prayer (April)Book Recommendations - March 2019 (March)I’m Back: My Return to the Mansfield Mission Center (March)Our Search for a Church 2.0 is Over! (May)Visiting 50+ Churches in Dallas – Fort Worth (February)Book Read More …
Sermon Length: Comparing My Experiences to Pew Research Findings (#1841)
How long should a sermon be? In my experience the number of answers to this question are equal to or even greater than the number of people participating in the conversation. How long are sermons preached in America? According to a Pew Research Center analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons preached earlier this year (2019) the median sermon length of American congregations is 37 minutes. This number, however, varies widely based on the tradition of a given house Read More …