Passage for Reflection: James 3:17-18 There is no shortage of worldly wisdom. Scroll through any social media platform and you’ll see person after person claiming expertise on a wide variety of topics. Open e-mails and other more formal professional correspondence and you’ll find an alphabet soup of degrees and certifications alongside the sender’s name. Walk into a public library and you’ll be greeted by books as far as your eyes can see. Wisdom is everywhere. James contrasts this Read More …
Great New Books for May 2024 (#2121)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Trash "Poor whites are the largest group of poor people in the United States. 33 percent of white people are poor. That is roughly 20 percent of the US population . . . The system of capitalism unique to the United States has been wildly effective, both at creating wealth for those in power and keeping poor people fighting among themselves in the process" (p.14). Cedar Monroe was raised in this culture and has served in ministry as Read More …
Preaching Love (#2120)
This morning I completed my month of preaching every Sunday morning at a Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregation by preaching at St. Mark Presbyterian Church at 9:45 a.m. followed by Eastminster Presbyterian Church at 11:30 a.m. This was my first visit to St. Mark and my second to Eastminster (see Preaching Difficult Discipleship for more on my visit last summer). Both congregations have supported the ministry of White Rock Center of Hope, the organization I serve as CEO, for many Read More …
Visiting 75 Churches in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metro Area (#2119)
Many people visit a few churches. Some people visit many churches. I've been fortunate to visit an incredible number of congregations, including 75 in the Dallas - Fort Worth metropolitan area of Texas. As I reflect on these diverse experiences, I begin with context. The map below shows the locations of each congregation When I first moved back to Texas in 2015 after nearly a decade away, my family resided in the Northern portion of the metro area. And, during those years, I Read More …
Aging Presbyterians: 3 in 5 PCUSA Members Now Over Age 55 (#2118)
Nearly 3 in 5 members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are now over age 55 (58.2%). By comparison, only 3 out of every 10 people living in the United States were 55 years of age or older in 2022 (30.3%). Put differently, the percentage of persons in this age cohort in the Presbyterian Church is nearly double (+92%) what is found in the American population. Growing Older According to data provided by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of the General Assembly, the percent of the Read More …
So What Faith’s Top Authors: 2009-2024 (#2117)
Over the last 15 years I've shared reviews or ratings of more than 1,000 recently published books I've read. Each year, the best of the best are featured on a top 10 books of the year list. Five years ago this month, I wrote Top 12 Authors: 2009-2019 sharing the dozen authors who had appeared on more than one top 10 list. This group has since grown to 16. The links for each year mentioned take you to that year's top 10 list. Best of the Best Only five of the top 16 authors have Read More …
Back-To-Back-To-Back (#2116)
Yesterday I preached for the third time this year. It was also the first of three consecutive Sundays that I'll preach at West Fork Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Grand Prairie, Texas. And, this string of back-to-back-to-back Sundays in the pulpit will mark the first time I've preached three or more weeks in a row since 2018. (For more on how I've shifted from preaching on a weekly basis to sporadically, check out Preaching in the 2000s.) So What? While I've preached three (or more - Read More …
Great New Books – April 2024 (#2115)
The best books I’ve read in the last month are Everything Good About God is True Everything Good About God is True: Choosing Faith is the first book to receive 5+ rating (only 3 books received this special rating in 2023) There is more than one way to be Christian. In opposition to the loud voices of Christian nationalism and any number of exclusive approaches, Bruce Reyes Chow offers a liberative, inclusive, life-giving. hope-filled, justice-oriented approach. This "better Read More …
Preaching in the 2000s (#2114)
I preached my first sermon nearly 30 years ago in May 1994. This "mini-sermon" was delivered as part of youth led service at First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Texas. Getting Started I did not preach again until the year 2000. By then, I'd completed an undergraduate degree in ministry and was two-thirds of the way through seminary where I was working toward a Master of Divinity degree. This time, I spoke at First Presbyterian Church in Duncanville, Texas. I had the opportunity to Read More …
My Visit to Westminster Presbyterian Church (#2113)
This morning, I was a first time guest at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City. My wife and I attended the 10:30 a.m. service of worship in the sanctuary. While we have no real links to the congregation, I have considerable ties to the congregation's denomination - Presbyterian Church (USA) - and, I have mentioned Westminster's senior pastor here on So What Faith well before he started in this role. I was raised, confirmed, and preached my first sermon in a Presbyterian Read More …