Passage for Reflection: James 3:13-18 Happy New Year! How did you celebrate the conclusion of 2023 and the start of 2024? Did you stay home and go to bed well before midnight or opt to ring in the new year with a few people who are dear to you or were you among those who ventured out to be part of a large event? Did you think about the life you want to lead in the year ahead and make some new year’s resolutions or public commitments to live differently or did you choose to abstain Read More …
Best of the Best – 2023 (#2099)
This is the 75th and final post of the year on So What Faith. It joins 2,024 posted between 2009 and 2022. At the end of the calendar year for the last three years, I shared the most viewed posts of all time based on page views according to Google Analytics. Then, this year, on July 1, Google stopped processing new data and all customers lost access to the Universal Analytics interface and API. So, I'm unable to provide a similar update this year. Year in Review Instead, I've Read More …
Wrapping Up The Year of Clarity (#2098)
My first post of 2023, Star Word for 2023, introduced the word I received on Epiphany to guide me through the year ahead: clarity. In that post I suggested that while 2022 had been marked by transition, 2023 would be a season of increasing clarity personally and professionally. Personally Reflecting on 2023, I see numerous ways in which the year has been marked by clarity in my personal life. Three important experiences that have informed my increased clarity Read More …
Worshippers Are Aging Too Fast (#2097)
Have you ever looked around a sacred space during worship and observed that those gathered look quite a bit older than the general population? If so, your anecdotal observation is linked to a broader reality: The average American in worship is significantly older than the average American across the entire population. And, it is also correct to assert that while the both the worshipping folks and Americans in general are aging populations, the average age among the worshipping group has risen Read More …
14th Annual Top 10 Books of the Year (#2096)
Welcome to the 14th annual So What Faith’s Top 10 Books of the Year. This year I read 90 books published in 2023. The top ten are listed below in alphabetical order by author’s last name: Top Two The two books on this year’s top ten that had the greatest impact on me are Both of these books were not only well written, but also intersect with my current ministry. As the CEO of White Rock Center of Hope poverty alleviation is central to my work. And, I've spent more than Read More …
2023 in Exactly 100 Words (#2095)
As a way of seeking to update the Christmas letters that for decades were slipped inside of Christmas cards and delivered by postal mail, I started writing 100 word "year in review" notes in 2016. Recognizing that one must be concise in the current social media era, I've limited contents to a few highlights. This year's edition follows. 2023 in Review In my third year at White Rock Center of Hope (Dallas) my title changed from Executive Director to Chief Executive Officer. I returned Read More …
5 Star Books Published in 2023 (#2094)
Welcome to the fifth annual edition of So What Faith’s 5 Star Books of the Year! This list is comprised of books rated 5 or 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5. To be eligible the book must have been published in 2023 and I must have read it during the year. This year, just 15.5% of all books rated received a rating of 5 or 5+ to earn this honor (in prior years the percentage has ranged from 15% to 17%). Past Years Be sure to check out prior lists Best of the Best Stay tuned! So Read More …
Happy New Year! Celebrating Visits to 12 Churches (#2093)
Happy New Year! Or, more precisely happy new church year. For those in liturgical traditions, Advent starts a new year in the life of the church. Advent is about preparing for what's to come. And, in many traditions, today started with an emphasis on hope. In the year that just ended, I found much to be hopeful for in my experiences with many local communities of faith, especially the 12 congregations located in the greater Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area that are profiled below. Read More …
Great New Books – December 2023 (#2092)
The best new books I’ve read in the last 30 days are listed below. Unicorns William Vanderbloemen is the Founder & CEO of Vanderbloemen - an executive search firm that has provided comprehensive search services for over 2,500 roles in ministry and non-profit leadership. Leveraging data from more than 30,000 long form interviews that comprised those searches, Vanderbloemen explores the 12 habits he and his team have discovered sets the best leaders apart from all others. Read More …
Ecclesial Innovator: Best Job Ever or Unfortunate Job Title? (#2091)
A month ago Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University posted a job that has received more attention than any I've encountered this year. The job title is novel. My own research yielded 0 exact matches to the job of Ecclesial Innovator and even lacked any near matches. Broader Lived Context In my attempts to process this possibility, I was reminded of a few other occasions when I was called upon to expand my thinking about ministry opportunities, including the times Read More …