Sermon Text: Matthew 5:13-16 Sermon Excerpt Over the last few years, I have heard one man preach more than any other. Ron Patterson, Senior Minister of Naples United Church of Christ, has a saying that I have come to appreciate. While he uses many variations, it usually sounds something like this: “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” Let me repeat that before we begin unpacking what it means . . . “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” At its Read More …
Christian
WHCB: Denominations (#1188)
Christian Piatt includes denominations on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that with so many denominations the "distinction from others like them are so minute that even the members within a given denomination can’t tell you what makes them unique." Additionally, he argues that "with the trend toward personal and local autonomy taking hold in many Christian communities, there is increasingly less of a reason to keep such hierarchic Read More …
Christian? Who Knew? (#1155)
Who knows that you are a Christian? According to a LifeWay Research survey of Protestant churchgoers, most Christians believe most people who know them are aware that they follow the way of Jesus. More specifically, in response to the statement "Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian," respondents replied Disagree: 72%, Agree: 14%, and Neither: 14%. So What? I would be intrigued to know the results if 100 people who have some connection to me were asked Read More …
Happy Christian Tweeters (#1139)
While multiple research studies have sought to determine if Christians are happier than atheists, only one has considered this by relying solely on data from tweets. The results of this new study conducted by a research team led by University of Illinois psychologist Ryan Ritter are published in the June edition of Social Psychological and Personality Science. Ritter and his colleagues focused on over 877,000 tweets written by over 7,500 individuals following one or more of five well Read More …
A Religious Double Standard (#1084)
While one would hope that Americans hold informed, respectful, and tolerant views of persons of all religious traditions (including those who have opted to not follow a religious paths) numerous studies indicate that most people have very limited levels of religious literacy. Sadly, one recent study found that there is a religious double standard regarding religious violence. More specifically: when people claim to be a Christian and commit violent acts in the name Read More …
Review of The Idolatry of God (#1071)
Meet the Author Peter Rollins is "a widely sought after writer, lecturer, storyteller and public speaker" known for his existential view of Christianity known as pyro-theology. He completed his formal education at Queens University, Belfast with earned degrees in Scholastic Philosophy (BA Hons), Political Theory (MA) and Post-Structural thought (PhD). Rollins is the author of multiple books, including The Idolatry of God: Breaking Our Addiction to Certainty and Satisfaction Read More …
Statement on Ministry (#0962)
Tiger population has declined by 90% over the last 50 years; those involved in creating a brighter future for tigers understand that extinction will be reality if significant changes are not implemented soon. The role of religion in America has changed dramatically and the size of mainline/progressive Protestantism has declined dramatically over the last 50 years; those involved in leading United Church of Christ communities today must be open to innovation and experimentation in order to Read More …
Misusing Statistics (#0880)
Ed Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research, recently blogged about findings of research his organization conducted on how pastors use statistics in their ministries. The findings are based on a phone survey of over 1,000 pastors in late 2009. When these clergy were asked if Christians frequently misuse statistics to fit their own agenda, the vast majority (66%) responded affirmatively. Stop and think about this statistic about the use of statistics. According to Read More …
Top 200 Church Blogs (#0867)
Kent Schaffer founded Church Relevance to "help ministries become more effective and efficient." Earlier this month, Church Relevance published its annual list of the top 200 church blogs, including an explanation of how it determined the rankings. So What? While certainly not a comprehensive this list, it provides a wealth of possibility for the would be reader. I plan to visit each of the blogs listed at least once over the next few weeks, and look forward to being introduced Read More …
Silence in Worship (#0789)
Mark Vernon's recent article explores how limited silence is a part of most Christian worship services today. The current preference for services filled with sound is an historical aberration. To consider the topic in greater depth, he defers to Diarmaid MacCulloch (pictured at right), professor of the history of the church at Oxford University. MacCulloch chose the silence in Christian history as his topic for the prestigious Gifford Lectures, which are available online. So Read More …