A few Sundays ago I had the privilege of preaching a sermon on faith at Naples United Church of Christ. My text was Hebrews 11:1-3 and 8-16. Scripture The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living (Hebrews 8:1, The Message). Sermon Text I have a confession to make: I am a neat freak. In my world, everything has a place, and everything lives in the place I have assigned to it. Read More …
faith
The Church’s Seven Deadly Secrets (#1046)
Meet the Author Paul H. Jones is Professor of Religion at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Jones has written two books: Christ's Eucharistic Presence: A History of the Doctrine (1994) and The Church's Seven Deadly Secrets (2013), and has co-authored two additional texts: The Structure of Religion: Judaism and Christianity (2005) and 500 Illustrations: Stories from Life for Read More …
1,000 Posts (#0999)
In June 2009, some 44 months ago, I launched this blog. My initial goals were quite modest: Learn more about blogging and social media by deepening my own engagement Share my thoughts on timely topics with an emphasis on raising questions rather than offering answers Encourage conversation about matters of faith that matter (within and beyond the congregation I was serving) After a few months of posting on an occasional basis, I began to be more intentional about when I posted. Read More …
Faith & Voting (#0888)
Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, recently wrote about how being a disciple of Jesus leads him to vote and shapes how he votes. For me voting is love in action. It is about loving God, neighbor and about self. Therefore, I vote for candidates who are likely to enact policies that honor God and are in the best interest of my neighbors. Of course, I also vote in my own self-interest and that too is an act of love. However, I Read More …
Religious Athletes (#0881)
According to recent research by Grey Matter Research & Consulting "relatively few Americans react negatively to the frequent intersection between professional sports and religion." The study considered seven different types of religious expression: Athletes from opposing teams gathering together on the field or court after a game for prayer, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the game, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the Read More …
Obama & Romney on Faith (#0834)
President Barrack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney both responded to questions about their religious experiences in the current edition of "Cathedral Age," the quarterly magazine of the Washington National Cathedral. Their responses to the question "How does faith play a role in your life?" follow: Romney: Faith is integral to my life. I have served as a lay pastor in my church. I faithfully follow its precepts. I was taught in my home to Read More …
What is Faith? (#0685)
Each year Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams commissions a book for those in his fellowship, the Anglican Communion, to read during lent. Ruth Barrows, known as Sister Rachel in her Carmelite Community, was commissioned for the 2012 book. The April 4, 2012 edition of the Christian Century includes an interview of Barrows by Amy Frykholm. Q: What is faith? What does it mean to have it or to lack it? A: Faith is a profound mystery that we can never adequately Read More …
Does He Speak For You? (#0621)
"Why Does MSNBC Invite Hateful, Anti-Gay Liars on TV to Represent Christians?" is a question I cannot answer and the title of Nick Sementelli's recent post on Faith in Public Life's blog. MSNBC recently responded to critics by severing ties with Pat Buchanan who has written and said things that are troubling, prejudiced, and un-Christian. They have, however, as of this writing, continued to welcome Tony Perkins as a regular contributor. Perkins is the president of Read More …
Your Unique Story (#0521)
Every person I have ever met who is seeking to follow the way of Jesus has a unique faith story -- an account of her or his life to date and how it has been impacted by one or more religious traditions. Some of these stories begin with or feature a moment of conversion (often an event on a specific day), but many more explain the transition to becoming a Christian as a long term process. Reflection on one's own journey to date is an important aspect of knowing one's own Read More …
In 5 Words or Less (#0502)
Jonah preached what is arguably the shortest sermon in the Bible (Jonah 3:4): just 8 words in the NRSV: Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! just 7 words in the Message: In forty days Nineveh will be smashed just 5 words in the original language (Hebrew) So What? One need not be long-winded to be effective. The results of Jonah's five word sermon were nothing short of amazing. In our sound bite culture where big ideas are often conveyed or Read More …