A week ago I issued a Lenten call to action inviting my readers (and, of course, myself!) to rethink their Lenten disciplines. More specifically I challenged us to take action to make God's world a better place for all people. Since this is a bit of a stretch for many, I realize that additional rationale may be warranted. And, I understand that many people need multiple invitations before stepping out of their comfort zone to do something new. Central to the Gospel Since 2005, Raphael G. Read More …
interfaith
Love Your Non-Christian Neighbor (#1612)
I fondly remember taking a course called "Contemporary Theologies of Mission" from Dr. Rob Sellers in seminary (Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary). It was a class that transformed my perspective on what mission can and should look like in the twenty-first century, especially that which is done in God's name by those who seek to follow the Way of Jesus. Earlier this week, I happened upon Ken Camp's recent article in the Baptist Standard that summarized Sellers' remarks Read More …
Myths About Raising Interfaith Kids (#1237)
Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family (2013), recently shared myths parents of differing religions who want their children to be raised in both traditions often hear presented as facts: the kids will be confused, the kids will be stressed by choosing between parents, the child will not feel comfortable in a synagogue or church, the two religions are contradictory, Jesus is a huge dilemma for interfaith kids, both Read More …
Review of Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha & Mohammed Cross the Road (#0855)
Meet the Author Brian McLaren served in pastoral ministry for twenty years as the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church. In 2006, he stepped down from that role to devote his time to writing and speaking. McLaren has written over a dozen books, including Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (2011 - read my review), A New Kind of Christianity (2010), and Everything Must Change: When the World’s Biggest Problems and Jesus’ Good Read More …
Review of Sacred Ground (#0848)
Meet the Author Eboo Patel is the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, a nonprofit that seeks to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, in the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation (2010), and is a regular contributor to the Washington Post, USA Today, and the Huffington Post. He served on President Obama's inaugural Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Read More …
Future Church – More Collaboration (#0698)
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #10 More Collaboration – Less Competition When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will feature significantly more collaboration and markedly less competition. This will occur in many areas, including: An approach to marketing, church growth, and evangelism shaped by abundance rather than scarcity that encourages all people already on a spiritual or religious path to earnestly and faithfully pursue it. Efforts to Read More …
Review of Religion Gone Astray (#0611)
Meet the Authors Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon, and Imam Jamal Rahman have been working together on interfaith matters since shortly after September 11, 2001. A few years ago the trio together wrote their first book: Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi & a Sheikh (2009). In response to the many common questions they receive at their speaking engagements, they have now written a second Read More …
Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration (#0557)
Last night I went to Temple Shalom in Naples, FL where I participated in an Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration. This service of worship included people from Celebration Metropolitan Community Church, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Islamic Center of Naples, Naples United Church of Christ, Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’í's in Naples, Temple Shalom, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Naples. Together we gave thanks in a service that included music, Read More …
New Interfaith Hunger Documentary (#0556)
"Peace of Bread: Faith, Food and the Future is a compelling and heart-felt look at how young, and not so young, faith leaders are trying to finally make a dent in this country’s 49 million people (17 million of which are children) that are experiencing hunger" (National Council of Churches News Service). Take a minute to watch this video introduction to the documentary. A Peace of Bread - opening sequence from Diva Communications on Vimeo. So What? This month has been as Read More …
Save Me on TV? (#0507)
Reality programs have changed the makeup of television offerings. This seemingly ever-expanding segment of the market is incredibly diverse. With that framework in mind, it should not be surprising that someone is pitching the idea of a show called "Save Me!" "Save Me!" has been characterized as being something like "The 700 Club" meets "Real Time with Bill Maher" meets "Big Brother." The show is the idea of self-proclaimed "spiritual anthropologist" Jim Henderson, who Read More …