Since launching So What Faith in 2009, I’ve written more than 1,960 posts about matters of faith that matter. Based on page views, the all time most popular posts on So What Faith (as of December 26, 2021) are listed below followed by year of publication and change in popularity when compared to last year's list of top all time posts. Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014) [+1)Prayers of the People – Youth Sunday (2009) [-1]Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (2019) [+4]My Visit to Read More …
United Church of Christ
Top 10 Posts of 2021 (#1965)
2021 has been a year of striving to live into a reality known best as "new normal" or "next normal." This year's top posts (posts published in 2021 with the greatest number of page views as of December 19) consider timely topics of reopening congregations for in person worship, pastoral transitions, current trends, permanent church closure, and great new books. Top 10 Books of 2021 (December)A Decade in the United Church of Christ (August)Reopening for In Person Worship - 5 Congregations Read More …
Pandemic Worship: 10 Sacred Spaces (#1955)
A year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote "Visiting 50+ Churches in Dallas-Fort Worth," highlighting congregations I had worshipped with since relocating to Texas from Florida. When the pandemic started, I stopped attending worship in person. After experiencing a full year of life without attending corporate worship, I gradually reentered that world. March 7 - I attended my first outdoor worship serviceMarch 14 - I attended my first indoor worship service Now, seven Read More …
A Decade in the United Church of Christ (#1948)
While I've been associated with Mainline Protestant Christian congregations my entire life, I never experienced the United Church of Christ until 2010. As a native Texan, I'm used to hearing folks say "I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could." In many respects, that sentiment resonates with my spiritual journey and late arrival in the United Church of Christ. Before the UCC Prior to encountering the United Church of Christ I was Baptized, confirmed, and discerned Read More …
My First Complete In Person Worship Experience (#1942)
Until March 2020, I took for granted that nearly every Christian congregation would offer a weekly in person worship experience that would include congregational singing and musical worship leadership by a choir, orchestra, and/or a praise band. Starting in March 2021, I began to learn experientially about the many ways congregations are moving toward a "new normal" or "next normal." During the first two months Mainline Protestant congregations in the Dallas - Fort Worth area were Read More …
Reopening for In Person Worship: 5 Congregations (#1926)
Over the last four weeks I've visited five mainline Protestant congregations in the Dallas - Fort Worth metro area that have recently reopened for worship. All five experiences required that I pre-register to attend, and that I commit to a covenant or list of expectations regarding my participation (i.e., not attend if I had a fever or was experiencing COVID-like symptoms, while attending wear a mask and remain socially distanced from others while indoors, etc.). Additionally, all five Read More …
Giving Up the Old and White Church (#1924)
I've spent my entire life in congregations affiliated with Mainline Protestant denominations. For Lent, I’m giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciplines that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. Here in the final post in this series, I'm giving up the old and white church. Old According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age of all Americans is 38.4 years (2019). By comparison, the Pew Research Center Read More …
Giving Up Mainline Protestantism (#1917)
For Lent, I'm giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciples that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. My Christian Identity For all of my life, I've self-identified as a Mainline Protestant. Despite this unchanging identification, I've spent significant time outside my own tradition. My experiences beyond the Mainline include Worship. I've visited and worshipped in dozens of congregations affiliated with a variety Read More …
Top 20 Posts – All Time (#1907)
Since launching So What Faith in 2009, I've written more than 1,900 posts about matters of faith that matter. Based on page views, my all time most popular posts (as of December 28, 2020) are Prayers of the People - Youth Sunday (2009) Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014) Review of Not a Fan (2011) 12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (2012) My Visit to Next Level Church (2012) Sermon: Lost --> Found --> Party (2015) Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (2019) Reading Read More …
Top 10 Posts of 2020 (#1905)
2020 has been the year of the pandemic, and a year marked by more changes in the life of the American church than any in my lifetime. This year's top posts reflect this reality while also including content focused on the always popular topics of good books and Mainline decline. My Seminary is Closing (February)Dear HSU Trustees (February)My Seminary is Closing - The Bigger Picture (February)May Love Overcome and Justice Roll Down (January)Easter Miracles: Empty Tomb, Empty Churches Read More …