A week ago, I spent a lively hour interviewing Presbyterian Minister Bruce Reyes-Chow as part of our “Future of Mainline Protestantism” series here at Patheos. Bruce just finished up his 2-year stint as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (the highest office of the Church) and spoke candidly and passionately about the challenges facing the mainline church, as well as the places for opportunity and growth. We could have talked for hours. Bruce clearly loves the Church and has great hopes for what we are yet becoming as the Body of Christ, even as he raises the serious issues we must address if we are to survive as a denomination. Here is an excerpt from the interview …

Several times a week, I willingly enter a small, 105-degree heated room and engage in a physically and mentally grueling set of 26 postures with nearly 20 other sweating participants for 90 minutes, concluding with a final deep savasana (dead man’s pose) in which i find myself completely exhausted, drenched and yet strangely renewed. These days, I claim Bikram yoga as one of my main spiritual practices, along with prayer and going to church.

An exciting week for interreligious dialogue and the future of theological education: Claremont School of Theology, the historic United Methodist Seminary in southern California, announced this week that it is “going interfaith” and forming teaching partnerships with a Jewish academy and an Islamic center.