The last shall be first, except when it comes to worship There are certain events where ticket prices are so out of hand that the average person simply can’t afford to go. Prime concert and sports tickets run sometimes in the thousands, and even base prices for many shows keep those of less than extravagant means out in the cold. At least we can always find a seat in worship, right? Maybe, and maybe not. A recent story about a... Read more

I spoke this week to the marketing folks at my publisher and was told that our new book, “MySpace to Sacred Space,” currently is #2 on their bestseller list. It’s a relatively small publisher, releasing 25-30 titles a year, but it’s nice to see the book doing fairly well. Thanks to those who participated in the initial research, and those who have picked it up since. If you haven’t yet picked it up and want to, or if you’d like... Read more

Church can be provocative, but how? One of my favorite games when I was younger was Truth or Dare. A group of friends takes turns asking each other questions. If you refuse to answer a question, you have to perform a “dare.” It is up to you to decide if revealing embarrassing tidbits about yourself is more risky than taking your chances with a daring stunt. There is always a little adrenaline rush when your name was called in Truth... Read more

Planting seeds brings growth in unexpected way Our friends from graduate school, Ryan and Shanna, were planning to come visit, but they had to cancel their trip. On the way from Shanna’s brother’s wedding to the reception, Ryan got a call. His mother, Sandy, had suffered a massive aneurism in her brain, and she was in critical care at the local hospital. She spent many days on life support in a coma, and plans were made for her likely death.... Read more

Here’s a nice article in today’s Pueblo Chieftain newspaper that mentions Milagro, out little ol’ church. Servant evangelism COURTESY PHOTO Members of First Baptist pump gasoline, offer prayers. Churches offer services, hope for good results By MARVIN READ THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN In advertising, they call it “name recognition” or “brand recognition.” In a significantly different vein, the world of religion calls it “servant evangelism.” The approach and bottom line are pretty much the same: Be good enough at what you... Read more

Who has authority over scripture?             Last week, I spent several very intense days in spiritual reflection and dialogue with a few dozen emerging leaders from our denomination. Part of the purpose of the retreat is to find some times where everyone experiences at least a little bit of discomfort.             I found my unease bubbling to the surface during a Bible study when someone raised the issue of the authority of scripture. In my experience, this sort of question... Read more

Is your baby gay? We’ll fix that! According to some, the behavioral deprogramming of gay and lesbian people simply isn’t going far enough. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., caused a stir in evangelical circles recently when he proposed that maybe there actually is some genetic basis for homosexuality. Some would-be supporters condemned his suggestion that homosexuality could be anything other than a personal choice. However, this is not where the harshest... Read more

Gospel is sound according to Alfred E. Neuman As a writer, I spend many hours in front of the computer every day. If someone wants to communicate with me, e-mail and instant messaging online are a sure bet most days. Most instant messaging services use avatars or images that each user gets to pick to reflect his or her own personality. My father-in-law, Mark, has a picture of Mad magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. “Who’s that?” my son, Mattias, asks.... Read more

Churches should address addiction One of the things that we speak about with church leaders is the importance of churches responding with compassion, support and honesty about the issues of addiction. We presented some chilling statistics in a recent workshop about how widespread addictions – from sexual, gambling and alcohol to drugs and even debt – are among all walks of life, when this woman raised her hand. “I’m sure this is all out there,” sighed one woman, “but I... Read more

Can the generation gap be bridged? By Christian Piatt The Pueblo Chieftain This week I attended the biennial General Assembly for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Worth, Texas. This is a big mouthful of words that means a bunch of Disciples get together every two years from around the country to kibbutz. It’s always fun, a lot of work, and though it goes by quickly, I always leave drained. At this assembly I presented two different workshops.... Read more