“God needs nothing, asks nothing, and demands nothing, like the stars. It is life with God which demands these things… You do not have to sit outside in the dark. If, however, you want to look at the stars, you will find that darkness in necessary. But the stars neither require nor demand it.” — Annie Dillard Another Lenten season begins this week, bringing with it another chance to turn our hearts and minds toward a deeper relationship with our God. We may... Read more
We are all like sweet-and-sour soup. We can be so incredibly loving and yet so cruel and nasty. We pray collectively for peace and then infect the world with vicious rumors and not think anything of it. We think we are sweet, and it is the person over there who is the sour one. We blame others for what we have done to ourselves; or blame ourselves for what was done to us. We magnify the imperfections of others and... Read more
In this political primary season, as much is revealed about the voters as about the candidates: I have seen photo collages of Clinton’s face showing every filling in her teeth; every grimace and angry glance; every pre-sneeze contortion; every petulant pose. I have seen anti-Semitic cartoons and captions of Sanders depicted as a mentally ill Jewish socialist and how a vote for him means there will never again be a Christmas parade. I have seen countless depictions of Trump’s hair... Read more
Youth ministry is it’s own little animal within the life of a congregation. It is a delicate dance of navigating expectations (your own and those around you), dispelling myths, pointing out miracles (and perhaps performing a few of your own, like, say, getting soda out of the carpet), and allowing your heart to be filled and your spirit drained by your kids over and over and over again. After a five-year stint as a senior/solo pastor I returned to my “roots”... Read more
By Stephen Lewis President, Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) Over the next 12 months, we will spotlight 12 leaders, their stories, and how their passion and call to shape a more hopeful future through Christian ministry guides the impact they are making in their communities, institutions and universities. You can find the complete series, here. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This statement captures... Read more
If you invited someone to your house and shortly after they arrived you felt like throwing them off a cliff; I would want to know what happened. A similar thing happened to Jesus when everyone was “speaking well of him” and a short time later they were trying to throw him off a cliff. I thought they would have been happy. He had told them that the prediction of the coming of the messiah was fulfilled. The waiting was over. Hope... Read more
RISEN, a new movie from Sony Films, arrives in theaters February 19, just after we’ve begun our collective Lenten journey toward Easter. In this latest, big-studio rendering of the epic Biblical story about the Resurrection, Joseph Fiennes stars as Clavius, the powerful Roman military tribune — and incidentally a “non-believer” — tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the weeks following his crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem. The movie’s... Read more
By Rev. Dr. Christian Scharen Vice President of Applied Research and The Center for the Study of Theological Education, Auburn Seminary Chris Hedges’ widely circulating diatribe about the bankruptcy of liberal Christianity—its churches and especially its seminaries—benefits from what late-night comedian Stephen Colbert calls “truthiness.” It sounds enough right to sound like the truth, or at least the truth its author wants us to believe. The premise of the article is that the liberal church, and by extension its seminaries,... Read more
[The Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter offers this response to the new book The Recovery-Minded Church for our Book Club roundtable discussion this month.] The Recovery-Minded Church by Jonathan Benz with Kristina Robb-Dover is a thoughtful, loving look at ministering to addicts in our midst. My concern with the approach detailed in this book is that it is really two, separate books in one cover: a book about churches and clergy reaching out to addicts in their midst so as to help... Read more
No joke: a pastor walks into a bar and starts a church. Also no joke: it works. Five years later, the Rev. Jerry Herships’ AfterHours Denver is a thriving bar ministry with a real-world mission to feed the poor and homeless downtown. Every Monday night at a different host bar around Denver, up to 50 people gather to have community, talk about God, and most importantly, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The rest of the week, with the help of... Read more
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