Let Dry Bones Live: Some Reflections on Reviving the Congregation

Last updated on: September 17, 2014 at 11:14 pm By Chuck Queen

Reviving the Congregation: Pastoral Leadership in a Changing Context, by Michael W. Foss, is the kind of book that should be read by every seminary student on a pastoral ministry track or lay leader/minister in a local congregation in need of some ministry training. It’s as much about maintaining and nurturing congregational vitality, health, and vision as it is about “reviving” – so I’m not sure the title is accurate. Foss offers much sound, seasoned, practical wisdom for pastors and... Read more

Michael Yankoski: Three Ways to Embrace The Sacred This Year

Last updated on: September 17, 2014 at 7:57 pm By Guest Contributor

by Michael Yankoski Earth’s crammed with heaven And every common bush afire with God; But only those who see, take off their shoes. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning Being oblivious to the Sacred is endemic these days. Amidst our drive by, fly by, shop-till-you-drop frenzy of a world, most of us have conditioned our capacity for attentiveness, for contemplation, for hearing the “still small voice of God” right out of ourselves. Some blame electronic technology, others blame their family of origin, still... Read more

Intimate Silence: Spirituality of Desert Preservation

Last updated on: September 16, 2014 at 11:27 pm By Jim Burklo

Reflection by Jim Burklo Desert Stewardship Project event, 9/6/14, Joshua Tree National Monument A young Muslim woman student at the University of Southern California once told me that the reason she fasts at Ramadan is to manifest an essential human quality. Human beings, she said, are the only creatures that are able to restrain themselves from doing what they want to do. When animals are hungry, they find something to eat and eat it. When they are thirsty, they find... Read more

Stump a Bible Scholar: What Happened to the Women’s Stories?

Last updated on: September 16, 2014 at 7:25 pm By Guest Contributor

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Tuesday is Stump a Scholar day here at Patheos Progressive Christian — and no question is too tough or too radical for our experts! This month, we’re answering your questions about the Bible with resident expert Professor Jerry Sumney. Dr. Sumney is professor of biblical studies at Lexington Theological Seminary and the author of Colossians: A Commentary (2008) and Identifying Paul’s Opponents (1990). He’s also the author of the new Bible: An Introduction, Second Edition from Fortress Press, a dynamic interactive digital textbook for learning about the Bible on your own. This week’s question comes from... Read more

Reviving our Congregations: On Reorienting and Restructuring

Last updated on: September 15, 2014 at 9:09 pm By Guest Contributor

by Michael W. Foss Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (TNIV) Can congregations be revitalized? The answer is yes. But it will take both a spiritual renewal and organizational restructuring. Spiritual renewal begins with a change of focus for our ministries from membership to discipleship. This reorients our attitudes and work from keeping our members comfortable and happy to striving to be faithful and fruitful... Read more

Shane Claiborne on Dr. King, Nonviolent Uprisings and Learning from Ferguson

Last updated on: December 22, 2014 at 7:56 pm By Shane Claiborne

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Dr. King said: a “riot is the language of the unheard.” What happens when folks do not feel like their voices are being heard? They shout louder. Rioting is what almost happened in Ferguson, and all of us who live in fragile neighborhoods with a backdrop of deep racial injustice need to pay attention. In Ferguson, a close-knit community was devastated by yet another injustice. They wanted to be heard. But as peaceful marches began, they were met with unprecedented force. Tears... Read more

No More Wars That Devour the American Purpose

Last updated on: September 12, 2014 at 5:29 pm By Guest Contributor

by Timothy Villareal On August 8th, one of the most respected non-governmental organizations in the world, Amnesty International, released a damning report alleging that U.S. military forces committed war crimes against Afghan civilians, including torture and murder, and covered-up for the crimes. The report centers on incidents between 2009 and 2013, a time frame which coincided with the tenure of four-star General John Allen, who was the top allied military commander in Afghanistan prior to his retirement. Allen has now... Read more

Apple, the iWatch, Bono and Time

Last updated on: December 22, 2014 at 7:57 pm By Clint Schnekloth

Yesterday was according to Apple and the press a watershed day for Apple Inc. These days, most of us fully expect Apple to change the world for the better every few years or so, and yesterday was approximately the 4th highly anticipated iteration of Apple as tech mini-Messiah. There is a kind of formula. The CEO does a Keynote. Apple makes some incredible videos. See the ten minute Apple Watch video, for example, which is actually worth your time to get... Read more

Stump a Bible Scholar: Following “the Law”

Last updated on: September 8, 2014 at 11:50 pm By Guest Contributor

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Tuesday is Stump a Scholar day here at Patheos Progressive Christian — and no question is too tough or too radical for our experts! This month, we’re answering your questions on the Bible with resident expert Professor Jerry Sumney. Dr. Sumney is professor of biblical studies at Lexington Theological Seminary and the author of Colossians: A Commentary (2008) and Identifying Paul’s Opponents (1990). He is also the editor of Reading Romans (2012) and the coeditor of Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters (1996) and Paul and Pathos (2006). He’s also the author of the brand... Read more

Penile Substitution

Last updated on: September 3, 2014 at 8:46 pm By Kelly Pigott

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If you ever had any doubt whatsoever that the Church was patriarchal, consider the fact that the very first HUGE fight the early Christians got into was over what the penis should look like (Acts 15). Now, I know what you’re thinking. I’m being provocative. It wasn’t about foreskins as much as it was about covenants. And to a degree, you are right. But the penis played a much larger role than you may think. And sometimes when we use... Read more