Our congregations should make families key to our ministries, but we should support the health of families regardless of their constitution. Read more
Our congregations should make families key to our ministries, but we should support the health of families regardless of their constitution. Read more
Although I am a progressive Protestant and by inclination feel some discomfort in setting apart certain people as saints, I found Brandon Vogt’s Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World is an inspiring book. While many of the stories of saints belong more to legend than fact, what shines through is that certain people answer the call of God and devote their lives to transforming our world so that it reflects the values of God’s realm of... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for July 6, 2014 Romans 7:15-25a Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 “Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” These authoritative words from Jesus serve as God’s response to Paul’s, and our own, inner turmoil and ethical angst. Jesus speaks out of his unique relationship with God to provide us with wisdom and guidance as we seek to follow God’s path in our lives. The Apostle Paul’s words could be... Read more
Lectionary Reflecions for the Third Sunday after Pentecost June 29, 2014 Genesis 22:1-14 Psalm 13 Jeremiah 28:5-9 Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and Isaac. Though we can see... Read more
Samaa Habib’s Face to Face with Jesus: A Former Muslim’s Journey to Heaven and Encounter with the God of Love is a fascinating spiritual autobiography, describing one person’s encounter with the holy. It is a highly personal book with universal ramifications. It is highly particularistic and sectarian, yet it also has an unexpected globalism. Like a growing number of spiritual autobiographies, Habib’s text describes a “near death experience” in which she encounters the divine. In this case, she sees the... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for the Second Sunday After Pentecost – June 22, 2014 Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 81:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 God is faithful and invites us to look beyond our own resources and self-interest to a larger vision of life. When trouble surrounds us, we are not alone; God is with us. These affirmations burst forth from today’s lectionary readings. The Old Testament reading tells of the rescue of Hagar and Ishmael. Banished to the wilderness by Sarah and... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for Trinity Sunday June 15, 2014 Genesis 1:1-2:4a Psalm 8 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20 With summer on the horizon, the scriptures celebrate creation and our place in it. It’s not about us. We have a unique mission but it is part of a larger holy adventure of divine wisdom and creativity. We share in God’s creativity with all creation, and have the vocation of becoming imaginative and healthy creators ourselves. Many churches will celebrate the reality of... Read more
Lectionary Reflections on Pentecost Sunday June 8, 2014 John 20:19-23 Acts 2:1-12 The back to back celebrations of Ascension and Pentecost surely give us something to think about. Incomprehensible to “moderns,” there is a chance that postmodern pluralists might get the wild message of clouds, wind, and fire. But, it won’t be easy, especially if we demand to have worship and church as usual. First, we are confronted by the vision of a three story universe and Jesus ascending into... Read more
As the pastor of a mid-sized congregation, South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, on Cape Cod, I am as perplexed as most of my colleagues about how to reach out to twenty and thirty-year-olds in our community. With the exception of the children of long-time members or persons planning to get married at our church, members of the millennial generation seldom darken our doors. A recent article in a local magazine described the apparently successful outreach to millennials of... Read more
A Response to Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus, by Christopher Smith and John Pattison In a recent conversation, a young adult noted, “I’m not interested in going to the big church down the road, with its band and big screen. It’s just like the mall. When I go to church, I want a few minutes of calm and peace. All week I’m texting and on line. I spend most of my day in front of a... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In