Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad things happen at all? Both questions lie at the bottom of an ocean of ink spilled over millennia, and I’ve made my own small contribution to the quest for an answer. Over the years I’ve become convinced of two things: One, there is no entirely satisfactory answer to either question. And, two, the questions themselves are not the ones to which the Christian tradition finally provides an answer. To... Read more
Some years ago I had the privilege of chairing a faculty search for a new professor of sacred music. We were fortunate to find an accomplished musician with a sound record of research, and a love of the church. One of the questions that I asked each of the candidates was this: “Can you explain what role that music plays in worship and in the spiritual lives of those who attend church?” The candidates were all from sacred music programs... Read more
There are isolated and scattered signs of spiritual vitality in the American Protestantism. There are people and pastors who believe that spiritual practice is indispensible to the life of the church. There are a handful of denominational programs and an occasional bishop who emphasizes the spiritual life. And a handful of seminaries have given one kind of attention or another to the spiritual preparation of their students. But there is also evidence that the emphasis on spiritual practice is losing... Read more
It is hard to remember how much idealism was thread through celebrations of the new millennium when you look back on it now. The palpable sense of tension, anxiety, conflict, and – in a word – chaos, seems to be thread through the global psyche. A recent Wall Street Journal article notes that W. B. Yeatts’s poem, “The Second Coming,” has been revisited with ever greater frequency as journalists quote line after line from its apocalyptic vision: “And what rough... Read more
Part-time or bi-vocational ministry is becoming commonplace, and frequently it is the go-to solution used by church leaders to address the needs of an increasing number of congregations. This pattern is only going to intensify as mainline Protestant denominations shrink. For example: 80% of all Episcopal churches are either family size congregations with an average Sunday attendance of 20 to 50 or pastoral size parishes with an average Sunday attendance of 75-140. The Very Reverend Kevin Martin, an authority on... Read more
A friend originally from the UK wondered out loud this week (and I’m paraphrasing): “Watching American political campaigns, what has made a great nation afraid of its own shadow?” The question troubles me. It angers me — not toward him, but toward the politicians and pundits who have created that impression. It is laughable that either one of the candidates for President is capable of making this country great again or capable of uniting it. With all its flaws (flaws... Read more
Some years ago I was invited to a Congressman’s office along with leaders to discuss legislative issues that impinged on religious communities. Having concluded our conversation, the Congressman finished by observing, “If you ever want to pray in Congress, let my office know, and remember, don’t be afraid to pray in the name of Jesus.” I’m not afraid to pray in the name of Jesus – or the Trinity – and I do all the time. But I was embarrassed... Read more
I had a student not long ago who attended a church whose pastor majored in sermons of political and social significance. One Sunday a woman in her late eighties, battling deteriorating health and looking for a shoulder to lean on, said to my student, “You know, I appreciate the pastor’s preaching on social justice. But now that I’m dying, I’m not that concerned about it any more. I wish he would just tell us now and then what he thinks... Read more
I grew up in a racist home. Prejudice was privately expressed. Racial slurs were commonplace behind closed doors, and Martin Luther King was the object of anger and suspicion. I was intuitively uncomfortable with the racism that surrounded me. I avoided using the language that I heard, and I didn’t allow the prejudices to influence my behavior. I can’t explain my resistance to the language of racism that I heard so often as a child, and it took time to... Read more
A dear friend, who recently converted to Catholicism, told this story about a recent experience at church: This past Easter I was given a Rosary from a friend in commemoration of my having completed the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and entered the Catholic Church. Ours is a fairly large church for a rural area: about 1,200 families from several counties in north Texas and southern Oklahoma. We serve a large area partly because we are a... Read more
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