Christmas Autopsy: 5 Thoughts about the Death of Christmas

Last updated on: December 26, 2015 at 6:04 am By Frederick Schmidt

The war on Christmas has become an annual topic of conversation. This year The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Henninger even declared that Christmas is dead. Is it time for an autopsy? Scanning the store windows up and down New York’s Fifth Avenue, Henninger chronicled the ways in which major commercial outlets had erased even the most sentimental traces of Christmas from their windows, replacing Santa Claus and his elves with palm readers; the Roman god, Neptune; and the inebriated and... Read more

5 Spiritual Truths that Won’t Change with the Election of a New President

Last updated on: December 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm By Frederick Schmidt

Some time ago, Ben Myers, a systematics professor at United Theological College in Sydney, Australia, summarized the Bible, book by book, using Twitter. He did an admirable job of capturing the themes of First and Second Kings: 1 Kings: So, you really want a monarchy huh? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 2 Kings: I told you so. Read together, the message of those two books could be understood as an endorsement of theocracy (i.e., the direct rule of God). ... Read more

5 Things the Church Should Tell the Candidates for President

Last updated on: November 21, 2015 at 1:19 pm By Frederick Schmidt

Dear Candidates for President of the United States (yes, all of you): On the subject of politics and religion: Please don’t mix the two…in the name of personal morality or in the name of social justice. You cannot and you will not get it right. And, although a few among us have been telling you that if you want our vote, you should share our faith, really, that’s not good for you, for us, or for the country.... Read more

The One Thing We Must Do about Paris, Terrorism, and Religion

Last updated on: November 19, 2015 at 7:56 am By Frederick Schmidt

Did the events in Paris have anything to do with religion? In the surreal world that is modern discourse, some writers and leaders strangely suggest that religion had nothing to do with the attacks in Paris. Paralyzed by political correctness, they do everything possible to avoid discussing the connection between the attack and Islam, even when the rallying cry that the murderers used was explicitly religious. On the other end of the spectrum, for some of the same reasons, some... Read more

3 Truths to Live by after Paris

Last updated on: November 15, 2015 at 8:11 am By Frederick Schmidt

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris last night, the observations offered by a number of writers followed a predictable script. Some expressed shock and surprise. Some urged that we avoid seeking vengeance. Some encouraged their readers to remember that not all Muslims endorse the kind of violence that was planned and executed. Others urged forgiveness and hinted at the West’s own culpability. I understand the anguish and surprise that people have expressed. It is a testimony to... Read more

Seven ways to avoid getting stuck

Last updated on: November 10, 2015 at 12:00 pm By Frederick Schmidt

Over the years, I’ve seen people get stuck – personally and vocationally. There’s no formal definition for that place in life. But minimally, I suppose, we are “stuck” when we are profoundly uneasy with our circumstances, at dis-ease with the direction in which our lives are moving, and apparently unable to do anything to change the situation. Some people get stuck in the past, trapped by regret, guilt, or unaddressed injustice. Some get stuck in the present with patterns of... Read more

6 Questions We Need to Answer about Clergy Formation

Last updated on: November 5, 2015 at 4:56 am By Frederick Schmidt

Some weeks ago, a Facebook friend who is also a young pastor posted this message (which I have quoted here with his permission): So, this is a bit of a vent/rant. I’m frustrated, discouraged, and worried. Worried about the future, discouraged about where my ministry career has brought me, and frustrated that I feel like I’m in a prison called The Church with no apparent way out. I’ve been researching a career change to nursing, which seems infinitely more promising... Read more

The Wrong Side of History

Last updated on: October 22, 2015 at 2:36 pm By Frederick Schmidt

From my list of errant (but oft-cited) truisms: “The wrong side of history”… History is mute and dumb. The product of human choices, moral and immoral. Capable of advance. Capable of gross and brutal retreat. Capable of virtue in some places. Capable of cruelty in others. Sometimes, many others. The course of history is dependent upon the good, which is God. It is also a servant to evil, which is the absence of God, one choice... Read more

Body Image and 5 Paths to Freedom

Last updated on: October 17, 2015 at 6:35 pm By Frederick Schmidt

My wife and I love to cook. We were watching Food Network’s show, “Chopped,” and waiting for the Cubs game. The guest chefs are former or current models: 2 men, 2 women. What is distressing, but not surprising, is that the women have obviously struggled with the projection that up-ended and savaged their lives. Both have obviously spent decades of their lives, struggling with what other people and the modeling industry expected of them. The net result was a loss... Read more

The Making of Zombie Theologians: Catechesis, Spiritual Direction, and the Future of the Church

Last updated on: October 6, 2015 at 12:20 pm By Frederick Schmidt

Over the years catechesis acquired a bad reputation. There were a number of reasons for this state of affairs. One was the traditional format that was used to teach the Christian faith. Catechesis became inextricably attached to an aging format that consisted of leading questions and brief answers that were committed to memory. As such, teaching the Christian faith was associated with pat answers, simplistic truths, and a dictatorial approach to transmitting the Christian faith. In an age of growing... Read more