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Imposed Equilibrium
Being a journalist has got to be hard. Nasty emails and public trashing because, heaven forbid, you write a piece that doesn’t come off as some lukewarm non-story of two babbling idiots yelling at each other: particularly when your area of coverage is DC or the state capitols where those red-faced blowhards are your regular…
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Church: Club, Community, or Neither?
Awhile back I wrote about how much I hate announcement time. Go back and take a look at it, because I feel justified in saying that. Announcement time, as I’ve experienced it in the several congregations I’ve served has, for the most part, been a horrible train wreck. This is mostly the case because it is…
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A Theology of Personhood
When Rose and I began planning our family, Rose became pregnant easily. I was finishing seminary and had a position lined up and everything seemed to be going well. Then one weekend night, Rose woke me up to tell me something was wrong. She had severe cramping. Then when she went into the bathroom, she…
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What Is the Threshold of Responsibility?
This is a simple question. At what point do we take corporate responsibility for protecting another’s ignorance? What is the threshold? I was thinking of the proverb “A fool and his money are soon parted” and the above question popped into my head. Because why should we be so unsympathetic to the plight of the fool and…
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Killing the Wisdom of Youth
Think back to your junior year of high school. Remember the things that made your blood boil: what you really cared about. Have it? Now write down some words that come to mind. Just take about 2 minutes to do this exercise. Now look at the list. What do you notice? Who are you now…
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Advent Reflection by the Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church released a short Advent reflection. Set aside a couple peaceful minutes for it: Happy Advent, everybody!
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Giving Thanks When the Holiday Doesn’t Deserve Them
I kind of hate Thanksgiving. I do love my family, the festivities, watching the Detroit Lions, the parade. I especially love the food. Oh, I love the food. For the longest time, my favorite food in the whole world was stuffing. It still comes close. No, the reason I hate Thanksgiving is the holiday’s origin.…
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Just Cut the Church Programs
For several weeks I’ve been writing about engaging different groups in church. Then I wrote about dealing with time constraints and what it means for planning. Now, I am making a personal appeal for an entirely different approach: it is time to get rid of our programs. As Phyllis Tickle adeptly outlines in The Great…