Explaining Progressive Christianity (Otherwise Known as “Christianity”) This past weekend as part of a church conference, I sat on a panel discussion on “Progressive Christianity”.
Selling Jesus on the cheap. The future is here - Living Lutheran. Leaders from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Brkley, Calif., gather at graduation.
The ELCA is on pace to experience a major shortfall in full-time clergy. Parish pastors are retiring in record numbers, according to current data and projections from ELCA Research and Evaluation. This, coupled with decreased seminary enrollment, means there aren’t likely to be enough pastors for the number of open calls. Jonathan Strandjord, ELCA program director for seminaries, calls it a “retirement tsunami,” stressing the shortfall isn’t a future problem. The Kind of Christian I Refuse to Be.
I am a Christian.
Actually, it’s more accurate lately to say that I am still a Christian. Why Conservative Evangelical Christianity Is The Worst Evil Ever Manifested Upon The Earth - Chris Kratzer. By far, the worst form of evil ever manifested upon the earth is conservative, Evangelical Christianity—for there is nothing more diabolical and destructive than to position and assert oneself as having and presenting the exclusive cure for humanity’s deepest, darkest, and most troublesome and consequential realities while at the same time, being the very poison that like no other, perpetuates, enflames, and imprisons all humanity to the very diseases it claims to heal.
Conservative, Evangelical Christianity is the cosmic lie that must be called out of the shadows of deception. It is a spiritual veil to an empty life. It is the cancer claiming to be the cure, addicting all its adherents to a hope that is no hope at all. The anti-Christ, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the devil draped in holy garments disguised as an angel of light–these are none other then conservative, Evangelical Christianity at its core. This is bad news—terrible news. Religion may be a miracle drug: Column. If one could conceive of a single elixir to improve the physical and mental health of millions of Americans — at no personal cost — what value would our society place on it?
Going a step further, if research quite conclusively showed that when consumed just once a week, this concoction would reduce mortality by 20% to 30% over a 15-year period, how urgently would we want to make it publicly available? The good news is that this miracle drug — religion, and more specifically regular church attendance — is already in reach of most Americans. In fact, there’s a good chance it’s just a short drive away. Indeed, health and religion are very much connected. Professor VanderWeele’s new research with colleagues at Harvard University — building on more than 20 years of prior work in this area — suggests that attending religious services brings about better physical and mental health. Faithful to the end: An interview with Eugene Peterson. One of America’s best known Christian theologians, Eugene Peterson, reflects on 81 years of life and ministry.
Choosing a New Church or House of Worship. About half of U.S. adults have looked for a new religious congregation at some point in their lives, most commonly because they have moved.
And when they search for a new house of worship, a new Pew Research Center study shows, Americans look first and foremost for a place where they like the preaching and the tone set by the congregation’s leaders. Fully 83% of Americans who have looked for a new place of worship say the quality of preaching played an important role in their choice of congregation. Research: Most People Looking for a New Church Are Looking for Better Preaching. Pew Research released the results of a study earlier this week about what Americans who leave their houses of worship are looking for.
The results are pretty interesting. No, God Doesn’t Bless America. God doesn’t bless America.
No, this isn’t the kind of inflammatory, fear-fueled message that lots of Evangelical pastors prefer to major in these days. History Will Judge Today's Christians According To These 4 Questions. You can look back in history and criticize Christians for failing to follow Jesus during some of the world’s darkest moments, but today’s Christians will also be judged according to their actions, and here are four moral questions facing today’s Christians: 1.
In the midst of a historically horrible refugee crisis, why didn’t you actively pursue helping the poor, the destitute, and those in desperate need? Matthew 25: 34-40: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Millennial Perspective: Stop Doing Announcements - Worship Facilities Magazine. As the Church, we offer life-changing opportunities for people, but they are often ignored, tuned-out, or forgotten during typical and traditional announcements. Facebook4084 Twitter Google+ Pinterest1 Invest in the future of your church by attending our event. Register Now. Children in the Sanctuary.
I share these words in response to something disturbing that has taken place in my synagogue’s sanctuary twice over the last month. In both cases, a child in the sanctuary made child-like sounds, and in both cases, someone asked the child’s parents to take the child out of the sanctuary. In one case, the person said to the parent, “perhaps your child doesn’t belong in synagogue.” Besides my sense of (and agreement with) the parents’ hurt, these words are also the least synagogue-ish I’ve ever heard. Why nothing seems to get people back to church – The issue at the core of decline. 3 Temptations That Will Sabotage Any Ministry. I’ve been leading a band for over 10 years. 10 POLITICAL Things You Can't Do While Following Jesus. Just a jesus follower. A while back I was asked by a group of pastor’s wives to go with them to strip clubs. That sentence alone sounds strange. But hang with me. At first I was a little hesitant. And not for reasons you might think.
Why Small-Church Preachers Aren’t Asked to Speak at Conventions (but they should be) Ah, conventions. We church leaders love them. Leadership. Church Growth. Church Planting. 20 Things You Should Know about Your Pastor. Your Screaming Kids Are Distracting Me - Held By His Pierced HandsHeld By His Pierced Hands. When Churches Want a Pastor Who Can “Bring In Young Families” Old Lutheran - Photos du journal. A Growing Church is a Dying Church – Hopping Hadrian's Wall. Whenever a congregation goes looking for a new pastor, the first question on their minds when the committee interviews a new candidate is: Will this pastor grow our church? 7 Reasons Why Your Two Week Trip To Haiti Doesn’t Matter: Calling Bull on “Service Trips”
The Suicide of the Liberal Church. Paul Tillich wrote that all institutions, including the church, are inherently demonic. Reinhold Niebuhr asserted that no institution could ever achieve the morality of the individual. Patheos. What Does the Bible Really Say About Alcohol? Why Your Minister Should Be Like Your Physical Therapist. Independence Day Special: Thirteen Facts About America Conservatives Would Like You to Forget. 1. Conservatives opposed the Founding Fathers, the American Revolution and a lot of other righteous stuff as well. I am a Christian and this is how some different people see me.
6 Things Jesus Didn’t Die For. 3 Key Reasons Why Religious Right Leaders Are So Angry. Wingnuts have weaponized Jesus: How the religious right hijacked Christianity.