church as abbey
We're in a transition in our church some 4 years after my arrival as pastor. Our congregation is aging, and younger families have left the church, primarily because we didn't offer the programs that larger churches in our area offer for children and youth. We recognize
Lectionary Yr A
Here's the sermon I'm preaching on Sunday, September 7, 2008. I hope you have a wonderful day at your church. A New Debt For A New Day Romans 13:8-148 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who
bless the world
Tom Sine's latest book, The New Conspirators, celebrates the increasing diversity in the church. Sine's book continues the theme of his classic book, The Mustard Seed Conspiracy, published in 1981. Sine was a 'red-letter Christian' before the official group existed, and in this hopeful
bless the world
Here's the sermon I'm preaching Sunday, August 24, 2008, from Romans 12:1-8. I hope you have a wonderful day on Sunday. Living Sacrifice, Graceful Service Romans 12:1-8 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as
Lectionary Yr A
Imprisoned by God’s Mercy Romans 11:1-2, 29-32 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 11:2a God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do
Congregation
Today I bought pollster John Zogby's new book, The Way We'll Be, subtitled, The Zogby Report on The Transformation of the American Dream. Called a "super pollster" because he uses innovative methodologies in his polling work, Zogby sees a very different future for the
More Sermons
If your sermons were on TV, like those of Reverend Jeremiah Wright or John Hagee, how would you come across to the watching public? Neither Wright's nor Hagee's preaching, at least the soundbites we heard, sounded very attractive to the general public which is why the
Journey
"Priority drift." I made that phrase up to describe the state I found myself in a couple of weeks ago. Simply put: my priorities had drifted. I found myself spread too thin, doing too many good things, and not doing the things I felt called -- even compelled
bless the world
About 30 years ago, lots of churches bought into the myth that building a gym was the answer to all their outreach woes. Churches thought "build it and they will come" long before Ray Kinsella made it popular in Field of Dreams. But in real life, somebody has
Culture
Title sound familiar? Well, apparently Buddhists in Japan are facing the same challenges as small churches in the US. Listen to this from the New York Times article, "In Japan, Buddhism May Be Dying Out:" The lack of successors to chief priests is jeopardizing family-run temples nationwide. While
Global issues
I ran across this site, internetforeveryone.org, which touts "the internet for everyone." Not hard to figure that out -- their reasoning is broadband access enables everyone to participate in democracy and exercise free speech. Good argument, especially in light of the fact that only 20% of the
Community
At the end of each summer several new families move into Chatham, which is remarkable for a town of 1300 people. These families are new faculty members at Hargrave Military Academy and Chatham Hall here in our small town. This year, we're going to figure out ways to