David Rojas Martinez: Musings on the Autumnal Equinox
Fall is upon us and we begin to learn, once again, to let go and trust and rest for a while.
Greg Cootsona/Science for the Church: Flourish Through Your Work - An Interview with Luke Bobo
Luke Bobo is Vice President of Networks at Made to Flourish (MTF), an organization that seeks to empower pastors “to better engage, equip, and encourage each other as they integrate a more robust theology of faith, work, and economics into their churches.”
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Xerxes, Esther, Haman, and Mordecai (Esther 7:1-6, 9-10)
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the 19th Sunday After Pentecost. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Esther
Rev. Jenny Sung: Who Said You Were Naked?
At the root of our relationship with God is the gift of choice. Our thoughtful Designer never intended us to be obedient robots who live out a particular plan, so God included the seed of agency. God recognized that choice is healing and the most loving.
Drew Rick-Miller/Science for the Church: Has Science Changed My Prayer Life?
How has science impacted my prayer life? I hope this is a question our series on prayer is leading you to ask. It certainly is for me.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Envy (James 3:13-16)
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the 18th Sunday After Pentecost:
Dr. Todd Green: “Never Forget”? 9/11 and the Ethics of Memory
“Never Forget” is the most recognizable slogan connected to the 9/11 attacks. In the months and years following the attacks, the slogan was plastered on banners, bumper stickers, and billboards. The meaning seems clear, so much so that the slogan is not really debated or questioned in mainstream America. But is the meaning clear?
Bishop Michael Curry on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
As followers of Jesus, and with our siblings in other faith traditions, we place great value on the act of remembrance. As we reflect on the solemn anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, we remember many loved ones lost and first responders who put their lives at risk, modeling the sacrificial love of Jesus, who said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Natalia Terfa: The Church and the Great Resignation
There’s a phenomenon we’re experiencing right now, one that is predicted to continue over the next year, called “The Great Resignation.” Four million people in the U.S. quit their jobs in April alone, and a not insignificant number of others are at least considering it.
Greg Cootsona/Science for the Church: C. S. Lewis on Prayer in a Scientific Age
Last week Drew launched this series on the “scientific study of prayer.” Here’s another challenge. The picture of the world that emerged from modern science was hostile to prayer, particularly the kind that makes “petitions” (i.e., requests) of God....
Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder: A Prayer for Back to School
Going back to school is always accompanied by a swirl of emotions. This is especially true in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stephanie Crowder offers this Spirit-inspired prayer to bless the fall season and the return to school.
Drew Rick-Miller/Science for the Church: Is the Scientific Study of Prayer Legit?
Several years ago, a pastor asked me if the scientific study of prayer is legit. I replied, “That’s complicated.” At the time, I did not fully understand how true this is. Why is it complicated? There are many reasons...
Frederick Buechner Weekly Sermon Illustration: Riches (Proverbs 22:1-2)
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the 15th Sunday After Pentecost. Here is this week’s reading from Proverbs 22:1-2.
David Howell: Tethered to an Appalachian Curse - Book Excerpt
David Howell, who created and has programmed the Festival of Homiletics for years, offers an excerpt from his new book, "Tethered to an Appalachian Curse"...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration - The Pharisees (Mark 7:1-8)
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the 14th Sunday After Pentecost. Here is this week’s reading from Mark 7:1-8...
Angela Denker: ABC Prayer
I want to offer a prayer — for all of us, parents, caregivers, students, teachers, administrators, supporters alike, listed in the form of the ABCs. May God go before us even into this uncertainty, fear, and frustration.
Drew Rick-Miller/Science for the Church: What Kind of God… Entropy and the Arrow of Time?
Another way to answer the question I asked last week, “What kind of God would create a universe that obeys the second law of thermodynamics, where entropy always increases?” is that it is a God who wants there to be an arrow of time.
Holly Beck: How to Keep Gen Z in Your Pews
A 2018 report from Barna Group, Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs, and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation, notes the differences in Generation Z (born between ~1999 and 2015) and older generations - especially in regards to feelings about faith and religion. One statistic stuck out to me as I read Barna’s report: 61 percent of Gen Z Christians do not think that attending church is important and say that they find God elsewhere.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration - The Two Battles (Ephesians 6:10-18)
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the 13th Sunday After Pentecost. Here is this week’s reading from Ephesians 6:10-18...
Bishop Michael Curry: Get vaccinated: "Do this one for the children"
I’m Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. When I was in elementary school, I came home one day and my father asked me if I got my sugar cube. And I at first didn’t know what he was talking about.