Mitch Carnell: Complementarianism: A Separate-But-Equal Knockoff
An article I read recently extoling the virtues of complementarianism nagged at me. It would not let me rest. Complementarianism is a religious construct that deals with the roles of gender. The message is evil at its center.
Weekly Sermon Illustration: The Longing for Home
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.
Charley Reeb: Why We Loved the Royal Wedding Sermon: A Homiletical Analysis of Bishop Michael Curry’s Sermon
Over the last few days it seems the whole world has been talking about a 14 minute sermon. In addition to being encouraged by the world’s response to this gospel message, I believe preachers can learn a great deal from Bishop Curry’s sermon. There are important homiletic elements to Curry’s message that made it so effective. Below you will find the full transcript of the sermon along with my commentary.
Weekly Sermon Illustration: Samuel
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.
David Crumm: Marianne Borg on Rediscovering Marcus Borg through ”˜Days of Awe and Wonder’
To borrow a couple of Marcus’s own earlier titles, this newbook could have been appropriately titled: "Meeting Marcus Borg Again for the First Time””Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary."
Mitch Carnell: Say Something Nice Sunday June 3 -- Join the Movement
On June 3, all churches, all denominations and all faith groups are encouraged to join in the celebration of the 12th. Say Something Nice Sunday. Originating at First Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina, the movement has gained followers from almost every denomination across the US and some in the UK.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Nicodemus
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.
David Crumm: Matthew Kaemingk invites Christians and Muslims to envision a table as the core of healthy community
Humility is the first value trampled into the dust of America’s stormy political conflicts these days. So, we start our coverage of Christian ethicist Matthew Kaemingk’s thought-provoking new book by pointing out that Matthew identifies true humility as a foundation for healthy interfaith relationships. If you are among our readers interested in the promising new findings emerging in humility research””then this is a a book you need to add to your bookshelf.
Kathy L. Gilbert: Addiction, Mother’s Day and God’s grace
Around 4 a.m. I hear Eli start his day with a tiny, sharp roar. Emily’s feet are shuffling across the creaking hardwood floor on to the way to the brown leather recliner. 'Stop, Eli,' she says, I can hear the yawn in her voice. Either he does or I go back to sleep until around 5:30 a.m. when my alarm starts buzzing.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Fire
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.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Law
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.
David Crumm: David Finnegan-Hosey invites us to meet ”˜Christ on the Psych Ward’
“Let me tell you a story.” Those are the first words in the Rev. David Finnegan-Hosey’s memoir, Christ on the Psych Ward, an inspiring book that should be read by anyone who cares about the future of congregational life in America. The personal narrative is David’s struggle to overcome his crisis with mental health. Along the way, he invites us to look at how churches can respond more appropriately to the millions of families facing these issues every year.
David Crumm interviews Diana Butler Bass: Diana Butler Bass: Why should we feel Grateful?
Nearly everyone feels grateful””or so we’re told in a national study by Pew researchers that Diana Butler Bass describes in the opening pages of her new book, 'Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks.' So, if you don’t feel grateful most of the time””do you find yourself feeling like a failure? Diana admits that’s how she feels sometimes””like 'a gratitude klutz.'
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Music
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.
David Crumm: Rediscovering the Tree of World Religions with John Bellaimey
Meet John Bellaimey””a veteran educator at the prestigious Breck School, an independent preK-12 college preparatory school in Minnesota. Breck is known for producing more than its share of Merit Scholars and sending students to Ivy League schools. Bellaimey developed The Tree of World Religions to help students understand the religious foundations of our world’s diverse cultures and nations.
Paul Brandeis Raushenbush: The Right to Privacy and Religious Communities
Facebook often reads like a prayer circle in religious communities.... Religious life happens in real time online on Facebook, as well as all other forms of social media. Which is why the absence of religious voices in the current ethical debate about how Facebook is using our information is all the more curious and troubling.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: The Ethiopian Eunuch
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.
David Crumm: Jon Sweeney on the remarkable life of Phyllis Tickle
Jon Sweeney’s fascinating new biography of Phyllis devotes two pages to a list of her books, but admits to readers that this is 'not a complete bibliography.' If someone eventually lists all of her publications, including manuscripts she edited plus her own ever-flowing river of journalism””the result would fill another book!
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Feed My Sheep
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.
Diana Butler Bass: Choosing Gratitude as a Way of Life
A friend of mine recently went through a painful personal crisis. At first, it seemed to be the result of a breakup. Then it went deeper, as he realized that he did not understand the meaning or purpose of his own life. He was both anxious and depressed. 'I think,' he confessed, 'that I’m really having a spiritual crisis.'