I don’t recall where I first heard the phrase. Perhaps it was Father Richard Rohr in Breathing Under Water. He wrote: “All mature spirituality, in one sense or another, is about letting go and unlearning.” Several years ago, the ministerial…
Where God is: Preaching the hard truths about change
Last fall on the second Sunday of Advent, I preached a sermon at the American Cathedral in Paris on change, our fear of change, the difficulties of change. And on race. It was a pretty typical sermon for Advent, that…
The present crisis for church staff
Churches in America have been living amid rapid change for several decades now, accelerated like a dive on a roller coaster by COVID. Previously, much of our attention has focused on institutional change and challenges, the big picture of congregations…
After the pandemic, ask where you’re going, not where you’re leaving, author advises
Jeff Henderson wants to be known by what he’s for rather than what he’s against. That’s why his 2019 book was titled Know What You’re For: A Growth Strategy for Work, an Even Better Strategy for Life. It’s also why…
Faith communities are undergoing upheaval, awakening and maybe transformation
Something is happening in the religious and spiritual universe. Many people, if they care about religion at all, have noticed the changing face of religion and spirituality in the United States and throughout the world. Most Americans consider themselves spiritual,…
‘Everything is changing at the same time,’ veteran religion reporter explains
Demographic shifts, rising political polarization and heated debates over sexuality and race pose existential threats to the American church because they cannot be tackled individually, according to veteran religion writer Bob Smietana. “It’s not that one thing after another is…
Churches must learn to adapt to ‘permanent transition,’ Leonard stresses
Churches must tap into the core of their identity, as well as their calling to ministry, commitment to education and religious experience if they are to survive “permanent transition,” church historian Bill Leonard told participants at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s…
Daniel Vestal writes of the changing chapters of life and faith
The Daniel Vestal attending this week’s Cooperative Baptist Fellowship gathering in Dallas is in some ways a very different Christian than he was the first — or even most recent — time he attended a general assembly. That’s because the…
The gospel according to mammals
If I were not a pastor, my life would look very, very different. In fact, after I graduated with an undergraduate degree in anthropology, I had two options to consider: one of my professors encouraged me to apply for an…