What a preposterous question: was Jesus insane?! Those who are pious Christians may even be offended that such a question is raised. On the other hand, those who are highly anti-Christian may think the answer is obvious: in most likelihood…
10 reasons even committed church attenders are attending church less often
It comes up in a surprising number of conversations these days. And no one’s quite sure how to respond to it. The issue? Even committed church attenders are attending church less often. Sure, the trend has been happening for years…
The vibrant religious life of Silicon Valley, and why it’s killing the economy
Samuel Loncar on Jaron Lanier’s Who Owns the Future? He even looks like a prophet. Well, how a prophet might look like in the digital age. Jaron Lanier, technologist and computer scientist, cannot be mistaken for a small man in…
RIP, average attendance
Average worship attendance was once such an important number. With it, I could predict the size of the church staff, the informal patterns of decision-making, most of the stresses on the pastor’s time, the leadership required for small groups, and…
A grandfather’s advice to his black teen grandson
Dear Beloved Grandson, Be afraid. Be very afraid. You shouldn’t have to be, but in today’s America you need to be constantly on your guard. Or maybe “afraid” isn’t the right word. Be vigilant and very careful. Especially around police….
A rare, sacred and necessary gift
By Jason Edwards A few Christmases ago while celebrating with family in my childhood home, I got the distinct feeling that I had entered sacred space. To some extent, I almost always feel like that on these visits. Usually it…
The culture of poverty
The term “culture of poverty” was introduced by Oscar Lewis in his seminal 1959 book Five Families: Mexican Case Studies in the Culture of Poverty. (If you don’t know about Lewis, 1914-1970, as I didn’t until very recently, he was…
Healthy beginnings matter for pastor search process
In a recent training event for congregational conflict interventionists, one of our CHC team members heard Richard Blackburn, a Lombard Peace Center trainer, say this: “When I look into the history of churches I go into for a conflict intervention,…
God’s Funeral
Although I don’t know that he said anything about a funeral, perhaps the best known statement about God’s demise was made by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who declared “God is dead” in his 1882 book “The Gay Science” (with “gay” being…
The Bible shouldn’t be a state symbol
By Staff Counsel Jennifer Hawks In my office, I proudly display my Tennessee roots. I grew up discussing Tennessee politics with my grandfather, a former state representative. While I was in law school, he gave me several items from his…
Heaven is not “up there” somewhere
Almost two decades ago I went through a crisis in my faith. The conservative Christianity of my early training had left me dry, empty, and wondering if I had made a huge mistake with my life. Surprisingly, an evangelical philosopher…
5 reasons we should complain
As a minister and a father, I’m accustomed to hearing people complain, especially my kids. Such phrases as, “I don’t want to go to bed,” or “This sandwich is yucky,” or “My sister is bothering me,” are repeated on a…