Let me begin with a confession: I am not that cool. Plastic-frame glasses would slide down my nose. Facial hair would make me look messy. V-neck shirts would look awkward on me. And I have neither the courage nor the…
Bearing resurrection
Stay up to date with the latest News & Events from The Alliance by Molly Brummett Wudel Here we are again: Eastertide. A time when Good Friday is consumed by Easter morning and the resurrected Jesus continues to bewilder the…
The growing issue of frequency of attendance
The photo above is of a perfect attendance pin for Sunday School. Many of you have never seen one. There was a day when it was a regular feature in churches all across America.
“Surely not me”: The death of Jesus and corporate sin
Last night, Jesus once again gathered with his disciples, washed our feet and called us to love, and then shared the unthinkable news that he would be handed over by one of his own. No sooner did the words come…
You don’t have to preach every Sunday. Try this instead.
We believe there are myriad voices in our congregation that can preach, and we want to develop others who have that vocation. We also desire to start other neighborhood congregations, and we believe a primary obstacle to that will not…
Grief, death and the motherless child
Photo: Gerry Lauzon] Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When…
Never again!
We keep saying it: “never again!” When I visited the Holocaust Museums in Jerusalem and in Washington, D.C, I could feel my heart saying “never again should something like this be allowed to happen”. Within a few months of the…
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday … What’s Saturday?
Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” is derived from the first word of John 13:34 in Latin: ” Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem.” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As…
Church bullies
Today on Facebook, I posted Thom Rainer’s “9 Traits of Church Bullies”. The amount of reposts tells me that church bullies are growing problem in churches. Usually, we think of bullies at school but churches suffer from bullying as well.
Not all RFRAs are created equal: What’s different about Indiana’s controversial law
Move over, Gene Hackman. Indiana is becoming known for a lot more than just Hoosier’s basketball. After the state passed a law purported to restore “religious freedom,” it was met with crushing criticism from those who believe the law grants…
Do you believe in the Rapture?
In an earlier blog article this month, I mentioned having a theological discussion my sister. One of the direct questions she asked me was, “Do you believe in the Rapture?” If she had asked me that question 60 years ago…
Learning to see with God’s eyes
Last week, I spent a few days at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, one of my denomination’s most vibrant congregations. The church’s campus, prominently located on the “Miracle Mile” in the heart of downtown, makes a bold architectural statement that…