————————— By Eric Metaxas and Roberto Rivera, April 5, 2017 blog at http://www.breakpoint.org Religion is good for you: emotionally, physically, and economically. Who knew? Not the secularists. In 2000, Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam published his groundbreaking book, “Bowling Alone.” Putnam argued that Americans’ reduced interest in civic engagement— by which he meant not […]
1456) Church is Good for You– and Your Kids Read More »
By Fred Craddock (1928-2015), Craddock Stories, ed. by Mike Graves and Richard F. Ward, 2001, Chalice Press, pages 132. —————————— The young woman, twenty-eight years old, at St. Mark’s church in Atlanta, said to me, “This is the first time I was ever in a church.” “Really?” I said. “Yeah.”
Temperatures in the upper 70’s these last few days have Minnesotans thinking about summer, even though it is still mid-April. The first warm days of Spring have people humming the tune of In the Good Old Summertime, which has been a favorite ever since it came out as a big hit in 1902. Everyone
1104) Good Old Summertime Read More »
“Fragile Worshipers” by Richard Beck, at: http://www.experimentaltheology.blogspot.com; posted March 7, 2016 —————————- I used to be a fragile worshiper. I’d go to church and there would always be something that set me off. Sometimes it would be a song lyric that I found theologically problematic or overly sentimental. Sometimes it was
1068) Handle With Care Read More »
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990) was a British reporter in the U.S.S.R. in the 1930’s. Here he describes two episodes which provide contrasting insights into life after the Russian Revolution. Muggeridge had initially admired the revolution; then he saw the results of two decades of communist rule. The Communists promised hope to the nation, but instead
997) Nowhere Else to Turn Read More »
I remember the excitement of watching our children, and then our grandchildren, learn to walk. It’s great to watch the little ones take those first few steps. But you know what happens then, don’t you? They are then able to get all over the place, but they do not yet know all the
986) Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There Read More »
By Rev. David Lose, Professor of Preaching at Luther Seminary, St.Paul, Minnesota; posted 10-23-2009 at: www.workingpreacher.org The following letter was posted on a website designed to assist in the weekly task of preaching. It was written as a word of encouragement to the pastors who prepare and preach sermons, but it also, I believe, has
945) Life, Death, and the Task of Preaching Read More »
“There are no atheists in the foxholes… You’ll never be able to keep religion out of the schools– as long as there are tests, there will be prayers in school… Many people feel closest to God when they are out in the woods, enjoying God’s creation… Many others feel closest to God when
942) Worship Where? Read More »
The father of a man in my previous parish had immigrated to America from Russia in the early 1900’s. After the Russian Revolution his father lost contact with his brothers that still lived in what had then become the Soviet Union. In the 1980’s communication with and travel to the Soviet Union
917) Worship Music Read More »
(…continued) The Sacrament of Holy Communion is a ritual, one of the central rituals of the Christian faith. It was started by Jesus Himself to pass on the truth of who he was and what he was about to do. Jesus began this ritual the night before he was to
660) Just a Ritual? (part three of three) Read More »
