Early in ministry, faced with trying to figure out pastoring, I came up with a typology of Christians. There were, I thought, a few different kinds: Bible Christians, Prayer Christians, Service Christians, Calling Christians, Singing Christians, Stewardship Christians. Okay, there are...
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Curiously, I am not often asked by people how they can grow their faith lives. Perhaps that’s because Old First is some kind of spiritual Lake Wobegon “where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Or people are...
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The Sunday after Christmas when I am preaching, I often try and take a break from the Christmas theme. It’s not easy, as the only choice often is the Martyrdom of Stephen! Or I can go freestyle! Five weeks after the beginning of Advent 1, it feels like we could use a diversion. The...
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Someone told me a lovely story this week. Of how they found their way back to church. It happened a couple of Christmases ago. They hadn’t been in church for years. Didn’t miss it. Didn’t think they needed it. Didn’t see situations or questions in their life that were needing...
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ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS AT OLD FIRST Christmas is a great time to invite someone to join you at church. Because some folks can get lonely. Others may be more open to seeing what church offers (and it offers much in times such as these!) Or perhaps you just want to spend time with them...
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Christmas Comes Alive was the title of a book Geneva wrote while she was pastor at Old First. It was a recollection of stories about the live animal creche. When Stormy, the cow, escaped twice two Christmases ago, Geneva teased me, “Now you can also write a book.” I got enough news and...
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On Sunday in the sermon, I talked about how we Americans risk being like the 9 lepers who were healed, but didn’t ever think to say thanks (Luke 17:11-19). I suggested that perhaps we need to notice — like a newly arrived, maybe undocumented immigrant — the blessings we...
Read more I have realized for some time that I and my whole cohort of clergy colleagues — both those older and younger than me… for us, our whole careers will be carried out in a time of church decline. Of course, church participation in the post-war 50’s was at an all-time high, so our...
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Do you know Alicia, Bob and Paula, Corlis, Jan and Steve, Max? We had the conversation we call ‘the new members’ class,’ and they are ready, if they Spirit moves them, to join on December 15. Even if any of them decide not to go ahead at this point, we should know them; they are
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Because I work in the church, I am hyper-aware of the changes people fear and hate. For example: ~ updating the words to traditional hymns (I hear this every Christmas!) ~ not having the animals at the Creche. ~ doing communion differently, particularly on Easter (even different in...
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