For various reasons, I don’t often post my sermons on this blog, nor do I mention my work with the Presbytery of the Northern Plains. Today, however, I’m making an exception and posting the manuscript for the sermon I preached this morning at First Presbyterian Church of Fargo, ND at the Installation Service of the [...]
Improve Mission Trips: Less Service, More Learning
I recently returned from a mission trip to Ensenada, Mexico with students from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. The trip took place over our spring break, and in Ensenada we worked with Lantern Hill, a small US-based non-profit with whom the college has partnered for several years. When I returned to campus, I met with [...]
Is Seminary for Slackers?
In a recent private forum I heard, “Graduate theological education should be reserved for the very best. Seminaries, on the other hand, should have room for everyone.” Is that true?
An Atheist, a CNN iReport, and a Scary Proposition
My fear is not that parents will raise their children without God, but that they will raise them without the skills to address faith, religion, and diverse culture.
The Remarkable College Conference at Montreat
What’s better than 1,000+ college students attending a mainline church conference on their Christmas break and loving every minute of it? Maybe the Twins winning a World Series, but not much else. With my good friend, Taylor Lewis Guthrie Hartman, I am Co-Directing the next College Conference at the Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina! [...]
No Christmas Trees in Church
[This is a repost, though slightly altered, of a post of similar name from a year ago. Since I don't seem to have won the argument, I figured I'd try again.] It’s a wonderful tradition in my house: putting on Christmas music, lugging the tote full of Christmas decorations up from the basement, making hot [...]
OMG: The Pope’s on Twitter!!!
Hey @pontifex, can I get a follow back! — Jesus Christ (@jesus) December 13, 2012 In this week’s news: Jesus asked the Pope to follow him on Twitter, and was rejected. In case you missed it, the Pope has joined Twitter under the handle @Pontifex. (Despite the cool hat collection, he’s not yet on Pinterest.) [...]
What on Earth? Earth Day, God, and the Apocalypse
An essay of mine is up today at Huffington Post Religion, ON Scripture, Day1 and Sojourners. Entitled, “What on Earth? Earth Day, God, and the Apocalypse” it is a commentary on Revelation 21:1-6, one of the lectionary readings for this coming Sunday. I’ll post the intro below, and I invite you to click over to the other sites [...]