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Progressive Christian

2022-05-18T20:05:29-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Swallowing the Mystery

Last updated on: May 18, 2022 at 8:05 pm By Vance Morgan

In her wonderful memoir Take This Bread, Sara Miles tells us of a conversation she had with a fellow volunteer as they distributed food at their church’s food pantry one Friday morning. Both Sara and Steve were lay eucharistic ministers who brought the chalice to parishioners on Sunday morning; they noted the similarities between handing out food on Fridays and their activities at the altar on Sunday, including the importance of looking past the ritual and making eye contact with each... Read more

Collegeville Institute

2022-05-24T18:28:41-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Save Your Thoughts and Prayers. Do Something

Last updated on: May 24, 2022 at 6:28 pm By Vance Morgan

Here we are again. Mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvaldi in the past few days, just the latest in a tragically endless string of carnage from gun violence that, unfortunately, is unique to our nation.This is the fifth time in the past six years that, in the wake of a mass shooting in a school or place of worship, I have posted the essay below. The sentiment remains the same. Yesterday I posted the following on Facebook: I’m tired–really tired–of... Read more

2022-05-23T13:36:59-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Story I am Willing to be Wrong About

Last updated on: May 23, 2022 at 1:36 pm By Vance Morgan

My political scientist Dominican priest friend and colleague, who was my teaching partner in our “Faith and Doubt” colloquium during the just-completed spring semester, is kind enough to be a regular reader of this blog. He has mentioned to me more than once over the past several weeks, most recently during our usual beer get-together on Friday afternoons, that he’s been interested to see how closely my blog posts have been tracking our course work this semester. Had he been... Read more

2022-05-21T09:42:38-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Some Advice for the Graduating Seniors: Don’t Forget About the Room at the Back of your Shop

Last updated on: May 21, 2022 at 9:42 am By Vance Morgan

Today is Commencement Day for the Class of 2022 at my college. Commencement is always a big day—this year it bigger than usual because it will be my college’s first full-fledged Commencement exercises in three years. All graduation festivities were cancelled in May 2020 during the height of the pandemic; last year a scaled-down ceremony was held outside on a soccer field with everyone wearing masks. Today we return to our usual Commencement location, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in downtown... Read more

2022-05-16T14:58:24-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Making Darkness and Silence your Friends

Last updated on: May 16, 2022 at 2:58 pm By Vance Morgan

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again. “The Sound of Silence” One Sunday some time ago as I was listening to our local NPR station in the car during an errand run, I heard a brief piece about “Disturbed,” a heavy metal band that had just received its second Grammy nomination. Their first was in 2009; now, syeveral ears later, they had another one. My knowledge of contemporary heavy metal is non-existent, as is my interest... Read more

2022-05-12T14:27:41-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

An Evolving Faith: It’s About Survival, not Progress

Last updated on: May 12, 2022 at 2:27 pm By Vance Morgan

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes and The Byrds Now that the Spring 2022 semester is in the books, in keeping with President Josiah Bartlett’s example from “The West Wing,” I immediately find myself asking “What’s next?” At my college, courses and teaching assignments are planned at least a year in advance, so “what’s next?” requires remembering what I have committed myself to (and forgotten about) over the past weeks and... Read more

2022-05-14T10:29:56-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Story About Learning to See Things Differently

Last updated on: May 14, 2022 at 10:29 am By Vance Morgan

In a comment on last Thursday’s blog post—“God is Not a Vending Machine”—a Facebook friend commented I admit I wish it were a vending machine. Or a merit-based reward system. Where there would be clear prices and instructions. You do enough of this, you will get that in exchange. Sadly, it does not work like that. God is Not a Vending Machine No, it doesn’t, and in the long run I think that a good thing. But in the short... Read more

2022-05-12T15:45:45-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

God is Not a Vending Machine

Last updated on: May 12, 2022 at 3:45 pm By Vance Morgan

My most recent blog post included some reflections from a recent student on what she had learned during out class. One of the things she listed as having learned is that “God is not a vending machine.” In the comments, a reader indicated that he found this to be a memorable phrase–which made me think that perhaps I should expand on the claim. I was reminded of when, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to reflect in a... Read more

2022-05-03T13:50:50-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Saying Something Profound

Last updated on: May 3, 2022 at 1:50 pm By Vance Morgan

Regular classes for the spring semester ended last Friday–semesters seem to go by more quickly every year. At the end of each academic year, I often reflect back on the past few months for permanent takeaways, experiences and students that will remain with me long after the classes are forgotten and the students have graduated. Being a college professor (and, I suspect, being a teacher of any sort) is a lot like the parable of the sower in Matthew’s gospel.... Read more

2022-05-03T18:02:32-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s Okay to Be a Sheep

Last updated on: May 3, 2022 at 6:02 pm By Vance Morgan

One of my prized possessions, purchased when Jeanne and I were on vacation during Summer 2018 in Scotland, is a Harris Tweed wool cap. I bought it in a small shop in Oban, a beautiful port on the west coast of Scotland that is the gateway to the Hebrides islands (where they make Islay scotch whisky, the real reason we went to Scotland in the first place). I wear this cap to work frequently, and am pleased to report that... Read more

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