Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Irreverin

Home
Progressive Christian

faith and community

Select a Category a good week for progress Advent and Christmas Being a Person desert life faith and community Good News for Progressives Lent and Easter Marriage and Family S*^! Jesus Says sabbatical road tripping Spirituality in Culture Talking to Strangers the "Best Stuff I Ever Ate" diet travel Uncategorized writing Writing Prompt Wednesday

Select a Month January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009

April 2018

April 25, 2018

Is Church for Extroverts?

Most churches are designed by and for extroverts. To be truly diverse, we need to...

April 24, 2018

Women in the House: Tammy Duckworth (and her baby) Make Way for Equal Representation

It's a good week for girls. Sen. Tammy Duckworth was already killing it as the...

April 19, 2018

Church-Shopping 101: The 3 Things Your Church Website Should Say in One Click

Before investing time in your church, potential guests want to know as much as they...

February 2018

February 20, 2018

A Better Way: Support of Haiti Orphanages Does More Harm Than Good

Guest Post: Margot DeGreef It's a common sight: American church groups traveling in matching t-shirts, with a...

February 05, 2018

Built to Serve: Dodge Truck Ad is an Exercise in Misappropriation

Toyota--good game. Although, would it have killed you to have a woman rabbi or something?...

January 2018

January 15, 2018

White, Polite, and Part of the Problem: How to Honor MLK Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that white people, as a rule, like for...

December 2017

December 04, 2017

Let God’s Blessings Trickle Down Slowly (and Other Stuff The Bible Doesn’t Say)

Let justice trickle down like a leaky faucet... Praise God from whom all blessings trickle...

November 2017

November 28, 2017

Outside the Box: Rethinking Holiday Charitable Giving

I am fundamentally opposed to Black Friday shopping. For many reasons, not the least of...

November 22, 2017

Holidays Are Complicated: But You Are Loved

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for...

November 07, 2017

Do Not Go Gentle: For Fear of Death, For Love of Guns

Do not go gentle into that good night... Rage, rage against the dying of the...

November 02, 2017

5 Things for the Next 500 Years: The Church and the Next Reformation

Thanks to my friend Danny Gulden for this guest thoughts, as we mark the 500th...

October 2017

October 05, 2017

Pro-Life Congressman is a Total Hypocrite, and Other Totally Unsurprising News

If that title sounds extreme and click-baity, that's intentional. Because the headlines (and tag lines,...

August 2017

August 15, 2017

Trump Just Gave Us the Mother of All Civics Lessons: How Racism Works

I never (ever. ever) thought I would say this--but the president taught us an important...

July 2017

July 21, 2017

Healthcare Is Sick and Making the Economy Sicker

Some folks seem to be operating under the delusion that Obamacare is some kind of...

July 19, 2017

The Ark of Irony

Once upon a time, the Lord spoke to Noah and told him to go build a...

June 2017

June 26, 2017

10 Lessons the Church Can Learn From Harry Potter: On the Occasion of His 20th Birthday

I was tragically late to the Potter party. 20 years ago (!) when the first...

June 14, 2017

Along for the Ride: A Very P.K. Summer, Part I

If you are a parent, then you know the mixed blessing of summer. On the...

May 2017

May 31, 2017

Christian Privilege Is a Real Thing: and a Dangerous Thing

Last week I was invited to speak at an interfaith panel discussion. I rarely say...

May 11, 2017

Duke Drama: A Lesson In Mission Focus

A guest post from my friend (and Duke Divinity School alum) Chris Furr. When I...

May 10, 2017

Prayer for Uncertain Times: Embracing Mystery as an Act of Resistance

Most of our human existential crises can be traced to a single source: our deep desire to...

April 2017

April 20, 2017

Your Church Does Not Need Volunteers

I was writing my weekly note to the congregation (a few days late, because I...

March 2017

March 30, 2017

Stories Untold: Saving Sesame Street from the America First Budget

Guest post: Rev. Elizabeth Grasham I won’t bury the lede: I vehemently oppose President Trump’s...

March 17, 2017

The False Idol of “Results:” The Sins of Our National Budget

If you want to know the heart of a nation, just look to its budget....

March 04, 2017

The World All Around: How We Can and Can’t Shield Kids From Violence

I recently wrote a post about letting our kids have their privacy and not sharing...

March 01, 2017

The Fast I Choose: Lent, and What Consumes Us

Years past, I have rejected the notion of giving things up for Lent. I adhere...

February 2017

February 25, 2017

Overshared Childhood: Parenting and Privacy in the Social Media Age

Friday night situation: everybody's home after Dad's been traveling all week, nobody has anyplace to...

February 21, 2017

Refugees are Not Political

I'm sure I'm the only pastor in the world who's been accused of "being too...

February 14, 2017

Our Billion-Dollar Heart Problem: 7 Non-Consumer Ways To Do Valentine’s Day

This just in: Americans will spend about 18 Billion dollars buying stuff for their sweethearts...

February 03, 2017

7 Reasons to Keep the Johnson Act: Protecting our Binding Covenants of Church and State

When he wasn't picking fights with our allies; or Tweeting war threats in the middle...

January 2017

January 31, 2017

Reading As An Act of Resistance: How the Nerds Inherit the Earth

I read Animal Farm in high school. I learned that power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely....