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February 2016

February 01, 2016

Trump and the Christian Persecution Complex

I found myself beginning morning prayer today with a sincere "Dear God... please do not...

January 2016

January 18, 2016

Shed a Little Light: Observing MLK Day

Thanks, readers, for sharing your observations of Martin Luther King day. I've enjoyed your pictures and...

December 2015

December 30, 2015

For the Turning: A Progressive Year in Review

Dear Friends and citizens of the internet, I know I'm not alone in feeling that...

November 2015

November 30, 2015

Keeping the Light

Normally, I’m a purist. Nothing green or sparkly goes up at my house until the...

November 07, 2015

Lost in the Crowd

It's been a big week in Kansas City. Following the Royals' World Series win, we pretty...

October 2015

October 07, 2015

Because The World is Hungry

This was Sunday's sermon for World Communion Sunday. As always, the table was filled with...

September 2015

September 30, 2015

It is Finished: The Life and Death of Kelly Gissendaner

It's done. Sort of. The story of a killer. It was one-part true crime, and...

August 2015

August 31, 2015

Clean Hands, Full Hearts (Can’t Lose): A Sermon About Purity and Tradition

7Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered...

August 19, 2015

Healing and Hilarity in “Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome”

If David Sedaris and Anne Lamott had a baby together... it would be this book....

August 06, 2015

Get Well Soon! And Other Perky Things Not to Say to a Dying Person

I was on my way out the door to visit a church member in hospice care....

July 2015

July 30, 2015

And Yet: Two Words to Transform The Church

A friend of mine who works in youth ministry has a theory: Millennials, contrary to...

July 28, 2015

Sinking Ships: 6 Do’s, and One Big Don’t, for Fundraising

Ever been on a sinking ship? I have. Literally. But not for long. Because the...

July 27, 2015

More than Half Enough

Guest post, by Rev. Ryan Motter “Well, look at you. You’re half the man you...

July 13, 2015

Saving Atticus

One day, all is right with the literary world... And then suddenly, one of the most...

July 10, 2015

Cloud By Day: Living With Ambiguity and Measuring Ministry

In every generation, people of faith journey across the hazy plains of “What does this...

July 01, 2015

Self-Evident Truths: 7 Ways the Constitution is Not the Bible

When it comes to guns, religion and the display of hateful symbols on public property,...

June 2015

June 27, 2015

Holy Edges: 10 Things to Preach if Your Church is Divided on Gay Marriage

It’s going to be a great day at my church tomorrow. My congregation has been...

June 24, 2015

Good Call: 10 Ways to Nail that Pastoral Search Interview

It's that time again. All over the country, exhausted pastoral search committees plow through another...

June 10, 2015

Who Run the World (#ChurchGirls): 10 Threatening Women to Watch

You guys, this is adorable. A friend sent me this blog post about how to know...

June 02, 2015

Fear, Faith and Freedom: What You and I Know about Anti-Muslim Rallies

*Ritzheimer. I mean… it just SOUNDS like a Nazi caricature. A cartoon bad guy with...

May 2015

May 28, 2015

The New Art of Poor-Shaming

Now trending: America discovers cruel and creative ways to further strip away the dignity of its...

May 12, 2015

Which Body: Gay Marriage and Christian Unity

Last week, Adam Hamilton shared this post about gay marriage in the United Methodist Church....

April 2015

April 30, 2015

Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist

I cringe when an article begins “Dear White People…” It lacks nuance, among other things....

April 21, 2015

10 Signs of Life: Your Church Might Just Make It

I once took a group of church leaders on a planning/visioning retreat. We read and...

April 16, 2015

Welcome to the Jungle, II: A Man’s Take on School Harassment

In my post yesterday, I cited a statistic that 83% of girls report being sexually...

March 2015

March 31, 2015

Holy Week Survival Guide: 10 Life Hacks for Clergy

Lace up the trainers, zip up your robe. Eye of the tiger, baby. It is...

February 2015

February 19, 2015

Those Who Do Not Learn From History…

I'm tired of writing about Kansas politics... So let's talk about Oklahoma instead! I was...

February 16, 2015

Around the (Messy) Table: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

I wrote this last week as a guest post for Ed Cyzewski, who is running...

February 05, 2015

Six People You Need to Forgive

Ah, the reject pile... No, not photos of people who got kicked out of new member...

January 2015

January 22, 2015

Breathing Room: the Legacy of Marcus Borg

Listen, I don’t have a wildly inspiring story about the time I met Marcus Borg,...