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

church

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

August 2020

August 15, 2020

How It’s Always Been

100 years from now/ they will sit in churches/ and worship in wide circles/wearing masks...

August 09, 2020

Church Deserts: And the Unique Opportunity of Online Community

A church desert is a place where your choices of worshipping community are limited. It's...

July 2020

July 12, 2020

Reclaiming the Language of Faith: Beyond Sound Bites To The Better Way of Jesus

When the church can't talk about poverty without somebody hollering "politics!" then our message has...

July 11, 2020

Economy or Empire? What We Build Next Starts With Schools

Yes, the economy truly does matter – but how we are defining that economy matters...

May 2020

May 23, 2020

Essential

Use the church as a pawn in political games? They would never! Well. If by 'never'...

May 10, 2020

What White Mothers Can Give To Black Mothers For Mother’s Day

I woke up this morning to cute little signs on my door, then followed a...

April 2020

April 25, 2020

Without Casseroles and Crowded Churches: 10 Ways To Support The Grieving While Social Distancing

Guest Post: Rev. Selena Wright “Grief must be witnessed.*” One of the greatest gifts of...

March 2020

March 31, 2020

This Pandemic Is A Test: But Maybe Not How You Think

If you'd told me a month ago that a pastor in America would be arrested...

March 13, 2020

Five Ways To Be The Church When Church Is Canceled

There are many unknowns here. There is unprecedented territory ahead, and nobody can say how...

October 2019

October 23, 2019

We’re Not Going Home

Guest Post: Rev. Megan Severns Huston “My new office is by the band room” Mom...

July 2019

July 20, 2019

Together In One Place: A 12-Point Survival Guide For Your Large Denominational Gathering

You'll be overwhelmed. You'll be exhausted. You'll look like you've been through a week of...

July 17, 2019

How To Be A Guest: 7 Things I Learned About Visiting A New Church

It was an alien experience for me, pulling in that "visitor" parking spot. But after...

May 2019

May 06, 2019

Unlikely Pulpits: The Legacy of Rachel Held Evans

She was a voice in the wilderness. Many say that Rachel Held Evans was the...

April 2019

April 16, 2019

Burning Churches, Competing Tragedies, and Bearing Witness to the Ashes

The Notre Dame Cathedral has been reduced to ashes. It's a loss both literal and...

March 2019

March 12, 2019

The Church and Trending Homophobia: What Are We Afraid Of?

Stop me if you've heard it: A Catholic school in a suburb of Kansas City...

February 2019

February 01, 2019

Worshipful Living: How a Church in the Netherlands Prayed Away Deportation

The concept of "worshipful living" is an underrated Christian practice. Most of us worship once...

December 2018

December 30, 2018

Be Astonished: A Sermon and a New Year’s Resolution

Like any literary or super hero, Jesus needs an origin story. That’s the point of...

December 23, 2018

Magnificat: Revolutionary Mary

46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my...

December 03, 2018

Coming and Going: Ghosts of Advents Past

When you're a pastor, there is never a good time to tell your church folks...

September 2018

September 05, 2018

Resist: Justice Heroes From the Bible and the Big Screen

Have you ever noticed that most big blockbuster movie hits are stories of social change?...

June 2018

June 25, 2018

A Symphony of Small Things

Some days, everything on the internet is garbage. Other days, Carpool Karaoke takes you to...

April 2018

April 25, 2018

Is Church for Extroverts?

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

November 2017

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 25, 2017

Who Markets the Gospel Better Than Church? Burger King, and Basically Everybody

Y'all know I love Church, right? LOVE it. For all of its imperfections, bumbling ways...

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...

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...

February 2017

February 16, 2017

Showing Up for the Stranger: The Church Speaks Out Against the Travel Ban

Ever look around at the news/world/government these days and say "for the love of all...

August 2016

August 03, 2016

Passing the Peace

Hi, folks. I took a week or so away from blogging to finish my book, and...

May 2016

May 12, 2016

Don’t Like Your Pastor? Don’t Leave Your Church

There's a blog post going around called "So You Don't Like your Pastor..." I read...

April 2016

April 07, 2016

When It’s Complicated, Just Show Up

A few months ago, my church sensed a call to get involved with refugee ministry. There...