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

Home
Progressive Christian

2013-09-15T19:17:34-04:00

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.

When Small Things Lead to Great Adventures: A Response to Laura Sumner Truax’s Undone

Last updated on: September 15, 2013 at 7:17 pm By Bruce Epperly

I am daily reminded of the truths revealed in chaos theory’s metaphorical “ butterfly effect.” According to the butterfly effect, small actions, such as a butterfly flapping its wings in Santa Cruz, California, where I played as a high school and college student, can shape the weather patterns in Cape Cod, where now I live, write, and pastor a congregation. This is one of the nuggets of wisdom I found in reading Laura Sumner Truax’s Undone. Small actions, authentic, yet imperfect,... Read more

Uncategorized

Christian Books

God

2013-09-09T12:58:40-04:00

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 Adventurous Lectionary for September 15 — Pardon and Punishment

Last updated on: September 9, 2013 at 12:58 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for September 15, 2013 Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10 Pardon and Punishment Today’s readings contrast punishment and grace. The Hebraic scriptures describe God annihilating an unfaithful nation. God is the agent of national catastrophe, aiming at punishing the unjust wealthy for their abuse of the poor. Those who deny God’s existence, as the Psalm notes, will suffer the consequences of their misbehavior. The Psalmist identifies belief in God with relational and economic justice. The Epistle and... Read more

Uncategorized

2013-09-06T13:19:24-04:00

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.

Celebrating Grandparent’s Day

Last updated on: September 6, 2013 at 1:19 pm By Bruce Epperly

To me, being a grandparent is a spiritual and ethical vocation that begins with my two little grandsons and expands to honor every child. Read more

Uncategorized

Christianity

Grandparents

Progressive Christianity

spirituality

2013-09-06T13:13:13-04:00

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 Footnotes on Hell: Responding to Jack Graham’s Angels, Satan, Heaven, Hell, and Winning the War for Eternity

Last updated on: September 6, 2013 at 1:13 pm By Deborah Arca

Jack Graham’s Unseen: Angels, Satan, Heaven, Hell, and Winning the War for Eternity is a must-read for anyone who wishes to learn about traditional images of the afterlife and the spiritual world. Although I take a very different theological and biblical bath, Graham well represents a literalist understanding of scripture, and that in itself is worth the read, purely to gain awareness of a certain type of Christian thinking. I use the term “certain type of Christian thinking,” because neither... Read more

Progressive Christianity

Satan

Spiritual Warfare

2013-09-03T13:55:50-04:00

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.

The Adventurous Lectionary for Sept 8: Sacrifice and Artistry, Human and Divine

Last updated on: September 3, 2013 at 1:55 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary for September 8, 2013 Sacrifice and Artistry: Human and Divine Today’s passages require careful theological navigation. They have often been interpreted to justify the violence of divine omnipotence and a divine omniscience that fully determines the details of our lives from conception to death. Moreover, they have been interpreted in ways that polarize God and the world. We cannot deny the hard sayings of scripture nor should we render them irrelevant by discounting their challenge to... Read more

Uncategorized

Christianity

Progressive Christianity

Sacred Texts

2013-09-03T11:39:12-04:00

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.

Authentic Abundance: Responding to Karen Beattie’s Rock-Bottom Blessings

Last updated on: September 3, 2013 at 11:39 am By Bruce Epperly

I am a firm believer in the holy synchronicities of life. As I read the last words of Karen Beattie’s Rock-Bottom Blessings, I looked up and for the first time noticed – I had been living in our new home on Cape Cod for two months! – that my wife had placed an art piece above of our front door, proclaiming Veni Sancte Spiritus, “Come Holy Spirit.” At same moment, I remembered a saying from the English mystic, Julian of... Read more

2013-08-31T13:14:54-04:00

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.

Forgiveness and Paula Huston’s “A Land Without Sin”

Last updated on: August 31, 2013 at 1:14 pm By Bruce Epperly

Paula Huston’s A Land without Sin is a real page turner. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t know where it was going or if it would be resolved. Reading it was an adventure of the spirit, joining drama, suspense, ethics, and spirituality. Amid the many trajectories of this book, the one that spoke to me was the “impossible possibility” of forgiveness. Vengeance is always a possibility in a sinful world. We want an eye for an eye, whether it... Read more

Uncategorized

2013-08-26T18:52:10-04:00

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 Adventurous Lectionary for Sept 1: Creative Interdependence

Last updated on: August 26, 2013 at 6:52 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Relections for September 1, 2013 Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81:1, 10-16 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14 Creative Interdependence This week’s lectionary calls us to creative interdependence. We cannot thrive, or even survive, without recognizing and acting upon our sense of interdependence with the world around us. Authentic creation emerges from healthy relatedness, not pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps rugged individualism. In claiming our debt of interdependence and the role of others, most especially God, in our successes, our successes will benefit our families,... Read more

Uncategorized

Christianity

Lectionary Reflections

Preaching

Progressive Christianity

Sacred Texts

2013-08-23T12:03:15-04:00

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 and the Global Public Square: A Response to Os Guinness’ The Global Public Square

Last updated on: August 23, 2013 at 12:03 pm By Bruce Epperly

Although I come from the progressive theological and political wing of the Christian family, I always appreciate Os Guinness’ reflections. I am very appreciative of his new book The Global Public Square. Though I take a slightly different path, I find his reflections typically spot on in their assessment of social and cultural trends. As a pastor of a congregation within the United Church of Christ (South Congregational, Centerville, MA), which seeks to welcome people wherever they are on life’s journey, I... Read more

Progressive Christianity

2013-08-19T13:06:53-04:00

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 Adventurous Lectionary for August 25: God’s Providence — Abstract or Concrete?

Last updated on: August 19, 2013 at 1:06 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for August 25, 2013 Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17 God’s Providence: Abstract or Concrete God’s call of Jeremiah is one of my favorite Biblical stories. I can relate to the prophet’s dilemma: the prophet is uncertain of his vocation and protests his inexperience and fallibility. He doesn’t think he is up to the task that God has called him to. God responds to his fears, and mine, by saying: “I have been moving in your... Read more

Uncategorized

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which harvest festival is also called the Feast of Booths?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hanukkah Sukkot Passover Purim

Books by This Author Books by Living A Holy Adventure

See All Titles »

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews The Adventurous Lectionary Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 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 December 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian