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Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

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September 2013

September 03, 2013

Nepotism And The Local Church: A Question

The pastor’s wife leads the worship ministry at their small congregation. Or…the pastor’s son-in-law becomes...

July 2013

July 29, 2013

Make Trouble, For God’s Sake

It is very unusual for a church leader to encourage followers to shake things up...

July 09, 2013

Should The Church Be In The Marrying Business?

I really wish the Church would rethink her role in the marriage business in this...

June 2013

June 25, 2013

When You Say The Church Has Replaced Israel…

When I used to hear Christian speakers glibly toss out statements like, "The Church has...

June 11, 2013

When Your Church Has Been Rocked By Scandal – Stay Or Go?

Should you stay or should you go? Besides being a riff on the title of...

May 2013

May 27, 2013

40+ And The Church / Survey Final

A few weeks ago, I wondered if it was just me having the same conversation...

May 24, 2013

He kissed the secret of his childhood sexual abuse goodbye

Earlier this week, Pastor Josh Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, disclosed...

May 22, 2013

40+ And The Church / The Connected Have Their Say

I've received more than 400 responses to date from those over 40 when I queried...

May 10, 2013

40+ And The Church / A Matter Of Time

Three weeks ago, I posted a brief survey querying those over 40 about their experience...

May 04, 2013

40+ And The Church / Beyond Sunday Morning Church Attendance

Church is where you go on Sunday morning, right? Over 70% of those who've taken...

May 03, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church / Outgrowing The Congregation?

Is it possible to spiritually "outgrow" a local congregation? It is not only possible, it...

May 01, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church/An Update

Last week, I shared some preliminary results (here and here) and first thoughts (here) about...

April 2013

April 24, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church / Survey Results #3

Sidelined by loss. Pushed out by politics. Tired of doing, doing, doing. Invisible. Irrelevant. More time...

April 24, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church / Survey Results #2

The most remarkable part of the survey I posted last week came when I queried...

April 23, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church / Survey Results #1

One conversation led to another. And another. And a bunch more after that. The conversations...

March 2013

March 14, 2013

Church staff as ensemble cast, congregation as audience

Reed and Linda* relocated to a new city so Reed could lead a faith-based nonprofit...

February 2013

February 19, 2013

I am the church

Though my husband and I are still attending a congregation in our former neck of...

February 11, 2013

Praying for you, future Pope

The last time a Pope resigned, Martin Luther hadn't been born yet and leeches were...

December 2012

December 13, 2012

Of Bulletin Boards And Plaster Pillars

It was the Battle of the Bulletin Boards (BBB). Specifically, where said bulletin boards would...

November 2012

November 03, 2012

Leavin’…on a Sunday mornin’

"I want to leave my church, but I feel as though I've committed to them...

October 2012

October 30, 2012

A Response To “An Open Letter To Everyone Over 40 Who Has Left The Church”

Author Margaret Feinberg has penned a kind and genuine expression of concern for those who...

July 2012

July 08, 2012

Teaching to indoctrinate or to educate?

It took me a long time to understand the difference between teaching (informing, enlightening) and...

March 2012

March 21, 2012

All In The Family?

Yesterday, the Out of Ur blog ran a post about one of the key reasons...

February 2012

February 25, 2012

(Don’t) take me to your leader

What is it like to be led by a spiritual leader who has immersed himself

December 2011

December 04, 2011

Who read Scripture during your church service this morning?

Should women be permitted to read Scripture aloud in a church service? Probably for many...

October 2011

October 18, 2011

Nothing new under the sun

August 2011

August 11, 2011

Women can. Should they?

I am currently reading Carolyn Custis James' thoughtful call to action entitled Half The Church:...

August 02, 2011

What’s a nice egalitarian woman like you doing…?

What's a nice egalitarian woman like you doing in a complementarian church? When we started...

October 2007

October 16, 2007

Upgrade me

Oh so much has been written about the consumerist nature of western Christians. But as...

August 2007

August 17, 2007

Growing pains – part 3

"Leaving a church because you're not 'being fed' is a sign of spiritual immaturity."This might...