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Progressive Christian

2015-02-25T11:09:48-05:00

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.

Tell Me A Story: The Power of Films and Stories to Shape our World

Last updated on: February 25, 2015 at 11:09 am By Christy Thomas

“Tell me a story.” Or, “Let me tell you a story.” Possibly two of the commonest phrases in our language. When I was preparing for the final project for my doctorate, I spent time learning how societies without literacy transmitted information from generation to generation. They told stories which stayed remarkably consistent during their generational transfers. They served a societal glue–people who knew the same stories could be trusted. Religious groups also tell stories. Similar stories hold churches together and... Read more

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Liberia

Thin Line Film Festival

UMC

2015-02-24T15:27:02-05:00

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.

An Unsweetened Lent

Last updated on: February 24, 2015 at 3:27 pm By Christy Thomas

Several weeks before the beginning of Lent I began to consider and pray about how best to use this time to bring glory to God and clear my own way toward a repentant and tender heart. For years I’ve told people who inquired about their own personal disciplines, “When your first response to an idea for something to relinquish for Lent is ‘No, not that!’ you have probably found an important clue to what you need to do.” For me... Read more

2015-02-20T10:54:35-05:00

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.

1000 Voices for Compassion: Don't Send Shoes

Last updated on: February 20, 2015 at 10:54 am By Christy Thomas

The number one thing is, “Don’t send your used shoes.” Compassionate people plus tough and tragic situations equals a desire to do something, anything, to relieve suffering. So we ask, “how can I help?” There’s plenty of suffering to go around. From mass near starvation of Syrian refugees to daily destruction issued by Islamic terrorists to destruction and death in the Philippines from Typhoon Haiyan to the average, everyday angst that afflicts most everyone–well, we’re just not going to run... Read more

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Typhoon Hiayan

what would Jesus do

2015-02-20T10:21:07-05:00

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.

Fifty Shades: Female Sexual Power May Be the Real Issue

Last updated on: February 20, 2015 at 10:21 am By Christy Thomas

Ray Rice stands in an elevator and punches out his then girlfriend. Anastasia stands in the elevator and says loudly “Stop!” to the handsome, rich boyfriend, Christian. He is stopped in his tracks. That’s the difference between a woman with power and a woman without power. According to the Rev. Dr. William K. Kirby, one of the “take-homes” from the much read and much viewed Fifty Shades of Grey is that a woman can own her sexuality and not relinquish... Read more

united methodist church

2015-02-18T13:14:44-05:00

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.

Church Plants Redux: Seven Reasons Why the UMC Can't Plant Churches Quickly

Last updated on: February 18, 2015 at 1:14 pm By Christy Thomas

“A drastically oversimplified screed masquerading as analysis.” That’s what one commentator called a recent blog I had written about the influx of young men into the neo-calvinist churches. While he could possibly have been kinder in the comment, I agree the post itself did not examine the some of the greater reasons why that type of church is showing such very rapid growth. I did talk about this several months ago when I wrote a (somewhat) tongue-in-cheek blog about why the... Read more

2017-05-20T10:49:21-05:00

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.

Denton Mystery Worship Seventeen: Dust to Dust

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 10:49 am By Christy Thomas

“Remember you are but dust and to dust you shall return.” With these words, The Rev’d Canon H.W. Herrmann, Rector of St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Denton, marked the foreheads of approximately 30 early morning worshipers on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015. The familiar words of the readings and prayers swirled around me. I read the collect of the day, “Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all... Read more

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St. David of Wales Episcopal Church Denton

UMC

2019-01-21T10:05:28-05:00

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 Seduction of Young Men and Destruction of Compassion by the Neo-Calvinist Church Planting Movement

Last updated on: January 21, 2019 at 10:05 am By Christy Thomas

When the theology says, “You are a totally depraved human being. Nothing good can happen to you unless the sovereign God decides to grant you a blessing,” then those who are “blessed” find perfect justification to believe that the poor and disadvantaged deserve what they get. When the theology says, “Men, you and you only are the ones who are worthy of leadership,” that religious environment becomes the perfect place for upwardly mobile (or hopefully upwardly mobile) younger man to... Read more

united methodist church

2015-02-16T12:37:12-05:00

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.

Denton Mystery Worship Sixteen: Multi-Site Village Church

Last updated on: February 16, 2015 at 12:37 pm By Christy Thomas

[Note: this article originally ran in the Friday, Feb 13, 2015 print and online editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle. Commentary on the seduction of young men and the death of compassion caused by the theology taught at this church can be found at this link.] The Village Church, Denton website warns people to arrive at least 30 minutes early for services that fill quickly–and they will turn people away if necessary. Such words served as a major incentive to arise early... Read more

2015-02-10T11:00:55-05:00

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.

Brian Williams and The Nature of Forgiveness: How We Call God a Liar

Last updated on: February 10, 2015 at 11:00 am By Christy Thomas

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief; Pastor, priest, newsman, chief . . . all have this in common: each has the capacity to betray trust in profoundly public and private self-destructive ways. This brouhaha over Brian Williams and his fall from grace (this link will take you to Jon Stewart’s funny–and a tiny bit off-color–take on the situation) has become the current example of public betrayal. Yet, Williams has only followed the pattern set from the earliest time to... Read more

2015-02-06T08:55:20-05:00

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.

Read it and Weep

Last updated on: February 6, 2015 at 8:55 am By Christy Thomas

The Pontifical Council for Culture in Rome, presided over by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi and made up of cardinals and bishops who are all men, are discussing “Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference” from February 4-7, 2015 in mostly closed-door sessions. There are enough contradictions in that sentence to end my analysis right here. By all means, read the rest of this excellent analysis of this group of old, skirted and out of touch men meeting in a restaurant that features art of naked... Read more

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