Church

Dealing with Loss, Grief, and Grace in a Pandemic: A Conversation Among Friends

If you are a pastor or on a church staff, there is no shortage of suggestions for what to do during the current novel coronavirus pandemic. Many pastors find themselves forced to think about live-streaming services, using Zoom or Google Meet to offer Bible Study, and Youth Pastors are … Continue reading

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Self Protection Is Not the Center of the Christian Faith: A Conversation with Jeffrey C. Pugh

Over time Dietrich Bonhoeffer has become something of a Rorschach Test for Christians. That is, everyone finds something in Bonhoeffer’s corpus to claim for their theological project. Jeffrey C. Pugh says not so fast. Instead of thinking that Bonhoeffer passed through phases, like early and late, one might better … Continue reading

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Looking to Reach the High Bar

Pastoral Prayer: Holy One, daily we face being shamed, canceled and judged for not meeting expectations. Some of us even battle self-condemnation for failing to live up to our own goals. The ensuing loneliness leaves us weary when told our righteousness must exceed the religious elite. Thank you for Continue reading

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Not In the Stars?

Matthew 2:1-23

Pastoral Prayer: Holy One, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and not Jerusalem signals that we may want to look outside of the centers of power for the light to see our way in the world. Remind us today that we find our hope not in the Continue reading

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No Longer Canceled!

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Luke 19:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Pastoral Prayer: Lord God, we gather today bringing our questions and our burdens, we gather today longing to be embraced in your love, we gather today to witness the Spirit increase our love for one another. We gather, here in Continue reading

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