tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037049703033042792024-02-21T23:37:37.265-08:00Ten Minutes or LessHelpful hints for busy clergy and lay leaders.Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-35683868733837131152011-03-29T08:09:00.001-07:002011-03-29T08:20:28.450-07:00From a secular source...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsH1o4iat4zSYgXqMyV-OdDv1RAMuk1uxckPYc2E0qaO1QanBsWHQGy-AHiJthXAO8B_tMaW5cp958AlrAiWIoE_-xGYAp5rGSLBghzPfi9bYYxj2KiBiJpA7zj6TyPGJl7v2SEpLU0_i/s1600/iStock_000002025310XSmall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsH1o4iat4zSYgXqMyV-OdDv1RAMuk1uxckPYc2E0qaO1QanBsWHQGy-AHiJthXAO8B_tMaW5cp958AlrAiWIoE_-xGYAp5rGSLBghzPfi9bYYxj2KiBiJpA7zj6TyPGJl7v2SEpLU0_i/s200/iStock_000002025310XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589521949267504930" /></a><br />I've been reading Hemingway's account of life in Paris in the 1920s, in his book, <i>A Moveable Feast. </i>In one section he writes, "It was all part of the fight against poverty that you never win except by not spending. We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other."<div><br /></div><div>Perhaps overly romanticized, but Hemingway's words make me think that would be a good life. If we live and love simply, is that not the basis for doing considerable good in the world for others? And yet the poet Linda Weltner writes that the consumer culture shouts at us from every vantage point, saying "Not enough, not enough," and torturing us with all those things we have not yet bought, not yet acquired.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-3409138448184230442011-03-15T16:21:00.000-07:002011-03-15T16:35:14.446-07:00What can I do?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArDcLivhTVXn7WXykq-Anx2PCazNN1lCSTj6uTtTdvJyGlTZ563jB1MbO_zcxb3bAmmoR5GrUqgaVmq4WzJdniWQTKCAs6CBtEo5-oZvR5MwTYGH4AZKSoIeMt-TrJ6Rwplm-mWcH-cVL/s1600/iStock_000007867545XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArDcLivhTVXn7WXykq-Anx2PCazNN1lCSTj6uTtTdvJyGlTZ563jB1MbO_zcxb3bAmmoR5GrUqgaVmq4WzJdniWQTKCAs6CBtEo5-oZvR5MwTYGH4AZKSoIeMt-TrJ6Rwplm-mWcH-cVL/s200/iStock_000007867545XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584454236377282194" /></a><br />Radical, individual heart change is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for the advancement of justice. Injustice thrives because too many of us do nothing about it. We do not hold injustice clearly, unmistakably, and urgently in our field of vision.<div><br /></div><div>There is a great distance between the privileged world we inhabit and take for granted, and that other world where tragedy, disease, destitution, and oppression are rife. We misperceive suffering as <i>their</i> problem, not ours.</div><div><br /></div><div>We live with a clear conscience, believing that we are not the perpetrators of injustice while also believing that injustice is beyond our power to change.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mark Labberton, <i>The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor</i></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-42086554973758746362011-03-07T08:26:00.000-08:002011-03-07T08:34:19.180-08:00A class this long? Surely not!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kRrlBj0sqf1uoSVb1A6Gaz2S1W6VgkimcW1W5jHYgaCidrWr6irLoPB7lUINMVKiIehkjOqRKp4KhAGE77ca2U-m4ZJD01Jhl0E0Oy5oI0st04loJ_ErIy47dO9GcCQiAryd_F9zWxX9/s1600/iStock_000000319065XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kRrlBj0sqf1uoSVb1A6Gaz2S1W6VgkimcW1W5jHYgaCidrWr6irLoPB7lUINMVKiIehkjOqRKp4KhAGE77ca2U-m4ZJD01Jhl0E0Oy5oI0st04loJ_ErIy47dO9GcCQiAryd_F9zWxX9/s200/iStock_000000319065XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581376769763335346" /></a><br />The prominent theologian Stanley Hauerwas attempted to join a Methodist church some years ago. The pastor told him that before he could join the church, he would need to attend a new member's orientation class that met each week for a year. Hauerwas replied, "I dutifully and gladly did this."<div><br /></div><div>It is rare for a pastor to lay down this requirement for a prospective member. But there is little doubt that the experience is life-changing. Even the very existence of such a program is likely to create congregational renewal.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the editorial, <i>Going Deeper,</i> The Christian Century, February 22, 2011</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-18761184863027602922011-03-04T12:43:00.000-08:002011-03-04T12:50:55.600-08:00A miracle!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxlHl-FmPT59fh07iE3wNx1CVbk_K-cVGlDCwIL7PZhVpGQRyJUIfe-BcZsg08yve-k9v78M7QC_S2GhRxkhT9j59GlQf39aHS8uIdXjbO-6jrZvgEbZ1uIw8jrAFjmDCH2XkxxddY3eA/s1600/iStock_000008560378XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxlHl-FmPT59fh07iE3wNx1CVbk_K-cVGlDCwIL7PZhVpGQRyJUIfe-BcZsg08yve-k9v78M7QC_S2GhRxkhT9j59GlQf39aHS8uIdXjbO-6jrZvgEbZ1uIw8jrAFjmDCH2XkxxddY3eA/s200/iStock_000008560378XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580329915452691218" /></a><br />In the early 1920s, my grandmother, a template Methodist, was smitten by and betrothed to an Irish Catholic. She converted, somewhat reluctantly. The priest splashed a little water on her and said, "Geraldine, you were born a Methodist, raised a Methodist. Now, thanks be to God, you're a Catholic."<div><br /></div><div>Some weeks later she was grilling steaks in the backyard on the first Friday in Lent. A neighbor, smelling the barbecue, upbraided her for fixing meat on Friday. She got the garden hose, sprinkled a few drops of water on the sirloins and said, "You were born cows, raised as cows. Now, thanks be to God, you are fish!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Lynch, <i>The Christian Century, </i>February 22, 2011<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-75469762590464914282011-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:002011-03-02T16:04:54.768-08:00Back in the saddle...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7x-qMpnj3eAEL7LKfjEXIB8vBMG74kLjKt0VruuOpOc4XyPBLcPlwVlrLNVCbHDxSz1m0dgmbBtu3IIgBI1XNtxnQqzmtnwkkbJjLQ78HObztdxkRUNWPRrRdi73Onl26fYUaC0x84x4/s1600/iStock_000001860264XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7x-qMpnj3eAEL7LKfjEXIB8vBMG74kLjKt0VruuOpOc4XyPBLcPlwVlrLNVCbHDxSz1m0dgmbBtu3IIgBI1XNtxnQqzmtnwkkbJjLQ78HObztdxkRUNWPRrRdi73Onl26fYUaC0x84x4/s200/iStock_000001860264XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579637453805528530" /></a><br />My apology to readers for being offline for about a month. I'm cranked up again, and ready to continue my conversations with hearty church souls. Please check in at least weekly.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-50989955449889148952011-01-27T12:58:00.000-08:002011-01-27T13:09:38.697-08:00A surprising new church...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0jztTxoVF0oxY3ES63tVGH994BhqezG-lfJ7WH3QEPkjHBdG8WLKzCN7Bx8NVeLfm4uyy-E4eogtYQInfpBRs99lK1PxRrk67QklHkK2fpGsstOCNu4yqTqh9bSg_0Jj-EXahdoDQD8B/s1600/iStock_000009024892XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0jztTxoVF0oxY3ES63tVGH994BhqezG-lfJ7WH3QEPkjHBdG8WLKzCN7Bx8NVeLfm4uyy-E4eogtYQInfpBRs99lK1PxRrk67QklHkK2fpGsstOCNu4yqTqh9bSg_0Jj-EXahdoDQD8B/s200/iStock_000009024892XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566975388808091202" /></a><br />A new church has started in Colorado Springs, dedicated to helping people in the depths of their crises. The pastor of this church is Ted Haggard, disgraced minister of the New Life mega-church he founded some years ago. His new church has about 300 members.<div><br /></div><div>The vast majority of churches in North America have far fewer than 300 members. Are ministers who are untainted by scandal incapable of creating congregations of 300 members? Even 300 members is a relatively small church.</div><div><br /></div><div>To me, this is a clarion call for pastors and lay leaders of good faith to review their role and purpose in this place and time. There is so much loneliness and sadness in the world. Shouldn't the church have a powerful message to draw them in?<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-63795007375386850482011-01-24T17:04:00.000-08:002011-01-24T17:21:34.070-08:00Rent-a-church weddings?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy8SF58SzvtpsCxj_KoLeM24DcxPuNpJychbzKe1PR9OUa54Acs3iYO2Kp9FdGHdIg09r60Dje4doFefJgcdHY_vktdlygINrz-Tz5J5YxfiuqYwWs1B8FaYdjbbWB4SnZzEur2FoKaza/s1600/iStock_000003888478XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy8SF58SzvtpsCxj_KoLeM24DcxPuNpJychbzKe1PR9OUa54Acs3iYO2Kp9FdGHdIg09r60Dje4doFefJgcdHY_vktdlygINrz-Tz5J5YxfiuqYwWs1B8FaYdjbbWB4SnZzEur2FoKaza/s200/iStock_000003888478XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565927369800742914" /></a><br />As an associate minister, UCC minister Lillian Daniel got stuck with the non-member weddings. She writes about being ordered around by engaged couples and listening to their rants about organized religion. She was treated like a service for purchase, similar to the caterer.<div><br /></div><div>She brings this up in a review of G. Jeffrey MacDonald's book, <i>Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul.</i> MacDonald writes that the religious marketplace is full of people looking for a church that meets their desires, a church that requires very little of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, MacDonald argues that people ought to be looking for a church that <b><i>shapes</i></b><i> </i>their desires. He says people need a faith that requires commitment, sacrifice, and the occasional denial of our whims and desires.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Christian Century Magazine, </i>January 25, 2011</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-5325262416293053842011-01-21T20:29:00.001-08:002011-01-21T20:34:56.772-08:00A two way street?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-C3WAJu-OALECxX1dIVHibca7Y6xVjMZK_PxnvIyDGd4jWLPSXbklHFW9qgH3vrUjdJysmFF-5Q8XUXxQgNodwWM4GZfhYKMSHZKcaRTMJ7rPGWcN3-xzyJz2ibOEXBKB-NOj4S8WrgM/s1600/iStock_000013624510XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-C3WAJu-OALECxX1dIVHibca7Y6xVjMZK_PxnvIyDGd4jWLPSXbklHFW9qgH3vrUjdJysmFF-5Q8XUXxQgNodwWM4GZfhYKMSHZKcaRTMJ7rPGWcN3-xzyJz2ibOEXBKB-NOj4S8WrgM/s200/iStock_000013624510XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564863924378795266" /></a><br />Sometimes we think if the pastor gets it right, then results will follow. I challenge that assumption by noting that Protestant churches now have some of the best trained leaders we've ever known.<div><br /></div><div>We hear too much talk about leadership and not enough about following. Congregations that do great work have strong followers. People work out of their own deep faith and commitment to the church they love, not necessarily because their leaders have some special skill or knowledge.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Russell, <i>The Christian Century, </i>December 28, 2010</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-65918585494052323892011-01-17T13:18:00.000-08:002011-01-17T13:30:57.863-08:00Porn..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMQAi-kDQYkbd04qRZxmROZmaO2hLUoIgLtYk0WYMeijCB668-ZD6F-Q173dMoP-ZQxvs70H1w4NZz8IFAnkcWg0v3Tb64L2c9V2dmx5yGqc6o5NV87nIeRO-VG0dWKUwPLR2V5aLrj-f/s1600/iStock_000006495188XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMQAi-kDQYkbd04qRZxmROZmaO2hLUoIgLtYk0WYMeijCB668-ZD6F-Q173dMoP-ZQxvs70H1w4NZz8IFAnkcWg0v3Tb64L2c9V2dmx5yGqc6o5NV87nIeRO-VG0dWKUwPLR2V5aLrj-f/s200/iStock_000006495188XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563269932270688018" /></a><br /><i>The Atlantic Magazine</i> reports that the US produces 89 percent of porn websites in the world today. I realize this is a free country and that porn is a multi-billion industry. But sometimes the voice of the church is all too silent on matters such as this.<div><div><br /></div><div>The issue crosses many theological boundaries and related topics. Theologically conservative ministers now bemoan the high rates of porn use, adultery, alcoholism, drug abuse, and divorce among their members, no different from the larger society. As if all the church teaches has a minimal impact on people's lives, if any.</div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-633224225121904542011-01-11T18:13:00.000-08:002011-01-11T18:22:48.418-08:00Would this make you happy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmZIkEtm4NbrgPlzpxiGp8SmuiCdDZpBAk61ga5rx_Gh2PPp1JxNL-A4XT0MtJrPUcoQrUjt86zhzabfsiEsoA8nT1DlE2q_8cerBzYWhbxVlBmnL-irmTHOp0-tSl6fAzfDmjn0ZCrBM/s1600/iStock_000004706937XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmZIkEtm4NbrgPlzpxiGp8SmuiCdDZpBAk61ga5rx_Gh2PPp1JxNL-A4XT0MtJrPUcoQrUjt86zhzabfsiEsoA8nT1DlE2q_8cerBzYWhbxVlBmnL-irmTHOp0-tSl6fAzfDmjn0ZCrBM/s200/iStock_000004706937XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561118749744577330" /></a><br />Philosopher Robert Nozick poses this question. Suppose you could attach your body for the remainder of your life to an "experience" machine. Floating in a tank of fluid, connected by electrodes to an incredibly advanced computer, you would spend the rest of your days fully realizing your greatest personal dreams.<div><br /></div><div>You could win the Pulitzer Prize, the Super Bowl, the Indy 500, invent a cure for cancer, travel in outer space. Any dream you wish comes true. These experiences would not be true in reality, but they would be utterly indistinguishable to you from reality.</div><div><br /></div><div>Given this choice, would you plug yourself in, thus ensuring the perpetual satisfaction of all your most cherished desires? </div><div><br /></div><div>For those who opt out, see the post below for what makes most people happy, at least in America.</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-1144489966519092782011-01-11T18:06:00.001-08:002011-01-11T18:13:22.863-08:00What really makes us happy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_24k_49voL6PXYORjQF5pXwN-aZYuikzhzZjEYnb_K5HtTYvbUmQtRntF3a8a5ag7S9ioP70THeh_sGIqBIZkqBglhkK4kz2JPq3AH5BMYpi-gT3lTa2Sn8gZK9-DPR-PSX-gsDGFLFJb/s1600/iStock_000006351782XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_24k_49voL6PXYORjQF5pXwN-aZYuikzhzZjEYnb_K5HtTYvbUmQtRntF3a8a5ag7S9ioP70THeh_sGIqBIZkqBglhkK4kz2JPq3AH5BMYpi-gT3lTa2Sn8gZK9-DPR-PSX-gsDGFLFJb/s200/iStock_000006351782XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561116622176434466" /></a><br />Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, has just published a new book about happiness, and how public policy might be shaped to improve the level of happiness among US citizens. One of his findings is that people are poor judges of what will make them happy.<div><br /></div><div>His findings confirm other studies in which key elements of happiness include lasting marriages, contributing to charities, engaging in community service, maintaining friendships, and participation in organized religion. Bok believes that happy people tend to be morally good people, at least by standards of mainstream American ethics.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's where we can all evangelize. Come to church, be a generous soul, help others, and Nirvana awaits! I'm not joking.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-46812998892204003002011-01-10T11:21:00.001-08:002011-01-10T11:38:44.943-08:00Life in the US of A...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0-kjIfoQ0czo1wIUrUH4CYSMYUv_jA1ls1hrgXsXjswOwvaJdk0XksWtpCusXsw6W7Cun239TtBx-nj4-CJpK2hjA5iFREO_hfob5SrYGbBJFDaDeOGC60UE2HtQcYVHT3rnWvrO81di/s1600/iStock_000005510825XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0-kjIfoQ0czo1wIUrUH4CYSMYUv_jA1ls1hrgXsXjswOwvaJdk0XksWtpCusXsw6W7Cun239TtBx-nj4-CJpK2hjA5iFREO_hfob5SrYGbBJFDaDeOGC60UE2HtQcYVHT3rnWvrO81di/s200/iStock_000005510825XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560643636612071746" /></a><br />In his book, <i>We Have Met the Enemy: Self Control in an Age of Excess, </i>author Daniel Akst writes,"American life resembles a giant all-you-can-eat buffet offering calories, credit, sex, intoxicants, and other invitations to excess. Americans accept these invitations so promiscuously that bad decisions about smoking, eating, drinking, and other behaviors account for almost half of deaths in the US. We are losing the war with ourselves."<div><br /></div><div>Where is the church's voice in all this?</div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-11760804753105103402010-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:002010-12-31T11:13:01.653-08:00Hope for 2011?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMyECt-cTdSmwLzSeNgJnGRU85SvS7zUnAqePn7p9-C7nfCjOxNtevkuhCid_KjTzqTzWlD9aEtntge4c2wQJNrexy4Ghr807naF_ihakOHMf-o37P17gYeXHylXEUQZkkT_SYgurc_PT/s1600/iStock_000010321964XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMyECt-cTdSmwLzSeNgJnGRU85SvS7zUnAqePn7p9-C7nfCjOxNtevkuhCid_KjTzqTzWlD9aEtntge4c2wQJNrexy4Ghr807naF_ihakOHMf-o37P17gYeXHylXEUQZkkT_SYgurc_PT/s200/iStock_000010321964XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556926504827885074" /></a><br />During the past year, I worked with congregations that made me wish I lived closer and could be part of it all. With other congregations, I resisted mightily the temptation to tell them to just close the doors and go home, there was so little of value there.<div><br /></div><div>Theologian Miroslav Volf often writes that churches fail at their central task because they do not define a way of life that is worth living. My less hopeful side suggests that the prevailing consumer culture overpowers the church's message of prayer, forgiveness, and redemption.</div><div><br /></div><div>During 2011, I'm hoping readers will provide examples of churches that do, indeed, define a way of life that goes beyond acquiring consumer goods; a way of life that transcends our individual interests, whims, and preferences. </div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-59029978674479108412010-12-09T20:21:00.000-08:002010-12-09T20:31:26.651-08:00The purpose of worship..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44uNW5MxcgpHlqagB0GwxOdk9lyQ_T3pxKCxJ-K3x4o-Spk10TbOrLRthtipKqea8Y5pAY4jpWMt2Et-2sikktkPi_Hj5KDC3xMHq32wgbKX1FDgLQPHjKbOYzWLNsdNjzNu-lUsEov4/s1600/iStock_000012803260XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44uNW5MxcgpHlqagB0GwxOdk9lyQ_T3pxKCxJ-K3x4o-Spk10TbOrLRthtipKqea8Y5pAY4jpWMt2Et-2sikktkPi_Hj5KDC3xMHq32wgbKX1FDgLQPHjKbOYzWLNsdNjzNu-lUsEov4/s200/iStock_000012803260XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548905628167994434" /></a><br />A friend of mine is a sixty-something, lapsed Presbyterian who is quite cynical about the church. She attended a service at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, a rock and roll church that is one of the fastest-growing in America. I expected her to scoff at the experience.<div><br /></div><div>Instead, she cried. She said, "That service led people to their pain very effectively, and having done so, led them out of that pain and gave them hope for the week ahead."</div><div><br /></div><div>Episcopal priest Philip Weihe once wrote, "Anyone who has had an experience of the presence of God during a worship event is forever marked by that experience and will try to recreate that moment."</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-55192047866942661462010-12-07T13:24:00.001-08:002010-12-09T20:29:54.933-08:00A little holiday fun...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oGpG9YAtvp1loG-N5o5oxGYeCQM5m3BlcA7RB6Lx65dJUIlZfEDo9BSpzvGCH3MCKHJqwU9k6bgjaIHPeqW9Kbgx1A1ZWbZxkwkJ5tmzacGVMQ4dXvA8-f_3Mn4hPUYDjcTeqpSJoeNc/s1600/iStock_000008502824XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 60px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oGpG9YAtvp1loG-N5o5oxGYeCQM5m3BlcA7RB6Lx65dJUIlZfEDo9BSpzvGCH3MCKHJqwU9k6bgjaIHPeqW9Kbgx1A1ZWbZxkwkJ5tmzacGVMQ4dXvA8-f_3Mn4hPUYDjcTeqpSJoeNc/s200/iStock_000008502824XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548055847021558530" /></a><br />I've had a number of people send me sermon titles over the past few days, so I thought we might start a little collection of the year's greatest hits. Post your own entry, whether profound or less so.<div><br /></div><div>Here are a few starters. I'll note "Aspiration," once again, since that is particularly striking. Another is, "The Overconnected Soul." One of my personal favorites is, "Death: It's Place in Your Life." (I always thought it came near the end.)</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2003, the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox were in the playoffs. Neither team had won a World Series in almost a century. A sign on a Presbyterian church read, "Cubs vs. Red Sox: There is a God." A friend of mine preached a sermon titled, "Is sex necessary?" from a short story by James Thurber.</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-48520920688413256882010-12-06T08:38:00.001-08:002010-12-06T08:53:15.746-08:00Healthy churches..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rEOf2w8y8r7VhRd83PBhEeCNwtn5su_Sezc53doOFf7woanolGTb2FrNmSSQLHDbNaE_0OkI5SBBAS1Kv2QxotGpeYAF9Edfq1x6YxFCTmyBBqaEeT4gYydjuf3gsYe3oLKW_XPkk0bR/s1600/iStock_000003850838XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rEOf2w8y8r7VhRd83PBhEeCNwtn5su_Sezc53doOFf7woanolGTb2FrNmSSQLHDbNaE_0OkI5SBBAS1Kv2QxotGpeYAF9Edfq1x6YxFCTmyBBqaEeT4gYydjuf3gsYe3oLKW_XPkk0bR/s200/iStock_000003850838XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547613017863892082" /></a><br />I'm a fan of John Buchanan, a Presbyterian minister and editor of Christian Century magazine. He recently mentioned reading Jonathan Franzen's new novel, <i>Freedom</i>. He concluded that the characters in the novel don't have enough important things to do. <div><br /></div><div>He writes, "I kept wishing they'd all pack up and go to church some Sunday morning and volunteer in a homeless shelter or sign up for a mission trip."<div><br /></div><div>This reminds me of UCC minister Anthony Robinson often saying that too many churches function as though nothing important is at stake. So, kind readers, beyond Sunday mornings and various church programs, is there truly something important at stake going on in your church?</div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-81220513927169586762010-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:002010-12-02T16:24:46.605-08:00Sermon titles, continued...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQoAl_s_xXJv6SNtlCx04cx4myc-hZPWe80PyE1cW66_nfmqHtxFc39DpKlFhOiY5SK3jIw-ojGW49E8TXSrbHTQXg3nbuDopLTa5CjL4iYoOgXegNbrthCQ1dpmrRfEdDibDaWoMgSc4/s1600/iStock_000012210065XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 187px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQoAl_s_xXJv6SNtlCx04cx4myc-hZPWe80PyE1cW66_nfmqHtxFc39DpKlFhOiY5SK3jIw-ojGW49E8TXSrbHTQXg3nbuDopLTa5CjL4iYoOgXegNbrthCQ1dpmrRfEdDibDaWoMgSc4/s200/iStock_000012210065XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546127718447160850" /></a><br />Two posts below this one is a comment about the unfortunate practice of publishing sermon titles in newsletters and on websites. Beyond sermon titles themselves, descriptions of sermon topics on various church websites support my point of view. <div><br /></div><div>Sermon topics include: a deepening conversation that is both contextual and relational, an integration of ourselves into our milieu, attuned to the now that is carried out in our bodies, the artistry of shifting paradigms, exploring deeply that senses and feelings are important, allowing more breathing space to learn, and where are those who will say, "yes." Also, let us not overlook the struggle to have fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Does anyone out there actually believe this drivel will attract visitors, let alone current members? Of course, if this is what visitors find when they do show up, well, that's an issue for another time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-43709256934827093032010-11-30T16:13:00.000-08:002010-11-30T16:21:03.807-08:00Past our prime?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MCEhjWc32VUaCwhyphenhyphenYAwYRPKRnn43bglNUBC2Ffj6q1JJ829PYUjvlYAX3xPesBD9XOZz94jc4rA9zCfGPkizk1wuVJbD6u3EJuFO_BA3g_9QjTZoBVKttYcAOz1uXl1zdDkqDHax35A7/s1600/iStock_000004791615XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MCEhjWc32VUaCwhyphenhyphenYAwYRPKRnn43bglNUBC2Ffj6q1JJ829PYUjvlYAX3xPesBD9XOZz94jc4rA9zCfGPkizk1wuVJbD6u3EJuFO_BA3g_9QjTZoBVKttYcAOz1uXl1zdDkqDHax35A7/s200/iStock_000004791615XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545502022732704802" /></a><br />I often chide the Unitarian Universalists in regard to "seeking truth" being an inane vision for a congregation. But sometimes, a dose of one person's truth may be a good thing. Or maybe not. Here's some possible truth to ponder.<div><div><br /></div><div>"The future of American liberal religion is one characterized by a posture of exile, where we no longer can expect that the larger culture cares what we are saying or doing."</div><div><br /></div><div>Christopher H. Evans, from his new book, <i>Liberalism Without Illusion: Renewing an American Christian Tradition</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-72365480480230141582010-11-28T20:17:00.000-08:002010-11-28T20:23:58.318-08:00Guaranteed low attendance...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaMrUehzd5r0zqpLUQDLv5RYn_v7h98w7A0oIzb_xg5vRmvXgVymeNNQ93bTYcLh85z2iOQFKg8eKxPbjTd2xleqE-qRNQ8ZaCg1FolcpsqBJFv3apTDLCwbL9SJvofqa1N_LlmMUcvq9/s1600/iStock_000006099848XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaMrUehzd5r0zqpLUQDLv5RYn_v7h98w7A0oIzb_xg5vRmvXgVymeNNQ93bTYcLh85z2iOQFKg8eKxPbjTd2xleqE-qRNQ8ZaCg1FolcpsqBJFv3apTDLCwbL9SJvofqa1N_LlmMUcvq9/s200/iStock_000006099848XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544822673161252818" /></a><br />The very best way to deter church shoppers and potential new members is to list sermon titles, topics, and the speaker in the church newsletter or on the church website. (Special occasions an exception.)<div><br /></div><div>Potential visitors often check out church websites. If they like what they see, they're inclined to visit. This desire to visit may be thwarted by a particular sermon topic. For current members, listing titles creates a "pick and choose" faith, i.e., I like that sermon topic so I'll be there; I don't like that sermon topic so I'll stay home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Listing sermon titles is a lose-lose situation all around.</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-43884551036110740932010-11-22T17:30:00.000-08:002010-11-22T17:42:18.073-08:00Now is not the time to cut back..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifypIzhYzQkDLd8H-1QEyZ-_6PqHXlYitfVs8w1uKd048Xjx3NESwf7C6SObh8QuvAz3-FD-yhKt7C_jVLGu57bWUkX06vmWY_zn8a3Wbf8_107x6yBayKuxoPuLanj3L6t0lLLkr5PbU2/s1600/iStock_000002988426XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifypIzhYzQkDLd8H-1QEyZ-_6PqHXlYitfVs8w1uKd048Xjx3NESwf7C6SObh8QuvAz3-FD-yhKt7C_jVLGu57bWUkX06vmWY_zn8a3Wbf8_107x6yBayKuxoPuLanj3L6t0lLLkr5PbU2/s200/iStock_000002988426XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542553721383067602" /></a><br />I realize the last two years have been very difficult financially for many Americans. At the same time, I'm working with a medium-sized Episcopal church that began giving away the offering every Sunday, and also saw a 10-12 percent increase in the annual pledge drive for each of the past two years.<div><br /></div><div>The minister and lay leaders believed that cutting back when others were in great need was counter to the congregation they wish to become.</div><div><br /></div><div>A recent survey noted that almost 60 percent of Americans will spend as much, or more, for holiday gifts this year than last. This is not a time for church leaders to act as protectors of people's pocketbooks. This is the time for churches of all faiths to increase their good works</div><div>in the larger community.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-71384298502578249762010-11-19T16:16:00.000-08:002010-11-19T16:23:34.323-08:00The Fear and Anxiety Committee...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVO4koNlQUorWVk0YnIAlWg3JgSaBiJBA8K_Y5638zXP_qxdzWrCZLOTmFpfspqaTCXGXNNba0GFGB9zBf5u2Y6rD8E0pAo5LR8mcjSF_ShVEpps_E-d26G8tXw11QvuFm9lySZ0IQApyr/s1600/iStock_000006769769XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVO4koNlQUorWVk0YnIAlWg3JgSaBiJBA8K_Y5638zXP_qxdzWrCZLOTmFpfspqaTCXGXNNba0GFGB9zBf5u2Y6rD8E0pAo5LR8mcjSF_ShVEpps_E-d26G8tXw11QvuFm9lySZ0IQApyr/s200/iStock_000006769769XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541420953780599074" /></a><br />One guaranteed emotional response to change in a church is fear. I have seen fear go off on its own course regardless of anyone's ironclad process, and I've seen change make a direct hit to the anxiety alarm in the brain.<div><br /></div><div>I have seen clergy thrown to the anti-change wolves. I have watched transformational leaders butt their heads against emotional barriers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Three issues are in play: Fear and other emotions complicate all efforts; many pastors are not prepared to do transitional work in their congregations; and, it's absolutely critical that churches connect serious change with their mission to the larger world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peter Steinke, <i>The Christian Century, </i>November 16, 2010</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-16323033565798458222010-11-15T09:35:00.000-08:002010-11-15T09:45:43.802-08:00Change? At our church?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX9ebsv_Eo4PImBVHGJB-1SDiRwKvSTOCKQhGO_a_m3UlgpyTsT-mNo_jKQlVvuRIwjNixMzS0pBX_MnIP-xzgSW7Y5xUpp1uBJtsLS7WaXYICq2FcMw6ll-b6U-IqP0spbdUc43gmrg3/s1600/iStock_000010883346XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX9ebsv_Eo4PImBVHGJB-1SDiRwKvSTOCKQhGO_a_m3UlgpyTsT-mNo_jKQlVvuRIwjNixMzS0pBX_MnIP-xzgSW7Y5xUpp1uBJtsLS7WaXYICq2FcMw6ll-b6U-IqP0spbdUc43gmrg3/s200/iStock_000010883346XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539834091255200338" /></a><br />The price of moving up off a plateau in membership usually requires paying the price of change. It means a change from doing yesterday over again, only better, to an <i><b>intentional venture into new territory</b></i><b>. </b><div><br /></div><div>The goalless drift that is characteristic of too many congregations on a comfortable plateau in size must be replaced by vision, intentionality, a venturesome spirit, and the will to pioneer new approaches to ministry. Rarely, does this "just happen." It is the product of visionary and initiating leadership.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Lyle Schaller, <i>44 Steps Up Off the Plateau</i></div></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-22402788976950914062010-11-09T11:47:00.000-08:002010-11-09T11:55:20.528-08:00The make it or break it issue..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFap6URlzlbkGrepaf5rvk9u6ZEqv3AgfKEYNYGCjzELPKawzyIwvQxESf_oqT4kELe-Ips_x-cDTo3FFKovfL_R6jwzpuK9IQtvc0JZ_MdBY42hLGu9AYkV2MESZAo4Mq0obctu_dyuZa/s1600/iStock_000005970094XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFap6URlzlbkGrepaf5rvk9u6ZEqv3AgfKEYNYGCjzELPKawzyIwvQxESf_oqT4kELe-Ips_x-cDTo3FFKovfL_R6jwzpuK9IQtvc0JZ_MdBY42hLGu9AYkV2MESZAo4Mq0obctu_dyuZa/s200/iStock_000005970094XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537640979360162546" /></a><br />Is your church a voluntary association, or a community in covenant? A voluntary association allows members to set their own rules for participation. A community in covenant is one in which the institution of the church sets the standards. This is a VAST contrast in approaches.<div><br /></div><div>Many churches claim to be covenanted communities, but they really aren't. They function like voluntary associations. The more theologically liberal, the more likely this is the case. If your church is a voluntary association, chances are good that what your church is today is what it will be forevermore. It will only attract people who desire a low expectation environment.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-57031191018065240502010-11-03T12:20:00.000-07:002010-11-03T12:23:28.922-07:00Christmas giving at its best...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlPqQM5QhQel5VCxTkoIXEIRAV-BqmLrhS1sVq-gWw4MGSV6xA6VhwBF1EpsmV3SNKzdlMFbCrO1epTwp1Cjui_wNKO1tvAXseSvBsOc93vcV5kE9hjE3IvWWYBdig1ekiQnVEd-IBwgV/s1600/iStock_000014352358XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlPqQM5QhQel5VCxTkoIXEIRAV-BqmLrhS1sVq-gWw4MGSV6xA6VhwBF1EpsmV3SNKzdlMFbCrO1epTwp1Cjui_wNKO1tvAXseSvBsOc93vcV5kE9hjE3IvWWYBdig1ekiQnVEd-IBwgV/s200/iStock_000014352358XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535406255339298210" /></a><br />I urge hearty souls to give to their churches the same amount of money they spend on Christmas presents for friends and family members. This money would go toward mission beyond the church's four walls, and not be put into the operating budget.<div><br /></div><div>What a wonderful Christmas gift this would be, allowing us to shop in good conscience. If you think this is a stupendously good idea, as I do, please tell others.</div><div><br /></div><div>I heard Christmas music in a department store yesterday, November 3.</div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903704970303304279.post-83989028067096244082010-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:002010-10-26T09:52:35.891-07:00A little consternation...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34H6fpmX01gKiqj5jr1aV2gZZThvpAwq0_K3oWLsUUQ4h6nSRnqNp99O-pC7-926EjTdv0ly2gAluV2bIrULgZ56sn9O_yekzgTG3wWrBX0N2ehXKCWx07JiGaOXn8Fuawo5TrN3eXPqx/s1600/iStock_000004032408XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34H6fpmX01gKiqj5jr1aV2gZZThvpAwq0_K3oWLsUUQ4h6nSRnqNp99O-pC7-926EjTdv0ly2gAluV2bIrULgZ56sn9O_yekzgTG3wWrBX0N2ehXKCWx07JiGaOXn8Fuawo5TrN3eXPqx/s200/iStock_000004032408XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532398675052123218" /></a><br />I'm a big fan of divine discontent. It awakens congregations to a better understanding of their vision, a deeper commitment to building community, and making a real difference in the lives of so many.<div><br /></div><div>This restlessness is one of the reasons I have hope for congregations, and why I like working with them.</div><div><br /></div><div>William Avery, <i>Revitalizing Congregations</i></div>Mike Durallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03190064503156712312noreply@blogger.com0