The Power of Friendships

While visiting some of our home and nursing home bound members, I heard a discussion on the radio about a fascinating book called The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and A Forty Year Friendship. Its going to be a part of my sermon for this Sunday, but I wanted to give you a chance to check out the website...its a fascinating look at women's friendships, and a particular set of friendships "grown" in the midwest.

The other thing I found interesting was the fact that around the age of forty women begin to revalue their friendships, perhaps after years of raising a family and tending to a marriage. During the ages of 25-40 women tend to lose sight of those friendships, but later re-focus on those important relationsips. Interestingly, men have a much more difficult time of making friends after their youth, and tend not to take care of the ones they do have...which is something I can personally attest to.

Check out the website for the book at: http://www.girlsfromames.com/

Thoughts?

Pastor Kevin

Jesus Kills Mohammed? Article In New Harper's Magazine

Hi everyone,

My latest Harper's magazine showed up the other day with a really interesting article on the attempt by some to "christianize" US Military. Jeff Sharlet, one of the writers of the really great website www.therevealer.com is the author.

Here is my attempt to at linking to it, but it might be blocked by a suscriber wall...

http://harpers.org/archive/2009/05/0082488

Of course, you know that I grew up in Muslim country, so the relationship between Christians and Muslims is an especially important topic for me. I had such a good experience growing up in Indonesia and interacting with others of different faiths, though primarily Muslim, since Indonesia, which is about 90% Muslim, and the largest primarily Muslim country in the world.

It should concern us that there are those who are using our armed forces as a way of trying to convert our own soldiers and others throughout the world.

Thoughts?

Pastor Kevin

Some good silliness for Holy Week - Plus, Times for Holy Week Services

Nope, this fun video has nothing to do with Easter directly, except that it does what Easter should do for us--bring a smile to our face, and joy to our heart. Check it out below!

See you at the Maundy Thursday service at St. Paul's UCC Thursday night at 7 PM and Good Friday service at 7 PM at Coloma Methodist!

Youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg

The End of Christianity In America?

Newsweek has a cover article about the lessening of religiosity in our country, something I am not sure I mourn too much. Civil religion, religion that is hitched to a culture, is a dangerous thing--to those who are not affiliated with the religion being tactily endorsed by the government, but also to the church, who often cannot distinquish between the concerns of the state, and the concerns of the church.

See link to article below

http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583?tid=relatedcl


Thoughts?

Gary Dorrien - The Remaking of Evangelical Theology

First, Gary Dorrien is one of the best synthesizers of theological material I've ever read. I had picked up his three part "The Making of American Liberal Theology" and plowed through the first book. It was excellent--broad and readable and incredibly interesting, especially for those of us in the Congregational tradition and the United Church of Christ. In many ways, you can trace the beginnings of American liberal church tradition right back to our Congregational roots.

Dorrien taught at Kalamazoo College for many years before finding a new home at Union Theological Seminary in New York, truly the home of the liberal Christian tradition.

Back to the title of this post: I've been reading his "Remaking of Evangelical Theology" which is another excellent read--a balanced and accesible look at evangelical theology through the eyes of someone from the more liberal Christian tradition.

Why am I reading it? Well, because its important to know what is going on outside one's own theological traditions and milieu. And its a reminder that though we at this church find our selves left of center when it comes to theology, its important to understand our sisters and brothers who don't agree with us, and why issues like biblical inerrancy matter deeply to them. Keeping the conversation going is important for us as people of Christian faith, and Dorrien does a great job of synthesizing the works of the great evangelical thinkers of the last 5o years, making it easier to understand a tradition that is not my own.

Charter of Compassion

Hi everyone, and to the thousands that visit this site daily... ;)

The scholar Karen Armstrong has put together a project she calls the CHARTER FOR COMPASSION, arguing that each of the world's great religions endorses compassion as a key element in its beliefs. She was on Bill Moyer's Journal show on PBS talking about this idea, which intrigues me. Here is a link to the website.

http://charterforcompassion.com

Check it out

Great Website On Religion--Check it Out!

Friends,

Check out the following website...its a great resource on contemporary topics on faith and culture! I appreciate the commentaries, and the slant that is given, something that one does not usually see in the religious press.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/