This approach is based on the premise that all of us are in a relationship with a God who is ever more ready to communicate with us than we are to listen, a God who is ever more ready to…

What has been apparent to me over the years is the extent to which the question of calling is the fundamental, ongoing, but often hidden issue of pastoral ministry. This question of what God calls us to be and to…

Before my arrival as pastor at the United Church of Christ in Norwell, Massachusetts, the congregation had plans underway to revamp its organizational structure. Their experience was one that is true for so many Christian communities today: Too few people…

One of my math teachers in high school was also the football coach. Mr. Clark liked to liven up the classes with some sort of action, so he showed us part of a horror movie and asked us to estimate…

The world in which we live is a place of beauty. It contains the resources necessary to sustain life and has the capacity to absorb the waste that living forms produce. The earth’s design is truly elegant and often mysterious….

Many congregations — maybe yours—are tempted to “play it safe” or “tweak” a little here and there during this time of unprecedented change in our culture and in our various religious traditions. Not so different from many of us in…