Serving in Christian ministry in America requires a knowledge of the racial history and current reality of our context. We need to understand how people are affected by our racial history and present struggles, especially through the African American experience. I’ve found the following books to be helpful to me for understanding perspectives on race and society. There are many [...]
Editor's Note: The following letter was written by Fr. Shawn McCain to his congregation, Resurrection Anglican Church in Austin, TX. It originally appeared on the church's website. With Shawn's permission, we're sharing it with you as we pray together for justice and peace. Rez family, We are all still reeling from mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. If you’re like [...]
The horrific fire at Notre-Dame de Paris on Monday has captured many of us. Nearly every tourist who has been to France has visited it. Nearly everyone who has an image of Paris has Notre Dame at the center. Seemingly floating on the Île de la Cité, it actually is at the heart, sectioned off and yet pulsing through the [...]
“We’ve never been here before.” This is a sentiment I encounter frequently in other priests in the Anglican Church in North America. As churches throughout America shut their doors, culture perpetually changes, politics fray, tensions rise, and faith declines, I share the feeling. This current moment in the religious landscape of the secular West is taking us to a new [...]
Ever since the Mayflower set sail from England, the idea of escaping a corrupt world to build a godly society has been an ever-present strain in American religion. That impulse has led to more than a few schisms since the days of the Puritans, creating the multi-denominational, patchwork America that we know today. Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option: A Strategy [...]
Because it's election season here in the United States, I thought I'd share the following prayer I composed for the election: Lord God, Almighty Father: Watch over our nation in these times. Casting a ballot is a privilege given to us by our Constitution and secured for us by citizens and patriots, past and present. May we exercise this freedom [...]
Pop culture is the known world for most people today. By definition, it is the "popular" and dominant culture, heavily influenced by mass media, in America and in much of the world. At Christianity Today, I worked with a colleague who was extremely bright and working on her doctorate in English. One time, she and some friends were standing in [...]
In the conservative Christian movement, we hear and talk a lot about liberal or progressive heresies. But those heresies are the low-hanging fruit of theology. That is, it's easy to point out that universalism, denying Christ's divinity, re-writing sexual ethics to conform with popular whim, or turning the Bible into a secondary historic curiosity with no authority are heresies. Those [...]
From LeaderWorks: helping leaders do their work. As I wrote in part one of this series, a church without adequate resources will soon see their visions become vapors. Money feeds momentum. It is a sign of commitment, involvement, trust, hope, and even worship unto the Lord! It is good to talk about! That is why developing a culture of generosity in every [...]
I was asked by the Telos Collective a while back to write a post, based upon my work here at Rookie Anglican, about what's drawing people into the Anglican tradition. Writing the post was a helpful exercise in summarizing what I've been noticing since starting Rookie Anglican about two years ago. I used what I'm calling "subversive cultural resonance" as [...]
Jen Pollock Michel, in a recent article, has drawn attention to the fact that Christian men in large part do not read female authors, whereas women are quite willing to read male authors. She cites my friend Al Hsu, a senior editor at IVP, who states that “women read relatively equally between male and female authors (54%/46%), while men, on [...]
Lots of amazing things happened on the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2. Earth was overcome with Wind and Fire. Chaos ensued. Rushing. Falling. Power. Roaring. Speaking. Hearing. Wind. Fire. Pow! What a day. The promised Gift of the Holy Spirit did not come gently to soothe. He is NOT that kind of comforter. He came powerfully to shake! [...]
In case you've never heard of it, The Telos Collective is an initiative of the Anglican Church in North America [ACNA], created: "to gather Anglican leaders from every diocese who think like missionaries, who are committed to using every strategy at their disposal to reach 21st century North America for Christ" and "to renew the Anglican church with the confidence [...]
Pastor's Journal is a series of reflections by Canon Greg Goebel. Scorn, used as a noun, is the feeling or belief that something is worthless or contemptible. Used as a verb, it describes an expression of contempt or derision. Jesus Christ was scorned on the cross. People mocked him, spit on him, and derided him. He was declared worthless and [...]
This guest post was provided by Kentucky teacher Heather M. Morgan, who is a member of St. Peter's Anglican Church, Frankfort, Kentucky. Many Kentucky teachers have been protesting low wages and inadequate funding. St. Peter's sits adjacent to the Kentucky state Capitol. St. Peter's Anglican Church in Frankfort, KY has always been keenly aware of our location, just down the [...]
How do we invest in the future leaders of the church? What might it look like for local churches to help college graduates step into adulthood? How can we cultivate lasting habits in young women and men about to embark on their vocations of work and ministry? These are the questions driving Brazos Fellows, a nine-month residential fellowship in Waco, [...]
Note: The Anglican Multi-Ethnic Network exists to help Anglicans in North America better reflect the diversity of the body of Christ in local churches so that our churches’ ethnic make-up manifests the universal saving power of the gospel and its ability to unite all people under the lordship of Christ. Part of that work involves dealing with the historic causes [...]
For some, it is so easy to get angry at President Donald Trump. He gives them reasons every day via the convenience of Twitter to see him as the problem. For others, the "fake news" mainstream media is a daily focus. For still others, it is the democrats or Hillary or "progressives" or activists. I'm pretty moderate myself, but I [...]
The search for identity is the assignment that our society puts upon us from our earliest days. Who am I? What am I? Cultural messages from commercial, activist, governmental, family and other sources seek to shape our identity every day, and yet they usually include the message "you are whatever you want to be." And yet we can't find out [...]
Are you on the dry earth right now? Most of us are. But we cannot imagine the impact of Harvey. As much as the media has covered it, our minds cannot take it in. To help us truly fathom it, experts set up mind-blowing comparisons. Here are a few. Harvey has dumped trillions of gallons of water onto the city [...]
It’s been a little while since we highlighted what’s happening over at LeaderWorks. Here’s a round-up of all the news and resources: Giving Up is coming soon! My book, Giving Up: How Giving to God Renews Hearts, Changes Minds, and Empowers Ministry will be available for pre-order on September 30. In the meantime, read more about the book (and see [...]
Today is St. Patrick's Day. It ought to mean more than wearing green and drinking beer. For the Christian, the life and witness of Saint Patrick is an inspiration for us today as we face an unbelieving world and collapsing culture. Consider these things: Patrick was born in 380 AD in Scotland (probably). As a teenager he was kidnapped by [...]
These are difficult days that we lead the church in, at least in some ways. There are moments I tell my wife that I would have never chosen to be a minister at this particular time and place, a time of social upheaval and changing values, a time when the church seems to be in decline in several ways. Yet, [...]
Churches and clergy are supposed to be politically non-partisan. Sometimes clergy are able to participate in politics as individuals (such as voting), but for the most part, they are to refrain from partisan politics. We serve the King of Kings, and represent his Church, not a particular party. Our mission and calling is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ [...]
