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Author Archives: smaxreisert
A Church on Fire: A Confession
The scenes from Paris were (and are) startling and heartbreaking. When part of the spire of Notre Dame fell into the huge cauldron of flames, I gasped. It was hard to take it all in from the vantage point … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Doomed
Tagged Cathedral, Church decline, Notre Dame, Notre Dame fire, Paris
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The Remarkable Sound of Silence
Many years ago, when I was a second year divinity school student trying to figure out what sort of ministry was the right path for me, I took a field education assignment at a local church, after a year spent … Continue reading
The Dreaded Funeral and Its Dreadful Portents
It doesn’t happen often, thank goodness, and less often than it happened in my first years at Old South: leading a funeral/memorial service for someone I’ve never met. In the almost fifteen years of serving Old South, I occasionally discover … Continue reading
Posted in Doomed, My Life as Pastor
Tagged Christian Church, Funerals, Mainline Decline, Memorial Services
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In These Difficult Days
The news from Christendom these days isn’t good. The seemingly endless parade of revelations from the Roman Catholic Church is heartbreaking and disturbing. The recent signs of serious rifts in the United Methodist Church are also distressing. The Southern Baptists, … Continue reading
Rules of Engagement, Part 1
A recent article in the local newspaper highlighted a protest at the Maine State House—clergy protesting the separation of families at the border. I recognized a couple of the clergy who were present. My first response was to wonder why … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Ministry Advice in Strange Places: Bill Belichick Versus Julia Child
The New England Patriots are bound for yet another Super Bowl. As someone who has been a life-long New Englander (and Pats fan), and is old enough to remember the terrible days of the old Patriots, when a visit to … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Bill Belichick, congregational church, Do Your Job, Julia Child, New England Patriots
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Preach It, Lady Gaga
It seems a troubling day when a pop artist notoriously prone to outrageous acts of theatricality becomes the voice of reasoned Christianity. But, that’s where we appear to be. After a recent story printed in the New York Times regarding … Continue reading
Posted in LBGTQ
Tagged Christianity, church, Karen Pence, Lady Gaga, LBGTQ, Mike Pence
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