Author Archives: smaxreisert

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About smaxreisert

I'm a United Church of Christ pastor serving the small, faithful Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Hallowell, Maine. I was ordained in Massachusetts in 1995, moved to Maine in 1997 and have served the Hallowell church since 2005.

Churches and Millennials

Posted on November 16, 2013 by smaxreisert

The Washington Post’s “On Faith” section recently ran a piece entitled, “5 Churchy Phrases that are Scaring off Millennials,” by Addie Zierman. The phrases Ms. Zierman identifies are these: 1. “The Bible clearly says . . . “ 2. God … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t Just Blame the Victim

Posted on November 9, 2013 by smaxreisert

Recently, a friend passed along an article that was discussed at a small clergy gathering. The article was titled, “Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned.” It contained reflections from a church consultant’s relationship with one particular church … Continue reading →

Posted in Maine Cautionary Tales | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Valuable Witness

Posted on November 2, 2013 by smaxreisert

At the end of a congregational meeting after worship last Sunday, an older member summed up the proceedings this way: “Well, we handled that a lot better than Washington.” Everyone chuckled and heads were seen nodding up and down. What … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Hopeful Side | Leave a comment

Lessons from the Hilltop

Posted on October 26, 2013 by smaxreisert

If you’ve ever driven Route 1 in Massachusetts, north of Boston, you’ve very likely seen the Hilltop Steak House—the enormous restaurant with the giant cactus sign and the herd of large plastic cows on the very small front lawn. Perhaps … Continue reading →

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Channeling My Circus Self

Posted on October 19, 2013 by smaxreisert

As the pastor of a small church in central Maine, I often feel like a guy on the unicycle, trying to balance two things in my hands, while balancing myself on a bike with one wheel—back and forth, back and … Continue reading →

Posted in Maine Cautionary Tales | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

More Thoughts on Worship Illiteracy

Posted on October 12, 2013 by smaxreisert

I feel that it’s only fair to offer a few words on last Sunday’s attempt at another round of the “homework” that I mentioned last week. For the second week of “talking about worship to someone,” the response was dramatically … Continue reading →

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Worship Illiteracy

Posted on October 5, 2013 by smaxreisert

There are some Sundays when my thirty-minute commute home after worship is a difficult, disheartening experience. Last Sunday was one of those days, a commute that included an internal debate on why I do this work, as a pastor of … Continue reading →

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Faith and Country, Eggs and Ham

Posted on September 28, 2013 by smaxreisert

Last week, gun control, so why not health care this week? Let me begin with one complaint that really doesn’t have anything to do with faith or Christianity: why is it that health insurance is treated differently than other forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Why Bother?

Posted on September 21, 2013 by smaxreisert

In the aftermath of the Washington Navy Yard mass killing, I heard one of the investigators talk about the thorough investigation that was in process—that law enforcement was committed to finding out everything it could about why Aaron Alexis chose … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Is It All About the Buildings?

Posted on September 14, 2013 by smaxreisert

Sacred Heart Church, the Roman Catholic church in Hallowell, just around the corner from Old South, is likely to close soon, probably at the end of next month. It’s really no surprise. Everyone in town seemed to be aware that … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Other Denominations/Christians | Tagged , , | Leave a comment