Category Archives: My Life as Pastor

That Thing About Authority

Posted on April 17, 2024 by smaxreisert

A long, long time ago, in my first year as a student minister at a United Church of Christ church in Cambridge, MA, I once inadvertently insulted a church member so much during a sermon that after that one particular … Continue reading →

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Is It Time for a Break Up?

Posted on March 29, 2024 by smaxreisert

My last blog post focused on ghosts, those people who attend worship for a few weeks, a few months, even a couple of years, and then suddenly disappear, without notice, without trace, without explanation. I usually reach out to these … Continue reading →

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Ghosting, Church-style

Posted on March 15, 2024 by smaxreisert

Among the most frustrating aspects of being a local church pastor, for me, is dealing with “ghosting.” While the word “ghosting” is a relatively new term usually used in the dating, or friendship, arena, I’ve been dealing with the concept … Continue reading →

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It’s Time to Put Aside the Rose-Colored Glasses

Posted on February 16, 2024 by smaxreisert

In the first church I served, as a student minister and then as the assistant pastor, way back in the early 1990s, I had the chance to experience a fairly wide range of the typical world of the local church … Continue reading →

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What’s the Word?

Posted on November 11, 2023 by smaxreisert

The members of Old South Church in Hallowell, Maine will gather after worship tomorrow, Sunday, November 12, 2023, to vote on a plan put forward by the governing body of the church to put the sanctuary building up for sale. … Continue reading →

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Big Questions

Posted on October 17, 2023 by smaxreisert

At last week’s Bible study session, the main topic of conversation revolved around the current worship series (looking for new wisdom in the old stories of the Hebrew Scriptures) and the previous Sunday’s scripture and sermon on the Ten Commandments. … Continue reading →

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Moments of Grace in a Sea of Trouble

Posted on September 30, 2023 by smaxreisert

It’s a hard time to be in the church business. It’s difficult to be a parishioner watching one’s congregation getting smaller and smaller and trying to get one’s head around the overwhelmingly difficult decisions that are looming. It’s difficult to … Continue reading →

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Wondering About Life-Altering Experiences in a Secular World

Posted on July 31, 2023 by smaxreisert

Last week, I had to deliver my daughter to the bus station in Portland, Maine early in the morning. After helping her carry her stuff into the line to board the bus, I got back into my vehicle and took … Continue reading →

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Hey! Different Kind of Church Here! Part 2

Posted on July 18, 2023 by smaxreisert

I don’t keep my profession a secret, but there are times when I wish I could. One recent example involves a little monthly pampering that I give to myself: I get a pedicure about once a month. I’ve seen the … Continue reading →

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These Difficult Days

Posted on June 11, 2023 by smaxreisert

It’s a tough time to be a clergyperson. We are expected not only to be able to complete widely-divergent tasks, but to do them well— from plumbing and building issues to website design (and maintenance) to flock wrangling to sermon … Continue reading →

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