Tag Archives: Church decline

Thirty Years On

Posted on May 13, 2025 by smaxreisert

Today is the thirtieth anniversary of my ordination. The big day happened after a long ordination process (I think everyone had a long process in the Metropolitan Boston Association of the then Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ; … Continue reading →

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Healthy Habits?

Posted on May 1, 2024 by smaxreisert

A recent featured article in the Harvard Gazette email newsletter offered this tantalizing title: “Why Public Health Should Attend to the Spiritual Side of Life” [written by Tyler VanderWeele, Harvard Public Health, April 10, 2024, link is here]. The author … 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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The Sad State of Religion and American Public Life

Posted on March 1, 2024 by smaxreisert

When I was in Divinity School, way back in the later years of the twentieth century, one of the courses I took was a seminar taught by the then Dean of Harvard Divinity School, Ron Thiemann. The seminar focused on … Continue reading →

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Haunted

Posted on January 31, 2024 by smaxreisert

Over the last few years, as Old South has focused on how to move into the future with our shrinking congregation and our stubbornly unshrinking, and demanding, physical plant, people have had a variety of responses to the plans we … Continue reading →

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The Many Problems of “Why I Left the Church”

Posted on September 15, 2023 by smaxreisert

There’s an episode of Modern Family that involves a scene in a church, although the location really doesn’t matter. Claire, mother of three teens, is listening to her two daughters complain about various issues while they are sitting in a … Continue reading →

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Hey! Different Kind of Church Here!

Posted on June 29, 2023 by smaxreisert

The news regarding the state of Christianity and church life in the United States is all bad, for those who still attend some kind of church. In a newsletter series offered by The New York Times, Jessica Grose has written … Continue reading →

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Looking for the Opportunity in the Crisis

Posted on May 24, 2023 by smaxreisert

Last week, I read an article from NPR entitled, “The Faithful See Both Crisis and OpportunityAs Churches Close Around the Country.” (https://www.npr.org/2023/05/17/1175452002/church-closings-religious-affiliation) The article outlined the continued issues experienced in the Christian Church and its many denominations. More churches are … Continue reading →

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125-48: You Do the Math

Posted on April 17, 2023 by smaxreisert

This year’s Easter Sunday worship service at Old South brought a total attendance of 48 people. That number includes guest musicians and guests of the guest musicians. Two days later, Old South “hosted” (I’ll get to the use that particular … Continue reading →

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To Keep the Weariness at Bay

Posted on October 25, 2021 by smaxreisert

During the first years of my marriage and when my children were young, part of our annual family vacation involved a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to spend time with extended family.  Over the course of our … Continue reading →

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