Tag Archives: Mainline Church

Lessons I Should Have Learned in Divinity School: Leadership in the Midst of Sunset

Posted on August 30, 2019 by smaxreisert

Thirty years ago (it’s hard for me to believe), I started divinity school.  On my three-year journey to a Master of Divinity degree, I took a great range of church-related/ministry-related courses—theology; ethics; Hebrew Scriptures; New Testament; Greek; church history; pastoral … Continue reading →

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Call and Circumstance

Posted on June 2, 2018 by smaxreisert

In the year King Uzziah died . . . So begins the sixth chapter of Isaiah, in which Isaiah is called as a prophet. In reading Isaiah’s call story, it’s easy to get caught up in the wild elements of … Continue reading →

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The Funny Thing About Numbers

Posted on March 24, 2018 by smaxreisert

A math professor friend of mine likes to joke that real math doesn’t use numbers. The church could use a similar sort of approach. Do real churches need numbers? Attending a Conference meeting at a church about an hour from … Continue reading →

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Letting Go of the Olive in Us

Posted on November 22, 2014 by smaxreisert

I reluctantly watched the HBO miniseries, Olive Kitteridge. The book on which the series is based is one of my favorite books. I have such a distinct image of Olive in my head, I didn’t know if I could deal … Continue reading →

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Are You Serving Cheese with that Whine?

Posted on July 11, 2014 by smaxreisert

At a lot of church related meetings, with both clergy and lay people, on the local level but especially when more than one church has gathered, I hear a fair amount of whining: Why don’t people go to church anymore? … Continue reading →

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Courses that Should Be Offered at Seminary/Divinity School #1: Physics

Posted on November 23, 2013 by smaxreisert

Over the course of my almost twenty-five years in parish ministry, I’ve accumulated a long mental list of the gaps that exist in my divinity school education—not simply courses that I failed to take, but courses that should have been … Continue reading →

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Churches, Pastors, Marriage and Bylaws—Oh, My

Posted on August 31, 2013 by smaxreisert

The Huffington Post recently published a story on conservative Christian churches that are enacting bylaw changes to guard themselves from possible lawsuits when they turn away same sex couples who wish to be married. [“DOMA, Gay Marriage Rulings Prompt Churches … Continue reading →

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Does It Matter that Church is Good for You?

Posted on August 3, 2013 by smaxreisert

Slate.com recently ran an article about scientific research that indicates that singing in a choir is good for people. The article, written by a woman who’s recently published a book on the subject, began with a statement that she had … Continue reading →

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Can My Soul Be Nurtured by Cookies?

Posted on July 19, 2013 by smaxreisert

I love cookies. I love eating them and I love making them. But, a few days ago, I found myself needing to buy some cookies. An old favorite came to mind—Milano, made by Pepperidge Farm. I had no idea that … Continue reading →

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The Things We Don’t Talk About

Posted on July 13, 2013 by smaxreisert

My sermon series at Old South this summer is focusing on evil. Where does it come from? How does it interact with our faith? What does it mean to say that God is good? Why do bad things happen to … Continue reading →

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