Tag Archives: United Church of Christ

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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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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Identity Crisis

Posted on January 31, 2020 by smaxreisert

Last Sunday’s sermon was on unity, focusing on the lectionary passage from the beginning of First Corinthians. The title of my sermon was “Give Me a U.” The plan was to talk about Paul’s encouragement regarding unity, to remind us … Continue reading →

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The Heisman Approach to Christian Theology

Posted on February 8, 2018 by smaxreisert

Many years ago, when I was in graduate school, there was a saying that became part of the language of my group of friends: “the Heisman.” You may be familiar with the Heisman Trophy, awarded each year to the most … Continue reading →

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The Reformation at 500: Are We Reformers or Protesters?

Posted on October 28, 2017 by smaxreisert

For its 500th anniversary, the Reformation has been receiving a lot of attention—in the media (even The New Yorker, see “The Hammer” in the current, October 30, 2017 edition); in denominations; and, in local churches. Of course, the moment 500 … Continue reading →

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What’s In a Name?

Posted on September 9, 2017 by smaxreisert

A few weeks ago, when my husband and I traveled down to Boston to pick up our daughter at Logan airport, I noticed a very large sign on a Roman Catholic Church along the way, in Revere. I’ve been noticing … Continue reading →

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A Different Sort of Eclipse

Posted on August 25, 2017 by smaxreisert

I took a short break from my vacation last Sunday to lead worship at Old South. When I told the church secretary a few weeks ago that she could call off the supply search (for the first time in a … Continue reading →

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Post Synod Reflection #3: At the Edges of Our Big Tent

Posted on July 21, 2017 by smaxreisert

The United Church of Christ proudly declares, “No Matter Who You Are, No Matter Where You Are On Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here.” In reality, this is more a goal than a statement of fact. There are plenty of … Continue reading →

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Nick Kristof Could Be Writing About the United Church of Christ

Posted on June 2, 2016 by smaxreisert

Over the last few weeks, Nick Kristof has written at least twice in the New York Times about the lack of ideological diversity on college and university campuses in the United States. Most colleges and universities seem to place diversity … Continue reading →

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Getting a Grip on the Numbers

Posted on April 2, 2016 by smaxreisert

Just before Easter, the website realclearreligion.org included a link to a blog post from the Institute on Religion and Democracy entitled, “Financial Crunch Hits the United Church of Christ” (written by Jeffrey Walton). The post described the crisis in the … Continue reading →

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