Is First Christian a progressive congregation? The answer is complex.
Are We A Progressive Church?
Podcast Clip: The Church as Truth Teller
The church needs to be a truthteller, which means the church is willing to speak the truth even if it means attacking sacred cows that people like.
Episode 50: The Problem of Inclusion in Mainline Protestantism
One of the biggest gifts Mainline Protestantism has given to many people is the work of inclusion. But are there limits to inclusion?
Geoff Mitchell on the Future of Mainline Protestantism
Is Mainline Protestantism a tradition worth saving? What caused the decline and what could bring about a renaissance?
Worship From Home: February 7, 2021
Here is the video and the sermon podcast for the February 7 worship service from First Christian St. Paul.
Worship From Home: January 31, 2021
Here is the video and the sermon podcast for the January 31 worship service from First Christian St. Paul.
What Are We Being Inclusive For? (Revisited)
What are we including and why? Why are we being inclusive? What are we being inclusive for?
Eugene Peterson and the Age of Shibboleths
I don't know when it happened, but I've become a walking, talking shibboleth. A shibboleth is a word or custom that signifies who is in the ingroup and who is in the outgroup. Think of it as an old fashioned version of virtue signaling. Now, I didn't personally become a shibboleth, but the fact that... Continue Reading →
Sermon: That’s Me In the Corner
Galatians 1:13-17; 2:15-21 and Luke 18:9-14 Sixth Sunday of Easter Losing My Religion Sermon Series May 21, 2016 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN Click here to listen to the audio. It’s been about two years since our congregation voted to become an Open and Affirming congregation, meaning that we openly welcome Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and... Continue Reading →
The Church for Today (and not 1955)
This morning at church, things are what they are on most Sundays. We had about 15 people who sang, prayed and listened to the sermon. We talked about making sandwiches for the homeless in a few weeks time. But something unusual did happen today. For whatever reason, an elderly woman was dropped off at 9AM... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Pastor 