What does it mean that Christ Is Risen?
Sermon: The Gospel Is Inclusive
Photo by Gotta Be Worth It on Pexels.com Third Sunday in Lent | John 4:5-42 | March 12, 2023 | Dennis Sanders, preaching It was nearly 8 years ago that First Christian Church of St. Paul made a decision to become an Open and Affirming Congregation. That means that we openly welcome LGBTQ people into... Continue Reading →
Giving Thanks in Advent World
Thanksgiving is a time of looking back and giving thanks to God. Advent is a time of looking forward and living into God's promised future. Below, I did a video on Advent and Thanksgiving in light of the recent shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs. https://youtu.be/pwnUqiZh-ic
Are We A Progressive Church?
Is First Christian a progressive congregation? The answer is complex.
Why We Need and “Anxious Faith”
In this video, I talk about the anxious times we live in and how we need to have an "anxious faith."
Visit a Ragamuffin Church
We “church shop” just like we are buying cars. As I said, this doesn’t work well when it comes to finding a faith community, but this is how most people determine which church they are going to join.
Table Talk: It’s Enough
At the end of the day, we are enough. Gideon teaches us that we are enough because God is enough.
Hard Times for the Mainline
Wither the Mainline church? It's a question those of us who are part of a mainline/progressive denomination have been wondering for years. Or, it is a question we continually hear about. Our numbers continue to shrink, as does our monetary reserves. Everyone has their reasons as to why mainline churches seem to be in sort... Continue Reading →
Diversity in Name Only
A friend on Facebook linked to an article in First Things by Mark Regnerus. Regnerus is an interesting fellow. He is a sociologist at the University of Texas and has been at the center of some controversy in recent years over a study he released on gay parenting that did not put same sex families... Continue Reading →
God Is A Concept.
When I was in journalism class in high school, I remember seeing a poster in the teacher's classroom that caught my attention. It was one of those posters that shows something like a big sky or the stars at night. At the bottom of the poster were these words: "God Is A Concept." I really... Continue Reading →