My priorities for this current sabbatical include rest, renewal, visioning, writing, and quality time with my family. We just returned from a family trip to the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, where we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of Megan’s parents, Bob and Jeanne Partridge. They were college sweethearts at DePauw University and got married at age 22, right after graduation in 1968. It was a joy to celebrate with them and to see how their love has grown and deepened over the years. Unfortunately, fifty-year wedding anniversaries are not as common......

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I once heard a well-known minister from California say the following words emphatically: “Spiritual emptiness is a universal disease.” How do we know that this is true? Take a look at our culture. Look at the rising levels of depression, suicide, anxiety, loneliness, alcoholism, drug addiction, anger, fear, hate, and incivility. Each of these things points to rising levels of spiritual emptiness and a culture that needs spiritual renewal and revitalization. This is not an attempt to paint a completely pessimistic and dismal picture of where we are. Many are able to......

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We have been celebrating 75 years of faith at Woodmont, dating back to 1943. But what does it mean to live a life of faith? There are many misunderstandings in our culture of what it means. At its very core, this question lies at the heart of all theology, a field that will never be exhausted or mastered. Having faith in God does not mean that everything in life will work out just the way we plan. It does not mean that we will be spared hardship and pain, tragedy, and suffering.......

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This Sunday we will officially celebrate the 75th birthday of Woodmont Christian Church. There will be two worship services in the morning (9:30 & 11:00, No Bridge service because of the banquet), a special concert at 3:00 pm in the sanctuary, and a banquet at 5:00 pm in Drowota Hall with Governor Haslam speaking. Woodmont Christian Church has been sustained over the past 75 years by many factors, among them faith, hope, and love. FAITH. Faith in the one true God who created all of us in his image, who sustains us......

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We now find ourselves living in an age where many consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” There are many reasons why people feel this way: church seems boring; they’ve been hurt by organized religion; there’s a clear disconnect between Jesus and those who claim to follow him; there are alternative ways to find community; there is a lack of trust in religious institutions; people have used the church to push political agendas. It is common knowledge now that the fastest-growing religious group in our culture happens to be the “nones” – those......

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Over the past week, I have had a number of church members reach out to me in various ways (emails, texts, phone calls) regarding what is happening in our country pertaining to immigration and the southern border. As you might expect, these members do not all share the same views on this topic. On Sunday, I made the comment that if this was a simple topic with an easy solution, it would have been solved a long time ago. It is not simple. Both Democratic Administrations (Carter, Clinton, Obama) and Republican Administrations......

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I came across this article by Doug Powe and Ann A. Michel earlier this month and I found it fascinating as we prepare to install our new leaders this coming Sunday. I think these trends are well worth sharing and taking time for reflection. 1. Changes in church attendance patterns Since 2001, worship attendance had been trending downward in many denominations, following a modest rebound in the 1990s. And declining worship attendance now plagues evangelical and Catholic churches in addition to the mainline. One contributing factor seems to be that “regular attenders”......

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I believe in certain truths that are universal for almost all human beings. First, we all want to be loved, appreciated, and respected. Second, we all search for meaning and purpose in our lives and we want our lives to matter and make a difference. Third, we all seek to form and sustain meaningful relationships with other people because we are social creatures by our very nature. Fourth, we all want to experience happiness, however, we understand that concept. Fifth, we all have to deal with pain, disappointment, and heartache no matter......

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May is a month full of graduations, commencements, or “new beginnings.” Graduates are seeking wisdom and guidance as they move ahead to life’s next chapter and venture into the unknown future. A good starting point might be to avoid Mahatma Gandhi’s seven blunders of the world: wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character; commerce without morality; science without humanity; religion without sacrifice; politics without principle. Living by the Golden Rule can serve any person well. But here are some additional reflections for the journey ahead: • Life is a gift......

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One of the reasons we financially support the church is because we believe in the importance of community. Christianity is a faith that is practiced in community, in relationship with others. These faith-based relationships are some of the most meaningful connections we will have in life. This is very important for a variety of reasons. Social isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and depression are growing challenges in the twenty-first century. Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam first identified the early warning signs almost twenty years ago in his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival......

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