Give Sorrow Words: Sermon Form in Trauma-Aware Preaching
Say What? “I have never heard a preacher say that word before.” It was a Sunday morning years ago as parishioners were streaming out the church where I was serving Continue Reading
Category: Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation
Eat the Livestream: Hybrid Communion in a Digital Era of Worship
“Eat the livestream, all of you.” In the 15th and 16th centuries, two reformers, Jan Hus and Martin Luther, set out to remedy a problem: the laity were not receiving Continue Reading
The Bible for Progressive Christians: From Deconstruction to Reconstruction
Reading With New Eyes: The Bible As An Encounter For Progressive Christians By Rev. Barbara Lea Callaghan Faith deconstruction is a big topic for those who have become disillusioned with Continue Reading
God’s Good Food: Resisting Diet Culture in Our Churches
The Devil is Tempting Me “I was good last night and ate a salad so that I could eat this today,” says the woman who sits across from me as Continue Reading
From TED Talk to TikTok: Preaching in the Age of Social Media
My Mission Field First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky is where I have been serving for the past nine years. FCC is located in a small Continue Reading
Beauty in Brokenness
As a Clinical Pastoral Educator working with adult learners, in a metropolitan Level I Trauma Center, I am committed to providing a curriculum that is robust enough to prepare them Continue Reading
The Role of Black Churches in Promoting Mental Health within Local Communities
Introduction and Context Black church pastors wield a lot of influence within the community and often bring about change. That would include notions about mental health. However, many African Americans Continue Reading
Worship and the Lament – My Lament: My Gift to God
In her book, “Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining”[1] Author Shelly Rambo draws forward the experiences of Holy Saturday–the space between Jesus’s death and Jesus’s resurrection. If the crucifixion Continue Reading
Visio Divina
Introduction to Ministry Context The First UMC of Torrington was originally erected in 1843 in downtown Torrington, Connecticut. In 1965 it was moved to its current location a few Continue Reading
When the Pastor leaves: Congregational Grief in Pastoral Transition
Well, there goes another pastor! As the members of First Church woke Sunday morning, they were excited about another Sunday morning worship. This small, rural, aging congregation has had its Continue Reading