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Walter Brueggemann
Practice Listening For God
God is good and everything God created is good. Take some time to connect with the stories of those you are in community with.
The Hidden Cost of AI for Church Leaders: Or, AI Took My Job (Satisfaction)
Will AI take your job? It’s more likely to take your job satisfaction, especially if you are a church leader - lay or ordained, staff or non-staff.
Old Prayer, New Words
The “Our Father,”
The “Lord’s Prayer,”
“The words that Jesus taught us to pray.”
They have been prayed
Millions,
And millions,
And millions of times.
God Speaks to Us Through Ancient Stories
God is speaking to you through whispers and wails, through the wind and the waves, through strangers and loved ones.
A Church Anew Book Series: Interview with Cristina Rathbone, Author of “The Asylum Seekers”
My hope is that anyone interested in immigration might pick up this book in order to learn a little about some of the people who are primarily affected by our nation’s broken asylum system.
Permission to Break: Grieving as a Man
By denying ourselves access to the halls of grief we also deny ourselves access to what is sacred, healing, and vital.
Don’t Eat of the Bitter Fruit
…I saw bitter fruit in all its forms of pain and hurt. How contempt for those unable to pull themselves up by their bootstraps leads to making decisions based on interpretations of efficiency rather than care.
Why Global Health Matters
As Christians, health around the world matters to us because it matters to God. […] God calls us to love our neighbors, serve the “least of these,” and address injustices.
Beyond the Tweet: Building Online Church Community Without Meta or X
In this post, we’re going to redefine online church community—beyond the tweet.
Practice for the Times We Really Need It
I love the liturgy.
I recent years and months,
I have forgotten just how much I love the liturgy.
The Global Impact of USAID Cuts: A Christian Perspective on Our Shared Humanity
Those pushing for these cuts often speak of Christian values while advocating for policies that would abandon the vulnerable. But true Christian values call us to a more expansive vision of community and care. As Luther reminded us, faith is active in love, and love knows no borders.
A Church Anew Book Series: Interview with Rev. Paul Kittlaus, Author of “Organizing Justice Church”
How to live a faithful life requires acknowledging that the role of the church is not only saving souls but equally important is the task of liberating the poor.
Fundraising vs. Manipulation in 2025
As a lay theologian who works at the intersection of money, God, and institutions, I am often asked what is the difference between fundraising, as an element of stewardship, and manipulation.
Want to Reach New People? Change How You Communicate!
What if your church was positioned to meet the deepest needs of your community? […] what if a small change in the way you communicate could help motivate more and more people to engage with your church?
The Church in 2025: A Community of Gracious Uncertainty
Moreso than any other community or institution, the church is uniquely situated to help communities navigate a year of uncertainty. And yet we must recognize that our culture is not one that is accustomed to uncertainty
A Church Anew Book Series: Interview With Matthew Ian Fleming, Author of “The End is the Beginning”
But really, it means a revealing, the revelation of Jesus. So ultimately, this book shows us who Jesus was in ancient times against the Roman Empire and might invite us into something about what the world is now.
Unveiling Hidden Systems of Injustice
It is only when our eyes see the fullness of suffering and sin do we see the ways in which God moves on our behalf.
Different and Wicked
All of us could take a lesson from Elphaba in valuing the lives of neighbors who are too quickly pushed into the background ... or minimized and subjugated by those occupying roles of privilege and authority.
Finding the Stillness of Advent in a Culture of Yuletide Intensity
Today I would argue that our current cultural understanding of Christmas isn't as a time of excess but as a time of fervor.
A Church Anew Book Series: Interview With Stephanie Saldaña, Author of “What We Remember Will Be Saved”
Together, their stories paint a portrait of a religiously and culturally diverse corner of the Middle East disappearing, and the people saving it with their stories. Each voice puts us in front of an essential question: What is the deepest part of ourselves, the one thing that can never be taken from us?