Service and Gathering Planning

We know how hard it is to come up with fresh sermons each week. Take Back Christianity has condensed an array of thoughtful and theologically-rooted sermon starters. We invite you to peruse and use these resources, as you use your voice to help create a better world for our Christian faith and our nation.

We know how hard it is to come up with fresh sermons each week. Take Back Christianity has condensed an array of thoughtful and theologically-rooted sermon starters. We invite you to peruse and use these resources, as you use your voice to help create a better world for our Christian faith and our nation.

We know how hard it is to come up with fresh sermons each week. Take Back Christianity has condensed an array of thoughtful and theologically-rooted sermon starters. We invite you to peruse and use these resources, as you use your voice to help create a better world for our Christian faith and our nation.

We know how hard it is to come up with fresh sermons each week. Take Back Christianity has condensed an array of thoughtful and theologically-rooted sermon starters. We invite you to peruse and use these resources, as you use your voice to help create a better world for our Christian faith and our nation.

We know how hard it is to come up with fresh sermons each week. Take Back Christianity has condensed an array of thoughtful and theologically-rooted sermon starters. We invite you to peruse and use these resources, as you use your voice to help create a better world for our Christian faith and our nation.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

As Christians, if we are going to make informed choices that align with our values, we need to be aware of falsehoods being perpetrated in Jesus’ name. Here’s a quick take on some of those myths.

Living and learning in harmony with creation and with one another. Sophia is a community of inclusion, of freedom, of safety, of belonging.

Nowadays, the most obvious current flashpoints are the Israeli/Palestinian and Russia/Ukrainian conflicts. Turf wars by either dreams of empire, or religiously inspired claims of a so-called “promised land,” are nothing new. Just peruse the history books or biblical scriptures.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarman and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

This year it is most important to learn from the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The crisis the country is facing is summed up well in the title of his last book, “Where do we go from here:  chaos or community?” I suggest that communities of faith and goodwill plan two types of events for that day, one educational and the other worshipful.

Biblical scholarship has come a long way from the notion that the four Gospels were written by an evangelist who was an eyewitness follower of Jesus. The story of how these Gospels were actually written is a fascinating one. Anyone with an intellectual interest in the New Testament should not miss this book.

For years, the celebration of Black History Month, especially among white conservatives, has always brought up their ire around "identity politics" and "special rights. 

Living the teachings of Jesus is an important focus of all progressive Christians. The teachings of Jesus are beautiful... The problem is there is no practical advice in the New Testament on how to attain them. The teachings of Jesus come with no how-to suggestions.

A modern, ex-Christian, tree-hugging American woman comes up against a strange wish for church--but only if it could be radically different from what she's known. It would have to be one steeped in women's equality and freedom of thought. Unexpectedly, she finds herself on a journey like a canoe trip. T

Inclusivity has always been a core value in progressive Christianity.  We're reminded, for example, of Jesus' practice of open table commensality.  Radically inclusive, this was a core practice of Jesus' ministry.  At his table, everyone was welcome.  As Christians, therefore, we are encouraged to do the same.  It is in this way, as we lift up the common good, that the new covenant in Jesus is served.  

This Valentine’s Day my focus is on black love.  African American life in the U.S. is primarily depicted as a struggle devoid of romantic love rather than a radical act of living, liberation, and loving families. Under the tyranny of colonization, slavery, Jim Crow, and simple everyday life, how do we have time for love? 

I’m not gonna lie, this was an especially hard week to focus on writing a sermon. I kept getting distracted by the machinery of fear and then I’d snap out of it and try and read these two stories from Isaiah and Luke and then before I knew it I’d be in the trance again.

There is nothing we can do to stop the expansion of the universe or escape the fate of black holes. But there is much we can do to end the rampant evil that rears its ugly head at this moment in our history, and that includes fighting back against the illegal and the immoral.

I seriously doubt that the great majority of Americans want to treat immigrants and refugees with the callous disregard currently aimed at them by the Trump administration. 

Churches should make a plan NOW as to how to respond to ICE at the church.

The history of Christianity and its weaponization against the queer community

The Theology of Jesus—Not Constantine’s Nor The Theologians Who Created Dogma and Doctrine Throughout Christian History

As I read more in Christian theology, I’ve been surprised to learn that while many organizations don’t have an official position on other creatures in the afterlife, quite a few notable figures have argued animals go to heaven.

A Progressive and Poetic Prayer in the Spirit of Christ (sic, Lord's Prayer)

In English, the word ‘love’ is a much-abused term. For example, someone might say, “I love apple pies,” or “They made love in the bedroom last night.” Therefore, it is important to have some idea of what Jesus meant when he used the term. From what we know of Jesus from the gospels, when he said to love your neighbour, the noun ‘love’ means a self-giving concern for others.

I grew up loving this country.  It is not because of our vibrant economy or large and powerful military.  It also is not because of our spacious skies, amber waves of grain, majestic mountains, or fruited plains. I have had love and pride in this country for its values. What are these American values? They are values of our Declaration of Independence with the assertion that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Satire is one of the most potent forms of non-violent protest. Its unique strength lies in its ability to enable those with limited power to voice dissent and spotlight problematic issues in an engaging, humorous, and effective manner, all while remaining relatively non-threatening to those in power.

After twenty-four years in the Evangelical movement, Phil Davis decided to leave his “first faith.” It was not a decision he took lightly. In Leaving God for God, Davis takes us on his journey to de-program himself and open himself to the God beyond any one religion.

“I don’t love God.” Little did Gen-Z seminarian Katie Westcott know that when she made that confession to English professor Martin Bonham one fine summer day it would throw the quiet campus of Cupperton University into an uproar. Nothing would be the same again. Together, this unlikely pair of oddballs poses this question: What if students could major in “loving God”—not religion or theology, but in the daily challenge of loving the Creator with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Well, now they can … in the new and innovative Department of Theophily—the department of loving God. Yet, strangely enough, not everyone is happy about the new department, and they will stop at nothing to see it shut down. … Part sitcom, part inspiration, this thoughtful theological comedy is like a Venn diagram in which C. S. Lewis and P. G. Wodehouse intersect.

Can you feel your faith slipping away? Are you or a loved one questioning what you’ve always believed? If you’re wondering whether there’s life on the other side of deconversion, or if you’re trying desperately to understand a loved one who is losing their faith—this book is for you.

The Gospel of John has long fascinated readers with its poetic language, theological depth, and enigmatic characters. Among these, the "Beloved Disciple" stands out as a figure shrouded in mystery. Who was this disciple? What was their relationship with Jesus? And why does their identity remain anonymous?

Apparently, we all have what is called a “default mode setting” in our brains.  “That is where all the self-representational processes take place: I’m thinking about myself, my time, my goals, my strivings, my checklist.” The first discovery was that all this self-centered activity quiets down when we experience awe.

Transformation ought to be an essential part of Christianity, but all too often, it isn't.  ProgressiveChristianity.org Co-Executive Director Rev. Dr. Caleb Lines discusses how we must embrace change to experience true transformation.

The more I learn about the Bible, the more I understand it as a messy text. The Bible was written by many different people at many different times. As a result, it’s filled with conflicting ideologies and values.

The authentic Paul is the Paul of his "authentic" letters, the letters he actually wrote. While Paul has always been viewed--after Jesus--as the major personality in the shaping of the early Christian Church, at the same time, he has been widely criticized--mostly for what people assume to be his views on women, slavery, and hierarchy in the church-- based on letters Paul did not write. Paul's detractors have also accused him of distorting the message of Jesus with their lofty teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and with Jesus' personal commitment to social justice. One of the theses of this book is that, in fact, Paul and Jesus have much in common. Indeed, more than distorting the message of Jesus, Paul's teachings appear to complement Jesus' message. Having said this, it is the author's thesis that Paul has been largely misunderstood and is deserving of a fresh hearing. Simply put, he deserves to be understood and evaluated based on the letters he actually wrote and distinctly not on letters attributed to him but which he did not write.

In the ongoing drumbeat of this "era of Trump," as Christians and as "we the people," we need to remind ourselves--again and again--how "we're all in this life together."  Always, there is more that unites us than divides us.  Trump has a lot invested in us not believing this.

The news is bad here in Washington, DC — from the traumatizing executive order two days ago to the plane crash and pretty much everything in between. Like me, you might be feeling the sadness and stress of the day. And so, I’m sharing about my walk along the Potomac and a poem from this morning. I hope you’ll take a few minutes and listen.

It seems beyond doubt that the tech billionaires are motivated by greed and that the rest of the MAGA club is motivated by racism. They swear at each other, insult each other, and vow to fight to the finish. But it’s all a distraction, whether they know it or not.

It’s a well-known fact that Christianity is slowly dying in the West. While there are many factors contributing to this decline, the most significant one is biblical belief. More and more people are finding the beliefs outlined in the Bible unbelievable. As a result, the time has come to have a conversation on what a post-biblical Christian faith might look like. This book begins that conversation.

We must acknowledge the bold persistence of Donald Trump that won over nearly 50% of American voters in 2024, despite concerns about his lack of humanity or character and his disrespect for the constitution and the rule of law. The big questions for those of us on the losing side are about how to move forward.

The text is meant to acknowledge both our humility in the face of human frailty and our hope of grace, acceptance, and compassion.