The promise of the church has always included connection across generations, people of all ages getting connected and practicing relationship and genuine love with one another. I can testify to the truth of that happening across the decades of my life. It has always been one of my favorite things about church. Trouble is, it's barely true anymore. It is no surprise to most of us church folk that our churches are aging, and we aren't connecting well with people of younger generations. (Here's one among a multitude of articles on this phenomenon.) I see it in person among the many dozens … [Read more...] about Cross Generations (and the Invitation for March)
Learning from Dolly
Though I'm not a country music fan, I've been drawn into the excellent podcast called Dolly Parton's America. It's a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of this womanwho is an icon of music and screen, with fervent fans that cross generational, socioeconomic and political divides. Forbes called it the best podcast of 2019. Last night I listened to the fifth episode, "Dollitics," which explores the way Parton navigates--or, often, ducks--political issues and questions in a way that keeps her connected to a broad range of people. Watch that dynamic in this clip from the 2017 Emmys, … [Read more...] about Learning from Dolly
Loving that Random Stranger
At some point a random stranger is going to walk into our church. Will we be able to get past our own “stuff” to meet them as they are, and let them know we’re glad they’re there? Or we’ll bump into someone at the end of their rope, or on top of the world, and we’ll have a decision to make about whether and how to share a little bit of our day with them. Will we? Those are the questions behind my posts over the last two weeks—my invitation for you to practice noticing how you react to random people that you meet, and last week’s reflection on my own experiences and what you told me about … [Read more...] about Loving that Random Stranger
The Random Strangers Question
Last week in this space I asked you to try this, and send me your reflections: Take note of at least three random strangers. Notice how you react to these people. Do you think, “We could be friends”? Do you feel a negative reaction, of fear, dislike, or something else? Do you find yourself looking down on them, or feeling like they might look down on you? (I’m not talking height, here.) Notice what is different about your reaction to these different persons, and ask yourself what’s behind that. You don’t have to interact with them; just pay attention to your reactions, and send me some … [Read more...] about The Random Strangers Question
Practicing Foolishness: An Invitation
I've been thinking for awhile about how to bring you into this blog. I have a plan, and this is your chance to take the next step into my brand of foolishness. You ready? Starting next week, once a month my blog post will be a reflection on a specific thing that I've invited us, collectively, to practice. (Read on, for this week's!) Many of these "foolishness prompts" will be drawn from my Fools' Manual. Sometimes they'll be something new that you'll see here, hot off the presses. So here's how it will work: I'll post a "practicing foolishness" activity, here and on my various pages … [Read more...] about Practicing Foolishness: An Invitation
Becoming an Advocate, Changing the World: Rhythm & Rest (Part 4)
This is Part 4 of a post that has covered four weeks. How do we make a difference in the world? How do we participate in the political process? What does that question have to do with Foolish Church? Take a look back at the earlier weeks for how advocacy starts personal, how it's rooted in relationship, and the basics of entering into this work. It must be said that trying to change things can be exhausting. There is always so much going on, so many people trying to enlist your help. In my news feed and e-mails over the past week, I’ve been invited to --advocacy days on mental … [Read more...] about Becoming an Advocate, Changing the World: Rhythm & Rest (Part 4)