Posts Tagged: susan rothenberg

The Unglued Church

Can We Talk About Sexism? In #metoo conversations, the church can do better by Susan Rothenberg   Here’s a statistic that you may or may not find startling. A study by PC(USA) Research Services in 2016 revealed 84% of female teaching elders have experienced discrimination, prejudice or harassment based upon their gender. Yet, 48% of male… Read more »

The Unglued Church

Good Trouble Can we see our overwhelming challenges in the church as blessings? by Susan Rothenberg Recently, I found myself in a room with about 40 pastors of various colors and ages who had gathered to hear a famous speaker talk about issues facing the church today. After the speaker left for the airport, we… Read more »

The Unglued Church

The Whole World is Watching Where should Christians stand in the face of evil? by Susan Rothenberg Lately, I’ve been thinking about a quote from the Woody Allen movie, “Manhattan.” “Has anybody read that Nazis are gonna march in New Jersey? Y’know, I read this in the newspaper. We should go down there, get some… Read more »

The Unglued Church

Whose fault is it? Blame has no place in the Kingdom of God By Susan Rothenberg  Whose fault is it? When a congregation reaches the end of its life, whose fault is it? A pastor who kept putting off retirement, and as he lost energy, so did the congregation? A music director who refused to play… Read more »

The Unglued Church

Building new ramps Can we connect people who love God but not church?  By Susan Rothenberg   One of the reasons I am grateful for Facebook, despite its dastardly power to distract me from the useful tasks I should be doing, is that social media has reacquainted me with people I haven’t seen nor heard… Read more »

Unglued Church

Resurrection or resuscitation? Without change, there is no resurrection. By Susan Rothenberg   If you go to a church which follows the Revised Common Lectionary, this Sunday you may hear (or preach) a sermon based upon the story of Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead is the last of… Read more »

Unglued church

Mind the Gap Closing the space between our values and actions  By Susan Rothenberg   When my son and I visited London for the first time a few years ago, he was completely fascinated by the London Underground. For weeks prior to our trip, he researched stations, lines, and pretty much had the whole system… Read more »

Unglued church

The power of questions Leaders don’t have to have all the answers By Susan Rothenberg It took me a while to realize that the dumbest question I could ask either of my children is, “How was school today?” If you’re a parent, you already know how a child usually responds: “Fine.” The caring, concerned mom… Read more »

Unglued Church

At the end of the rope Caring for God’s legacy  By Susan Rothenberg As an adviser for the Unglued Church, a program in Pittsburgh Presbytery for help with church change, I encounter a lot of churches at the end of their rope. It’s a time in a church’s life when it’s important to emphasize the importance of… Read more »

Unglued Church

A Garden You Never Get to See Planting seeds for the future By Susan Rothenberg  I don’t know much about hip-hop. Until this summer, I didn’t know much about Alexander Hamilton beyond the ten-dollar bill in my wallet. After reading rave reviews of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical, Hamilton, I decided to watch some YouTube… Read more »