Spiritual experiences in church A ‘no’ or a ‘yes’? by N. Graham Standish For years, when leading retreats and seminars on spiritually transforming congregations, I’ve often asked a revealing question: How would we react to someone who told us on a Sunday morning, “Hey, I want to share an amazing experience I had the… Read more »
February 12, 2020
Hopeful Church
Spiritual experiences in church A ‘no’ or a ‘yes’? by N. Graham Standish For years, when leading retreats and seminars on spiritually transforming congregations, I’ve often asked a revealing question: How would we react to someone who told us on a Sunday morning, “Hey, I want to share an amazing experience I had the… Read more » 
Singing Hallelujah Even when you don’t feel like it by Ken Rummer The hurting and disappointed pieces of my heart have found a ballad they can sing in Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” While I’ve been working on the song in choir practice, the song has been working on me. Out of eighty-some verses he had written,… 
Are we too religious to be spiritual? By N. Graham Standish I’m a little bit obsessed with the phrase “spiritual but not religious.” I have been ever since I first said it about myself when I was in college: “Nah … I don’t go to church. I’m spiritual but not religious.” I still said this… 
Desperate journeys And a word of blessing by Ken Rummer Aunt Betty came down to the depot to see us off. We didn’t have any food with us. It was raining…. By the time we got to Columbus we were all starving, so Dad got off to get us something to eat. He missed the… 
Sunday, December 22 Gathering the straw of peace With just days to go until Christmas, how much straw have you filled Jesus’ manger with? Where did you bring joy to someone? How did this joy brighten the world? There is still more straw to add to the manger — the straw of peace. And… 
Boxes For Memories A Christmas Project by Ken Rummer A box to put memories in. That’s my current project in the wood shop. The vision came from a friend who was sorting through her late husband’s drawer of keepings. She wanted to pass some of them on to family, along with a few items… 
Reforming our churches: Becoming intercultural communities From “Chosen People-Promised Land Model” to expansive covenant by Andrew Davis When I think of multicultural churches, I do not necessarily think of my own — I picture congregations that reflect many different races and ethnicities. Like most PC(USA) churches, Union Presbyterian Church of Saint Peter, Minnesota, is…