In 1792, a group of New York bankers gathered by a famous tree on Wall Street and signed the landmark “Buttonwood Agreement.” Against a backdrop of speculation and deceit, the document signaled a return to openness, fair dealing, and integrity among New York's financial sector. Eventually, the Buttonwood Agreement became the basis for the New York Stock Exchange. Today, corporate America faces a different crisis of values.Â

Major League Baseball pitcher Matt Dermody recently addressed his release from the Boston Red Sox last month over a 2021 tweet about homosexuality.

India drops evolution for students under 16. The outcry is loud and aggressive over worries that the creation movement is spreading to Asia.

We haven't ceased to be the church. We'll never cease to be that. But I miss the gathering.It’s been a month.Four full Sundays of worship at home.And with every week that goes by, I realize more than ever how much I miss it.No, not the building. You can have the building.Not even the event. You can have that, too.I miss the people.I miss gathering as the church.Active, But SeparatedSure, the church is still alive and well. More than ever.We’re checking up on each other. Making grocery runs for our seniors. This evening, some friends dropped by with donuts, then stood at the end of the driveway as we chatted from the door for a few moments. We’ve never done that before.So the church is engaged, active, worshiping and caring for each other.But I miss the gathering.Deeply.The Emptiness Of AbsenceI miss being in the same room, worshiping, singing, serving, laughing, praying, and receiving communion together.That’s the part that hurts.The part where I feel an emptiness.It’s not about the building or the event. It never has been.It’s about the people.God’s people.Gathered.Going To Church MattersYes, it’s true that we are the church. That’s what matters most.But it’s becoming ever more clear that the going part is a very close second. And an essential element of being the church.Going to church matters. A lot.Gathering as the church is as fundamental to my faith as it can possibly be.No, we haven’t ceased to be the church. We’ll never cease to be that.But I miss the gathering.What a celebration it will be when we’re gathered again.Continue reading...

While necessary right now and important in the future, we can't close our eyes to the downsides of online church.It’s a whole new ballgame.In a matter of just a few weeks, churches all around the world have a new standard for measuring ministry success.And I’m trying not to be cynical about it.So here’s my best shot at a non-cynical (but certainly skeptical) take on this.What’s Good About Online ChurchI’m grateful every time I hear that a church now has as many or more people watching their online services than they had attending their in-person services.Better that than a drop-off of numbers, for sure.But let’s be honest about what’s happening here.Recently, there’s been a lot of helpful information about how engagement is a better metric than attendance. I fully agree with that assessment.But if engagement is a better metric than attendance, eyeballs on a screen is a worse one. At-home viewers are far less engaged than bodies in the room ever were.Online And DistractedWe all know how online viewing goes.We watch while we’re cooking, eating, chatting, Tweeting and working out.Even if we lay all of that aside, people who sit at home and watch a screen are far less engaged in the experience than when they were in the room together.An Incomplete MetricObviously, that’s all we have right now. And I’m truly grateful we have it.Even when we’re able to meet together again, keeping an online presence will be an important way to reach new people and keep connected with absent members.But.Let’s be careful not to replace one incomplete, even unreliable metric (attendance) with one that’s even less reliable (online viewership).Online church is here to stay. Our congregation does it, and we’ve learned how to do it even better because of the necessity of this ...Continue reading...

The number of abortions being performed in America has dropped to 1.2 million a year -- the lowest level since 1976, according to a new report.

The Missing Jesus The pastor of a large neighborhood church had some free time the afternoon of Christmas Day. He decided to drop by the church office for a