Imagine. A threat to the moral, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being of young people all over America. (Nonfiction)
Top 10 of 2020
In the spirit of this naturally reflective season, and because it’s just what bloggers and blog editors are supposed to do in December or January, here’s a look back at the top 10(ish) Mosaic articles published in 2020.
What Did Mary Know?
Making the meme circuit again this Christmas is a new classic that takes on the almost-30-year-old question: Mary, did you know?
“Mister Monkey” by Francine Prose
Mister Monkey is an absolutely awful children’s musical about a pet chimpanzee who has a penchant for theft. This terrible play is performed by a cast of very broken people. There you have it.
An Extra Candle
Special days and seasons tend to have a polarizing effect on our emotions and spiritual lives. Do you feel this every year too?
“The Eichmann Trial” by Deborah Lipstadt
Lipstadt argues that Eichmann was not just a little man following orders but a convinced Nazi and anti-Semite committed to the program of genocide. (Nonfiction)
New Books for Church Leaders
As the year comes to a close, I’d like to recommend six brand new books that you might find particularly helpful as you pursue God’s preferred future in 2021.
Resource Highlight: Siburt Institute 2020 Digital Resource Roundup
Whether you wish to catch up on a live webinar you missed or to use a Summit guidebook as a small group discussion guide, I invite you explore the numerous new resources we developed this year.
Don’t Forget the Spouses!
Over the years I have heard many stories of spoken and unspoken expectations on the spouse. This has varied from the assumption of specific ways they would be involved at church to expectations regarding employment.
Take Care of Your Old Flock
Let me suggest three specific ways to express value and worth to our older members.
Where Christmas Starts
The first lesson of Christmas is to keep showing up even when your miracle hasn’t.
“The Storytelling Animal” by Jonathan Gottschall
This is one of those must-read books for preachers. One of the primary tasks we face is to give our congregants a story to live by. (Nonfiction)
For Ministers Who Would Like to Facilitate Gender Inclusion, Start Here
If you’re a male minister and have had gender inclusion on your mind for a short while or long while, you are among many ministers who are in the same boat, and the struggle is real.
“Terrorist” by John Updike
Although there is a fable-like quality to the story, I found the characters to be more or less believable and the plot to be quite suspenseful. (Fiction)
Liberals and Conservatives Can Benefit From Each Other
In the last year or so, I have stopped pretending I can somehow bridge the divide and have instead devoted myself to understanding it.
Hot Tub Church
We wouldn’t take a bath with strangers, but have you ever walked into a church feeling as if you’d just taken off your clothes and jumped into a bath with them?
The Miracle of Gratitude
Ingratitude doesn’t just cause you to miss the miracle; it also takes you further away from all that is good.
“Expert Political Judgment” by Philip E. Tetlock
Let me raise a question: is it possible that expertise simply does not exist in some areas? Are there fields in which even 10,000 hours would not constitute any real expertise? (Nonfiction)
Follow That Van: A Lesson in Following Jesus
Concluding that our children had jumped the gun, deserted the plan, and were now heading away from us, we set out in hot pursuit.
Religious Services in the Age of COVID-19: Results From a Recent Survey (Part 1)
An initial report from an October 2020 survey by the Pruett Gerontology Center and Siburt Institute for Church Ministry.