What “They” Said
June 6, 2019
Leave a CommentAlong the Journey
What “They” Said
“They” told me all sorts of things when I graduated from seminary.
“You’ll be great for some Korean church somewhere,” said a small Southern church pastor after I preached to his all-white congregation.
“Come back and help out our…
+ Read MorePhrases You Should Never Use Around Church Members
Dr. G. & Friends
Phrases You Should Never Use Around Church Members
May 13, 2019—We all have that painful memory of a moment when our emotions got the better of us during a moment of reactivity. As soon as we said those words we regretted them, or, if not immediately, then eventually,…
+ Read MoreColumbia Seminary Archives Acquires Papers of Emeritus Walter Brueggemann
About Columbia
Columbia Seminary Archives Acquires Papers of Emeritus Walter Brueggemann
April 6, 2019—The C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Walter Brueggemann papers. This collection includes course notes, manuscript drafts, correspondence, and lectures spanning Brueggemann’s career as a theologian and professor….
+ Read MoreOn Knowing What You Are Actually Doing
Dr. G. & Friends
On Knowing What You Are Actually Doing
Many folks who find themselves engaged in the task of congregational education tend to be able to jump right in and keep the programs running. And they do an acceptable, if not admirable, job of keeping things going smoothly. Programs…
+ Read More“We Are Columbia” Continues to Create Dialogue About the Past and Future of Columbia
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“We Are Columbia” Continues to Create Dialogue About the Past and Future of Columbia
In the Spring of 2017, a new photo exhibit called “We Are Columbia” featuring photographs by Khayla Johnson (MDiv ’19) was unveiled by The Office of Student Life and Formation. The photographs were located in various areas of the Vernon…
+ Read MoreDiscerning What’s What: Spirituality, Spirits, and the Holy Spirit
Along the Journey
Discerning What’s What: Spirituality, Spirits, and the Holy Spirit
I have long struggled to discern where precisely the Spirit of God is at work—in my own life and in the world around us.
As a practicing Christian of the Reformed Protestant family, an heir of John Calvin (who has…
+ Read MoreHelping and Ministering At End-of-Life
Dr. G. & Friends
Helping and Ministering At End-of-Life
I’d always known we were a death-denying culture. I learned that first from the classic work by Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death. I learned it again when I served as a hospice chaplain for six years, prior to…
+ Read MoreWorship in the Womb? Exploring when and how children begin learning about faith
Along the Journey
Worship in the Womb? Exploring when and how children begin learning about faith
When does learning begin?
This is the question posed by Annie Murphy Paul, in her 2011 TED talk titled, What we learn before we’re born.
She posits that we’re actually learning in utero through the…
+ Read MoreFor the Bookshelf: Introduction to the Devout Life
Dr. G. & Friends
For the Bookshelf: Introduction to the Devout Life
Born in 1567 into a wealthy family, Francis de Sales received a wonderful education as the oldest of thirteen children.
At age fifteen, his father arranged for him to attend the University of Paris, with the intention that he would…
+ Read MoreLeadership in Ministry Feature: Vanessa Ellison
Along the Journey
Leadership in Ministry Feature: Vanessa Ellison
Bowen Family Systems Theory offers a way of thinking that affects every aspect of leadership in ministry.
Workshops are taught by BFST experts and help participants confidently lead their congregations and organizations. Participants gain insight from learning with others while…
+ Read MoreIt Only Takes a Few of Them
Dr. G. & Friends
It Only Takes a Few of Them
The forced termination of clergy remains one of the most difficult, and often tragic, issues for congregations.
It can take a congregation years to recover from the forced termination of a pastor—and so, also, for the pastor.
A single episode…
+ Read MoreHarry Barrow: A Lifetime of Service to the Church and the World
About Columbia
Harry Barrow: A Lifetime of Service to the Church and the World
June 22, 2019—What a joy it was to chat with Dr. Harry Barrow, Columbia Seminary graduate, former CTS staff member and retired PC(USA) pastor. Dr. Barrow has led a life dedicated to service for the church and the world. I…
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