By: Cathy Glei on November 9, 2023
There is so much that this world has to offer that deforms a person. Author and University of Dayton professor, Dr. Vincent Miller, in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Religion says, “Our attention to the nitty-gritty materialist details of these cultural shifts will be better able to guide a…
By: Pam Lau on November 8, 2023
“Unless we attend to these deeper workings of culture, Theological reflection will miss the most profound challenge of consumerism–the commodification of culture–the reduction of religious beliefs, symbols, and values to objects of consumption.”[1] What is My Desire? Truth be told, when I saw what was scheduled on my calendar from June 28-July 1, 2023, I…
By: Jenny Dooley on November 7, 2023
Maybe it’s jetlag. My head is spinning following my recent trip to Bali, Indonesia. Memories of my life there 34-years ago are frequent companions. Moments of grief turned to joy, memories of God’s provision, and reconnection with people I hold dear fill my thoughts. Needless-to-say memories of bamboo beds, mallard ducks, and Oreos sparked by…
By: Kristy Newport on November 7, 2023
Fear of an impending nuclear war can lead a person to do many things. In the case of Jordan Peterson, he chose to write Maps of Meaning in 1984, believing it be his responsibility “to figure out how we should act in the world and how we are to act around other people, and relationship…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on November 7, 2023
Commodification I must admit, I had no idea what commodification meant. I liked the sound of it but had no idea how to use it in a sentence. So, of course, I looked it up. Commodification the act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold.(1) If I understand…
By: Kim Sanford on November 7, 2023
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to…
By: Greg McMullen on November 6, 2023
In 25 years of ministry and 30 years of leadership, I have seen a great deal. I have experienced many incredible moments of God moving, moving through leaders, organizations, and also experienced being outcast and oppressed from leaders and their organizations for saying no to them. Prior to Covid, I have only asked two people…
By: Tim Clark on November 6, 2023
At the start of Jason Clark’s dissertation is a question from Dan Kimball, referenced again in Clark’s fifth chapter. Kimbal asks the question, “Have we, over time and with good intentions and pure motivations, turned our churches into vendors of religious services and goods?”[1] This is the jumping off point for Clark’s research, and the…
By: John Fehlen on November 6, 2023
NOTE: The following “stream of consciousness” essay contains possible emotional triggers. I grew up devoutly Catholic. I was an Altar Boy. I attended parochial school. I was spanked by a nun. Seriously, she bent me over the edge of her desk and used the “board of education” on my hinder parts. It only happened…
By: Kally Elliott on November 6, 2023
“This is not a book about religion against consumer culture; it is a book about the fate of religion in consumer culture.”[1] With this statement in the introduction to his book, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Vincent Miller, summarizes the basic thesis of his book. He gets more specific in…
By: Audrey Robinson on November 5, 2023
Introduction The Sound of Leadership by Dr. Jules Glanzer is analogous to a ‘little black book’ for leadership. It is a handbook on how to integrate your inner faith with your calling – whether that’s in the marketplace or kingdom setting. And the book is so practical it applies from the C-suite to the K-suite…
By: Laura Fleetwood on November 4, 2023
Books find me. It’s happened since I was a child. Whether it’s a book I stumble upon at a library, a recommendation by a friend, or in this case, a book assigned for a weekly doctoral reading, I often find that a book I’m reading will speak to a specific problem I’m facing in a…
By: Dr. Michael O'Neill on November 4, 2023
I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a leadership cruise this week and I can hear the waves breaking behind the boat as I type this blog post. There is a consistent rhythm in the rear of the ship where my room is, like a peaceful song looping repeatedly – offering instant joy and…
By: Chad McSwain on November 3, 2023
“How many of you think that you are God’s favorite?” What I thought was an easy, playful opening to my sermon was more revealing than I could’ve imagined. I used the example of how parents and grandparents tell their children that they are their “favorite” as a playful way to express delight in their special…
By: Caleb Lu on November 3, 2023
I was listening to a top 100 pop radio station while driving with Anya the other day when I made a comment that anyone who is unfamiliar with what they’re listening to might make: “ew, music just isn’t as good as it used to be”. We switched stations and a song from “our time” (which…
By: Greg McMullen on November 3, 2023
Through this program we are transformed into well differentiated leaders. We no longer are reactive emotionally but respond in a professional precise way. To be apart of the solution and not add to the problem. I am a little challenged by Peterson. I have great respect for his education, and to be willing to ask…
By: Dinka Utomo on November 2, 2023
“Providing kingdom-seeking, God-honoring, biblically rooted influence requires that one has an ongoing, intimate interaction with God” -Jules Glanzer- The head of Badan Kependudukan Keluarga Berencana Nasional (translated: National Population and Family Planning Board) Indonesia, Dr. Hasto Hardoyo mentions in his statement that “Currently, the divorce (rate) is high because in many families the original…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 2, 2023
A beginning and an ending; an invitation and blessing. I am called into a very specific area of life where I help people come face to face with their own mortality, their own disappointments on a life not lived or as accomplished as they hoped, or relationships broken. I know, I know, I’m Dr. Death. …
By: Todd E Henley on November 2, 2023
“We have become so focused on leading others, we have fundamentally lost the ability to lead ourselves.”1 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”2 The Sound of Leadership by Jules Glanzer…
By: Shonell Dillon on November 2, 2023
When I was a member of another church there were times that the pastor (our leader) would read Psalms 150. When he would get to the verses that read: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments…
