I generally run away from pre-packaged adult formation programs. I experience them as stiff, watered down, answer-oriented, and too focused on theological orthodoxy.

So, I am naturally skeptical when a “Wonderful! New!” adult education program rolls out.

Yet, I was hopeful when I heard about the new program Animate | Faith from SparkHouse. The speakers, including Brian McLaren, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Lauren Winner, and Lillian Daniel, encouraged me to give it a shot, and they did not disappoint.

We are currently doing the Animate series this fall at our church. So, I have reviewed all the sessions myself and done about half of them with our congregation.

And I have to say - I love it.

Here are the things that I value most about Animate:

There is something very cool about singing Beautiful Savior, Amazing Grace, and A Mighty Fortress in a pub.

Sure, its partly the novelty of it, but it also worshipful, spiritual, intimate, fun, great outreach, and an affirmation of God's presence in our daily lives - in all the places we gather, including pubs.

I've helped to host four Beer and Hymns events. They've each been a little different but they have been great experiences. The singing is beautiful, the environment is relaxed, it takes us into the community, and it opens something up for people spiritually.

Beer and Hymns has been popularized in Lutheran circles by Nadia Bolz-Weber and House for All Sinners and Saints. Jodi Bjornstad Houge and Humble Walk Church also regularly host Beer and Hymns. Jodi writes about their experience here. I've included several links at the bottom of this post with examples of how people have done Beer and Hymns and what it means to them. 

Here's my version of how to host your own Beer and Hymns event:

I've always been a big fan of praying for people on Facebook and I have done a lot of it, but it wasn't until my son broke his leg and needed surgery that I really felt the power of digital prayer for myself.

I've prayed many times for others Facebook as a care giver, but to receive prayers as the parent of a sick child was a different and powerful experience, one which I will try to capture in this post.

In short, it was like this: all those comments, likes, direct messages, as well as email and texts - they were each like a votive prayer candle that was lit for my son, and, though we are separated by time and miles, it was like all those candles were all lit in one place. My Facebook newsfeed resembled the rows of prayer candles you often find in Catholic churches and monasteries - visible symbols of the thoughts and prayers of many, bringing us warmth, comfort, and light - lifting my son and family up to God.

Thanks so much for your love, support, and prayers. It means more than we can say.

Here are a few other things I noticed through this experience of digital prayer: 

Photo by denise carbonell

Want to know what’s on the mind of young clergy? Try hanging out at the hotel bar at 1:00am during synod assembly. Despite what you might think, it is a sobering experience.

You will hear comments and conversation that range from anger, frustration, to deep sadness. Many of my friends and colleagues, who are talented and smart ministry leaders, are really struggling.

It troubles me to see such worry and cynicism among my friends and young clergy. It is a good thing for the church when young clergy are idealistic and hopeful. It reminds us all of why we do this work. I have such compassion for them and share many of their frustrations.

If you happened to show up at the bar at 1:00am, I think they would tell you...

Photo by Candie_NThe most common question that arises when I talk about social media is the question of time. In one way or another, people almost always ask, "How much time do you spend on social media?"

I've always struggled to provide a good answer to that question - and until recently I didn't know why.

When the question came up again during the discussion panel at the Massachusetts Council of Churches conference on Christian Unity in the Digital Age it finally dawned on me:

The reason its so hard for me to answer is that we are often dealing with two very different assumptions when it comes to time and social media.

Mainline denominations are not dead. They may be dying. At the very least the way they once were, the way we have known them for the last 100 years, is dead. So why do we keep looking to them for answers to the challenges we now face? Why do we keep expecting that they will somehow roar back and save us?

Clergy waste so much time lamenting the state of their denominations. It’s exhausting and fruitless. And I'm beginning to think that it says more about clergy than about the denomination.

Could the problem be that we are looking for something that they simply can no longer provide? Could it be that find it easier to lament and blame the denomination than to create our own solutions?