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Rankin File

The Church

The (Local) Church, More Important Than Ever

We are hearing from a number of quarters that American society is in trouble like we haven’t seen in a long time.  I share this worry.  We feel it locally, among our neighborhoods and acquaintances.  The blight of hatred spreads

Stephen Rankin November 7, 2020November 7, 2020 Ministry, Religion, The Church 1 Comment Read more

The Transformation of Congregational Culture

In Hosea 2, we find a beautiful promise of restoration immediately after God’s judgment against Israel’s infamous infidelity. The language in the promise is that of the New Creation. “On that day” God will reclaim the adulteress Israel.  The Lord

Stephen Rankin September 28, 2020September 28, 2020 Christian Life, Ministry, Religion, The Church, United Methodism No Comments Read more

The Church Needs a Gestalt Shift

“Gestalt” – a word some of us academic types use on occasion.  Gestalt has to do with perception, of seeing the whole, all at once, rather than parts.   Many more have surely seen the image of the woman/women that illustrates

Stephen Rankin July 21, 2020 Christian Life, Doctrine/Theology, Ministry, Religion, The Church 4 Comments Read more

“His Winnowing Fork is in His Hand”

(I wrote this post, as you can see, two days ago.  I felt like I should sit on it and let it simmer before I hit “publish.) It’s Palm Sunday afternoon, 2020.  We have never seen a Holy Week like

Stephen Rankin April 7, 2020April 8, 2020 Christian Life, Religion, The Church 1 Comment Read more

The Twentysomething Soul #4 – Nones (Don’t Believe Everything You Read about Them)

In this last installment on my little series of reflections from Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley’s book, The Twentysomething Soul, I focus on that oh so slippery demographic category, The Nones.  This cohort of emerging adults has suffered a good

Stephen Rankin December 18, 2019 College Ministry, Emerging adults, Higher and Theological Education, Religion, The Church No Comments Read more
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Meet Steve

I serve as Executive Director of the Spiritual Maturity Project, a ministry some of us have recently started.  For 25 years I worked in higher education as a professor and chaplain and before that as a pastor.  I love to help people grapple with big and basic questions to grow into real ,grown-up Christian discipleship.

I ruminate on all manner of theological, biblical, historical, and cultural topics. I believe followers of Jesus need to be more like members of Issachar’s tribe, able to read the times. Read more

 

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