ST Mary's Church Rectory

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins

Homosexuality is not the only sin prohibited in the Bible, but it is different from all the rest, at least right now. And we have really good news for homosexuals.

Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Accept Millions of Years

There is an intensifying controversy in the church all over the world regarding the age of the earth.

Why Are So Many Single Women are Leaving the Church?

A few years ago, I attended the Women of the World festival in London. Arriving late, I hurried up to a panel called ‘Faith and Feminism,” which featured a panel…

What You Need to Know Before Joining a Church

Before we attend a church, we should know that it is a legitimate church. Now, obviously, if the sign on the front of the church reads “Church of Satan,” we know it isn’t a legitimate body of Christian believers.

Church Decline: What if Your Church Disappeared?

The community grows, but your church declines. Does anybody know what you offer? If you church was forced to close its doors, would anyone notice?

What Jesus did Besides Go to Church

Sometimes Jesus gets a reputation for being boring. Probably because people who follow Him can be really boring. In one of my favorite videos of all time, Vintage 21 church pokes fun at our misconc…

Why do Catholics call priests ‘Father’?

Given the ways in which they serve the community, it seems a natural and even holy development that we see priests as symbolic parents.

The Catholic church becomes an impact investor

Study shows why young Catholics leave the church

There are the growing numbers of young Catholics leaving the church — the focus of a new national study to examine why they're departing and where they're landing.

Can a priest withhold communion from a Catholic?

Catholics should not be denied communion except for a serious reason. However, in some situations, a priest can and sometimes must withhold communion.

What is the Catholic Church?

Roman Catholicism claims to be the one true Christian church founded by Jesus. But is it? Does it teach true Christianity?

How Much Can Catholics Disagree with the Church?

The "line" is where the Church has established a dogma or solidly established doctrine. Most theological issues have been settled, & Catholics are not free to disagree.

Men are struggling with their spirituality. Can the Catholic Church help?

The last year has witnessed the rise of an extraordinary international conversation around gender and power. In this watershed moment, where is the church? And how can it help?

Did You Know? The Catholic Church Invented Hospitals

From its earliest beginnings, the Catholic Church has always been the cornerstone to the development of the modern pillars of society we all have come to know and are familiar with. But can you believe that the Catholic Church also invented hospitals?

Where Are You Going Catholic Church?

I encourage you to listen to my church history podcast Triumphs and Tragedies. I'm not a historian by any stretch, and I'm afraid the podcast is more than rough around the edges. It was simply my attempt to give a quick roller coaster ride through twenty centuries of church history so that we can make better sense

Can a Catholic receive communion in a Protestant church?

You are at the wedding of a beloved family member or friend, which is taking place at a Lutheran church. You gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate this happy day with the bride and groom. But then there is a call to come to the table of the Lord’s Supper, to receive communion. This is the awkward moment you knew was coming. Can you, and should you, a practicing Catholic, accept the invitation?

Catholic Church not a force for good? 'I refute it thus'!

For many people in the developing world, the Catholic Church is the only voice of civil society that isn’t corrupt or driven by self-interest. It’s often the difference between people being fed or starving to death, or between being treated for their illnesses or dying of neglect.