by Sacred Playgrounds | Mar 1, 2023 | Rethinking Church, Theology and Culture
Let’s get something straight: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is not in the Bible. (All the camp directors give a collective sigh of relief.) We love building nice-looking church buildings “for the glory of God.” We hang beautiful artwork, ensure the communion wear...
by Sacred Playgrounds | Nov 30, 2022 | Theology and Culture
Happy New Year! I love preaching on the first Sunday in Advent because I can always greet the congregation with those delightfully provocative words. For churches that follow the liturgical calendar, Advent started this week and spans the four Sundays leading up to...
by Sacred Playgrounds | Mar 2, 2022 | Camp and Culture, Theology and Culture
We have another historic first: President Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States. If confirmed, she will be the first black woman to sit on the court. I applaud this move toward greater diversity and representation. I...
by Sacred Playgrounds | Dec 1, 2021 | Parenting, Theology and Culture
The simplest and the greatest joy: time together with loved ones. This blessing was mine on Thanksgiving Day. We had not been together for two years, but there we were: gathered around a single table. Both of my parents were there. Both of my brothers were there,...
by Sacred Playgrounds | Dec 8, 2020 | Theology and Culture
There is a blessed rhythm to the liturgical calendar. It compels us to remember, retell, and reenact. Even the most anti-liturgical Evangelicals on the one hand and the secular Christians on the other cannot avoid the annual rhythm of liturgy. The Christmas and Easter...
by Jared Rendell | May 10, 2016 | Camp Research, Scholarly Publications, Theology and Culture
Christian Summer Camp in Theological Perspective A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary Christian camping ministry is a vibrant and well-established form of ministry in the church, but it has received shockingly little scholarly attention. Supporters and...
