Author Archives: Norman Bendroth

About Norman Bendroth

Norman Bendroth is a Professional Transition Specialist certified by the Interim Ministry Network. He has served as a settled pastor in two United Church of Christ congregations and as a Sr. Interim pastor in seven other UCC congregations. He was also an executive for three different non-profit agencies. He has had additional training in Mediation Skills for Church Leaders from the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center and training in Appreciative Inquiry from the Clergy Leadership Institute. Rev. Bendroth has the M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and his D. Min. from Andover Newton Theological school where he concentrated on theology and systems theory. He is married to Peggy Bendroth and has two adopted Amerasian children.

Faith, Health and Happiness

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

You can’t open an internet site without a pop-up ad promising you some product or practice that will improve your memory, libido, relationships, or business practices. Go to Barnes and Noble and check out the “self-help” section. The shelves groan … Continue reading →

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Does Counting Your Blessings Really Help?

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

How often do you take time to reflect on the things you’re grateful for? Once a month? Once a week, at church, perhaps? Maybe you say “grace” at mealtime every day. But even prayers that do express gratefulness are often … Continue reading →

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Signs of Resurrection: “To End the Anguish, Drop the Death Penalty”

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

Like me, you may have read the letter to the Boston Globe by Bill and Denise Richard’s, the parents who lost their little boy Martin to the Boston Marathon bombing two years ago. They appealed to the prosecution team of … Continue reading →

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Still We Rise

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

For the next 50 days we will be in the season of Easter. And you thought Easter was over after we all went home from a fabulous Easter service and had our Easter dinner. No, resurrection is just beginning! It’s … Continue reading →

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Friday’s here, but Sunday’s coming!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

You don’t have to look far to see the world’s in a mess. A German pilot deliberately brings down a plane into the French alps and kills 150 innocent people due to his depression. Yemen is in shambles due to … Continue reading →

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Forgiveness is a process.

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

During the Lenten season we often think about forgiveness–not only the forgiveness offered to us by God, but also those whom we need to forgive or those who need to forgive us. But anyone who’s been around the block of … Continue reading →

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We all need a mulligan.

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

You may have heard about the man who woke up one day to discover his name printed in the obituary column. All day long people called to offer their sympathy to his family. Finally, in exasperation, the man called the … Continue reading →

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Thinking About Lent, Sin and Grace

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

Lent is the season of reflection and introspection. People often associate lent with a time of focusing on sin—to the point of excoriating self-examination, leaving no stone unturned of what we have done or not done, said or not said. … Continue reading →

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The Goal of Lent

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

Lent is a time of self-discipline and self-denial. We follow Jesus to the cross and Lent reminds us that there is a cross for us to bear as well. Self-denial or cross-bearing isn’t a very hot selling idea.  I keep … Continue reading →

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Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Norman Bendroth

Romans 7: 14-25 Second Sunday of Lent (B), March 1, 2015 About 40 years ago, the eminent psychologist Karl Menninger wrote a book entitled Whatever Happened to Sin? He argued that whereas an earlier generation had a clear understanding of … Continue reading →

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