Instead of worshipping a Cosmic Christ, many have settled for a tribal deity who suits our tribal behavior. The result? A nationalism which places country above God and uses religion to justify any means.
Wisdom from Lincoln: Even with a compass, we still may have to traverse chasms and swamps
Lincoln seemed to be at peace disappointing his supporters and infuriating his enemies. He not only had a compass; he also had a plan for specific steps on the journey.
John the Baptist and religious liberty: getting right what many evangelical preachers get wrong
John the Baptist spoke truth to power, refused to pander to politicians and insisted that no earthly kingdom is coterminous with the Kingdom of God. In other words, John got right what many evangelical preachers get wrong.
Lessons for life and faith after a devastating tornado
An AF-3 tornado ripped through our city. Among the lessons in its aftermath: Life’s storms always leave us changed; our faith response will determine whether or not they leave us better.
Church and creation care: we need a theology-before-politics approach
What has happened to us, that conversations about our cosmic home have become so divisive? What would happen if we were all curious enough to learn from science, scripture and one another?
How real should pastors be in the pulpit?
Congregations have a right to expect their pastor to be real while also respecting appropriate boundaries. In turn, pastors have a right to embrace their humanity and for their churches to remember that the Word became flesh, not marble.
Compassion is the work of seeing, of making invisible people visible
Lent is the season for paying attention. Compassion is the work of seeing, of making invisible people visible.
3 faulty assumptions that keep Baptist churches from hiring female pastors
Churches which have opened their pulpits to both genders have made a discovery: Women, just like men, are fully capable of offering strong and visionary church leadership as well as thoughtful, healthy pastoral care. Likewise, females are just as able to provide Christ-honoring preaching and worship leadership.
Consider birthday goals rather than New Year’s resolutions. Here are 8 of mine
Here are 8 of my birthday goals for the coming year, some more serious and challenging than others, offered in the hope that they might inspire a few ideas of your own.
Advent: a good time to remember the power of blessing – for the ‘blesser’ and the blessed
Advent is a great time to notice how much of the Good News of Jesus Christ is couched in words of blessing. All week long the people in our churches are brutalized by words which attack them, devalue them and challenge their core worth. These souls are crying out for the healing balm of a blessing.
Is the rise in anti-Semitism one of the Church’s unpaid bills?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer told his seminary students, “Only he who cries out for the Jews may sing Gregorian chants.” As Christian worshipers stand to sing on Sunday, we would do well to remember Bonhoeffer’s confession.
An unchanging truth: Romance between church and state always tarnishes the Bride of Christ
Jesus Christ is above party and nation. Confessing Christ is a political statement. If Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not. This means speaking truth to power, regardless of the stance taken by our favorite cable news outlet (or that of our Facebook friends).