By John Carroll In reading through the Christmas stories this year, the words about fear and being afraid have jumped out at me. Fear is a player in the story of Zechariah, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds and King Herod with…
Pruning season: A time to make room for what matters
By John Carroll Some call them beautiful; others call them a reminder of our mortality — the changing leaves of autumn. Some find the brisk air refreshing; others find it a remembrance of winter’s coming. Some appreciate the shortened days…
What’s in a name?
By John Carroll Hugh Hollowell, pastor to the homeless of Raleigh, N.C., through the scrappy and brilliant ministry Love Wins, told me a story once that I haven’t been able to shake. He has a good friend who is quite…