By Molly T. Marshall Looking almost combustible, the red and gold paraments, banners and streamers swirled through our sanctuaries as we celebrated Pentecost once again. I am grateful that Baptist churches have grown more engaged in this liturgical season, which…
Is feminist a Baptist word?
By Molly T. Marshall An online firestorm has erupted following the Isla Vista killings. This past Friday night a 22-year-old man enacted his “Day of Retribution” by killing six and leaving seven injured. He intentionally targeted women. His express reason…
Deepening prayer
By Molly T. Marshall Christians know that we are supposed to pray. From earliest childhood, that is our instruction, often getting more practice in Sunday school than at home. Families who pray together are an endangered species these days; spiritual…
Deepening the Spirit
By Molly T. Marshall Eastertide is the season in the life of the church when we struggle to make sense of the Easter appearances, the dialectic of presence and absence, and the new awareness of the Spirit of God. The…
Killing Jews
By Molly T. Marshall This past Sunday in Overland Park, Kan., a rabid anti-Semite, gun-wielding white supremacist drove into the parking lot at the Jewish Community Center with the intent to kill. And he succeeded. He shot a grandfather and…
Preaching Easter
By Molly T. Marshall It is the perennial problem of the preacher in this season: how do I proclaim the raising of Jesus of Nazareth in a fresh and compelling way? What might I add to the storied articulation of…
Bleeding for justice
By Molly T. Marshall When in Myanmar, I have the opportunity to read local newspapers, at least those in English. These papers are not without political bias, but neither are ours. Established in 2013, Myanma Freedom offers a cautionary note…
Finding ourselves
By Molly T. Marshall Have you succumbed to discovering which state you really belong in, what literary character you are, which biblical heroine or hero you are, or whether you live upstairs or downstairs in Downton Abbey? (I am Lady…
Making the Lenten pilgrimage
By Molly T. Marshall Lent always sneaks up on me even when the season after Epiphany is a bit longer, like this year. I am seeking to be more deliberate as I enter the most dislocating of the liturgical seasons…