WASHINGTON (RNS) — Barack Obama chose Joe Biden, and John McCain turned to Sarah Palin, but in the end, the most sought-after running mate in the 2008 campaign never appeared on a single ballot. God, it seems, couldn't be entirely…
EDITORIAL: Unto us a child is born
In some sense, I can relate to Mary the mother of Jesus. Luke records that after the birth of Jesus “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). We can almost imagine the young physician,…
House churches under new threat in China
WASHINGTON (BP) — China's ministry of civil affairs has issued a statement calling for the elimination of the Chinese House Church Alliance, according to reports circulated by China Aid Association and Voice of the Martyrs, a move some say “could…
SECOND OPINION: The public ban on Christmas symbols
No trees adorned with twinkling lights will bless — or aggravate — visitors to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's two main libraries this year, according to a Dec. 5 story in the Raleigh News and Observer. After…
FIRST HAND: Celebrating Christmas in Chinese churches
Today, at the China Christian Council class, I learned from two of the class members how their home churches celebrate Christmas; I thought you would be interested in these stories. One church is in Liaoning Province, in far northeast China….
The church that wouldn’t give up
Robert Baylor Semple dipped his quill into an inkwell and wrote: “This church was stricken off from Hermitage ….” He was referring to Zoar Baptist Church; and in 1810 he devoted one long paragraph to the Middlesex County church in…
At 72, gospel music’s best-selling artist won’t slow down
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Bill Gaither may not be an A-list celebrity in some circles, but over a half century he has sold 20 million recordings and 20 million DVDs — more than any other gospel performer. And his impact exceeds…
OUT LOUD
“I think the tradition is that they use all three names, and I will follow the tradition. I'm not trying to make a statement one way or another. I'll do what everybody else does.” Barack Obama The president-elect was telling…
BOOK REVIEW: In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting God, By J.P. Mor
This is an excellent book, written by two college professors, but it doesn't have the feel of one written by scholars. While their research and scholarship are evident, the book is neither difficult to read nor dry. One of the…
Unto us a child is born
The crowd waited patiently at the international arrivals gate, holding signs and posters, whispering to each other and frequently shifting left or right like a giant caterpillar. A group of 50, young and old, were eagerly awaiting their first glimpse…
FAITHSHAPERS: Teaching baptism (2)
So what is baptism really? Because of its importance in Baptist life, I fear that we sometimes overemphasize the role of baptism. Children tend to see things in somewhat mystical ways by their very nature, and symbolic rituals with deep,…
BOOK REVIEW: Great Prayers of the Old Testament, By Walter Brueggemann (Westminster John Knox
In every culture throughout human history, people have prayed. But the manner in which they pray depends upon the deity they address. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann reminds readers that people in the Hebrew Scriptures specifically prayed to the God…