Livy, the great poet of Rome, once said: “We have reached the point where we cannot bear either our vices or their cure.” As was true for the Romans, so it is for us. The political and social fabric of…
Humans in the hands of a silent God
Any more, as I hear about the bad and violent actions people take against other people, I shudder. I held onto a naivete about how “good” people — those who believe in God — were somehow better, that their relationship…
Making sense of the senseless death of an Alabama pastor
I did not know F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, but I probably have more insights into his tragic story than most Baptist pastors. Copeland, mayor of Smiths Station, Ala., and pastor of First Baptist Church in nearby Phenix City, took his own…
Theology Beer Camp?
Tell somebody you’re going to Theology Beer Camp and you will be met with either a delighted giggle or a wrinkled brow. In the churches of my youth, the words “theology” and “beer” never occupied the same sentence — “for…
‘A good name is more desirable than great riches’
When I got in the taxi in Gaza, I asked the driver (in Arabic) to take me to the Ahli Arab (Arab Family) Hospital. “Where?” he asked. After we had that exchange a couple of times, I just said, “Go…
The day the camel slipped through the eye of a needle … and the church did not
You may have read the remarkable story about the life of Charles Feeney, who recently died at 92 after having given away almost all of his $8 billion to the causes he believed in. At some point in his life,…
White Christian nationalism in a tailored suit
“I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a manner like this. I believe that Scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you, all of…
The 1 percent church
Last week, I shared my story about serving as a megachurch pastor. This week, I’d like to tell you about my experience leading a small-membership rural church. The two pastorates could not be more different. Most of my 40-year ministerial…
Gerontocracy
Lately, I’ve been thinking about gerontocracy. It’s hard to miss in our current news. Many debates are raging about President Biden’s age. Sen. Mitch McConnell has had a couple of super public uncomfortable health scares. Both leaders are part of…
Where are the trustees?
I still remember sitting in the wooden chairs in Sunday school as faithful men and women taught me the word of God, from curriculum that came from the Baptist Sunday School Board, now known as Lifeway Christian Resources. I would…
I am a child of the wilderness
As Baptist Women in Ministry kicked off its 40th anniversary celebration, we were reminded by Executive Director Meredith Stone that “40 is a significant number in the biblical text.” The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus was…
I’m a pastoral resident, and my senior pastor is leaving
I assumed I misheard her due to the loud A/C unit in my office. “What?” “I’m being called to another church, Caleb.” As the fall air finally cools down a scorching Midwest summer, I still wonder if this memory is…