I am opposed to spending public money on private schools for many reasons. I am in agreement with many who are stating their opposition to vouchers, as currently under consideration in a special session of the Texas Legislature called by Gov. Greg…
It could happen to you: A warning to anyone who produces online content for churches and nonprofits
A few months ago, I received a hotter-than-usual email in my inbox. Rather than a letter from an angry reader, this was the draft of a legal document accusing Baptist News Global of copyright infringement and demanding $30,000 as settlement….
Keep preaching, even when it doesn’t make sense
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, painter Pablo Picasso, once said, “The world today doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” It is quite the statement from someone who painted more than…
Violence begets violence: Hamas’ Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory: “A victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that is tantamount to defeat. The phrase originates from a quote from Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose triumph against the Romans in the Battle of Asculum destroyed much of…
What my apartment’s visitor spot has to do with biblical interpretation
I live in an apartment. At my apartment, my roommate and I each have a designated parking spot, painted with our address number to indicate who should park there. There is also a “visitor” spot, not specifically assigned to our…
The need for authenticity
Back in 1496, the young aspiring Italian artist Michelangelo recreated a sculpture of the sleeping Eros. The forgery depicted the Greek god of passionate love laying on his side in deep slumber. Collectors of his day highly sought these small…
Nature is queer
How often do we hear from the pulpit and from lawmakers that diverse sexualities and genders are unnatural? This year, the United States already has set records for anti-LGBTQ legislative bills, and violence against queer people, especially trans and nonbinary…
What does the future of BWIM hold?
There is something inherently beautiful about gathering with Baptist Women in Ministry. The stories we share with one another are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious and often a little bit of both. We giggle our way through stories of the inappropriate…
Can we be friends like Butch and Sundance?
In his memoir, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, Paul Newman writes, “I wonder what my old age is going to be like, because I really don’t have many friends. It’s hard to feel lonely in New York, but…
Why I don’t invite would-be friends to church
Walking along a well-beaten path, my daughter and I make our way through the canopy of trees toward the small lake’s shoreline. Already, I can see the congregating group of other parents with their children, staking claims with chairs and…
The inertia of history
Inertia. Think back to high school, maybe physics class. Yes, that inertia: “a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force.” History certainly…
The stampede out of the church and the people of God and Christ outside its walls
“Stampede” may be an exaggerated word for the exodus out of the church in America, but no one can escape the reality. A date has been attached: 2070, the projected date when there will be more non-Christians than Christians in…