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…
Doja Cat goes demonic and sends fans to church
Has Doja Cat become a victim of the Hip-Hop industry’s adoration of demonic imagery? Doja cat isn’t the type of artist who usually promotes demonic themes. However, something recently changed, but the result may be more evangelistic than demonic. Amala…
Middle schoolers are cooler than you think — and other reasons to volunteer in your church’s youth group
“I could never work with youth — I just can’t deal with all those hormones!” “I’ve done my time when my kids were that age.” “They won’t think I’m cool enough.” “What if they ask questions about sex?” These are…
My argument in Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies
This week, my new book, Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies, officially releases. I am told that even before its release, it exceeded the publisher’s sales expectations for one full year. I am grateful for the high interest in the…
Let’s talk about those clergy resume ‘gaps’ for mothers
There are a lot of ways to approach the delights and demands of ministry and motherhood. Some clergy take a break from paid work when their children are young. Some accept part-time roles, whether because their households need the income,…
Now Robert Jeffress says the Ten Commandments are important
Robert Jeffress, after seven years of supporting a politician who routinely breaks most of the Ten Commandments, now wants to speak a word in favor of the commandments. In a Fox News opinion piece, “God’s Cure for the World’s Chaos…
Why we must go there
“The first part of the book was great, but then why did you have to go there?” I was talking to my brother-in-law’s book club, a group of Lutherans who call themselves the Churchies. (I don’t think they’ve registered that…
Should Christians curse?
I’m sure you’ve noticed the proliferation of profanity on television. The ubiquity of the f-word on dramas like Succession is stunning. The queen of all cuss words crops up so frequently that I started counting. I shouldn’t have bothered, somebody…