These 40 days of Lent are designed to be opportunities for sober reflection and acts of confession, both individual and corporate. This period of introspection leads to the high point of Holy Week, the commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus…
What pastors may not say, but really want us to understand
Your pastor wants you to know, but he or she just can’t tell you. Your pastor knows too much transparency can be vocationally dangerous, depending on the level of honesty allowed in your church. At the same time, if you…
Religious leaders must step up to support our trans siblings
Every November, the Princeton University Chapel would host a vigil for Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating the lives of trans people worldwide who had been victims of anti-trans violence. As associate dean of the chapel, I welcomed the university and…
To increase congregational health, decrease domestic violence
The physical health of congregants is, of course, a concern for pastors, just as their spiritual health is. If congregants suffer a broken limb, a stroke, a heart attack or cancer, the pastoral staff will be there to walk alongside…
From a Gen Z perspective, another ‘Jesus Revolution’ seems improbable
The new film Jesus Revolution has been praised by Christian audiences, loved by people who lived through its events and already brought in more than $32 million in box office sales. But 50 years after the events took place, what’s…
Trumpism is leading America to the valley of dry bones
Something is terribly wrong in America. We are in a mess. Perhaps even more disturbing is that there may be more people wanting to wallow in the mess because they wish to profit from our alienation from each other. After…
Dear churches who invite women to preach
Because of the Southern hospitality indoctrinated in me, I begin by saying, “Thank you.” Thank you for inviting women to preach. Women preaching has been oppressed, overlooked and ignored. So, thank you for thinking of me, affirming my call and making…
How dare they publish that list
I was furious. I still am furious. I had heard only the day before about a list compiled and being circulated among members of the Southern Baptist Convention detailing more than 170 churches where women serve as pastors. The list…
‘Woke’: I don’t think that word means what you say it does
I have been bumping into this strange word, “woke,” a lot lately. I wondered what it meant. Digging around, I found “woke” means to be alert to racial and social discrimination and injustice. Why is this considered such a bad…
The Russian Orthodox Church is a big loser in the Russian-Ukrainian war
On year later, the Russian–Ukrainian war has not created many winners. Everyone seems to have lost. The Ukrainian people have endured incredible suffering and destruction. Russian Ministry of Defense puts the number of casualties in the Russian army at thousands….
On the path to immigration justice, it’s time for Biden to change course
A key message delivered in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address just last month emphasized that “it’s our duty to protect all the people’s rights and freedoms.” And yet President Biden’s actions don’t live up to his rhetoric….
If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we
The word “story” is defined as “an account of past events in someone’s life or in the evolution of something.” I think about this a lot when I travel and speak: How does our story evolve, change and become? How…