The Monterey Park shooting was the 36th mass shooting in the USA in this young year. Reporters have trouble covering all the violence in our culture. Some of the violence stands out in graphic and horrifying detail. A 6-year-old child…
Church historian Richard Hughes reflects on a lifetime of ‘Troublesome Questions’
In his latest book, The Grace of Troublesome Questions: Vocation, Restoration, and Race, historian Richard Hughes shares his intellectual and spiritual journey, inviting readers to consider how they treat their neighbors and where their allegiance as Christians lies. Now in…
What churches could learn from the Pub Choir phenomenon
Have you noticed hardly anyone at your church sings the congregational songs anymore? I have. And I visit quite a few churches around the place. The singers and the band on stage seem to be really into it, but the…
Living into lament: A white response to the killing of Tyre Nichols by police
I’m learning it is hard to feel the impact of the violence. It is difficult to make it real, to bring it close enough to sense its cold shadow. It passes by the window, like the neighbor who briefly triggers…
Of church cemeteries, pulpit committees, crafts and sweet potato casserole
The first church I served was Bethel Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Bethel” in Hebrew means house of God. The church had many fine people in it, but even though it was in Chapel Hill it could have been…
Of Margie, mountains and ‘El Shaddai’
I learned a lot of things in seminary, like how to perform baptisms and administer Communion, why understanding cultural context is important when reading and interpreting Scripture, and the importance of sneaking Amy Grant lyrics into almost any theological conversation….
What I learned from meeting Martin Luther King in Louisville and Josie in Hopkinsville
I watched a movie one night recently called Selma. It was about the 1965 freedom march in Selma, Ala., led by Martin Luther King Jr. Given all of the turmoil now roiling our country regarding Black Lives Matter, I wanted…
On the baptism of our firstborn
“This is our boy!” I wept as he arrived, marveling at the good long-awaited gift now tucked into my arms. Josh and I had forgone the clumsy practice of the gender-reveal, opting instead for mystery and patience and curiosity that…
Has virtual worship actually harmed Christianity?
I’ve been thinking a lot about a notion that seems to be taking up a lot of space in the collective conscience lately — that the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed Christianity because of virtual worship. I will admit, that first…