This is the second in a November series produced by BNG on what it means to be “blessed,” a word so flippantly used that it often loses meaning. #Blessed. It’s as common these days as saying the perfunctory “God bless…
Escaping the current double bind in church leadership
Listening to clergy, church staff, lay leaders, they describe being caught in the classic double bind. On the one hand, they want their churches to flourish in this emerging new environment. The pandemic is largely over, presenting wonderful opportunities for…
Blooming where we’re planted at Bubba-Doo’s
When one of your favorite hangouts is an old country store, you come to understand that you are at a small crossroads of the world. People stop in who are local. They live in the neighborhood, so to speak. Then…
Finding justice for both Maureen Faulkner and Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Black American political activist and journalist, has been incarcerated since he was convicted in 1982 and sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of Daniel Faulkner, a Philadelphia police officer. When a federal judge overturned the 1982…
It will take more than marketing to redeem the reputation of the church
In case you missed it, the Washington Post recently published an article stating that a $100 million marketing campaign has been launched in an attempt to “redeem Jesus’ brand from the damage done by some of his followers.” The marketing…
‘We’re so blessed!’
This is the first in a November series produced by BNG on what it means to be “blessed,” a word so flippantly used that it often loses meaning. Before I tell you this story, I need to explain about the…
Ritual detergent: What the meaning of sin within the context of Leviticus might teach us today
For modern readers, Leviticus is one of the most grueling books of the Bible because of its long lists of rules, regulations and outlining of rituals that seem mostly irrelevant to today’s life. We do not sacrifice animals to atone…
The abusers in the pews
My abuser wasn’t a pastor. Still, he was a “good Christian man” by all appearances. He went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. No one would have suspected a thing, and I wasn’t talking. Lately, we’ve…
Halloween reminds me of that time I was called upon to lead a ‘cleansing’ at a family’s home
It starts in late September with the pricking of my skin and spirit; autumn creeps in. Resembling Tom Fury, the lightning rod salesman from Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, bringing with it “a storm like a great beast…
Jesus scares or Jesus cares?
After the violent attack on her husband Paul, Nancy Pelosi released a statement saying she and her family are heartbroken and traumatized but are grateful for the prayers and warm wishes they have received. Her husband is improving. Then she…
Bigotry is Donald Trump’s biggest moral failure
Donald Trump was publicly accused of bigotry in a lawsuit almost a half century ago. In response, the former president’s first open denial of racism ever to appear in The New York Times came on Oct. 16, 1973. He was responding to…
What I’ve learned from Evolving Faith
October always has been my favorite month of the year. I celebrate my wedding anniversary and my only child’s birthday in this memory-filled month. During October, my spirit soars as I bask in the splendor of trees aglow with autumnal…