Christianity has utilized a biased reading of the sacred biblical texts to privilege men as leaders in church, home and in most vocations. From the Old Testament to the 21st century, men authored, translated and edited most of Scripture and…
Hooray for the hymnal!
Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Several months…
Learning humility together as we read the Bible
Just as the Bible itself was a community project, so also God invites us to interpret Scripture in community. Yet anybody who has been in church for five minutes knows Christians disagree on how to apply the Bible in everyday…
Lessons in coffin carrying
Years ago, as a pastor, I noticed when one of our ordinarily regularly attending senior adult men stopped attending his men’s Bible study class, as well as Sunday morning worship. I contacted the man I’ll call Bill and asked if…
What if grace is more amazing than we thought?
I once thought grace was pretty amazing — Jesus dying on the cross, all my sins forgiven, a guaranteed place in heaven after I died. But what if grace is even more amazing? As a child I learned about “Amazing…
Amid the chaos of war, I witnessed Ukrainians seeking safety and hoping for peace
Few people were flying into Warsaw in the first half of March. Those who were displayed a similar intensity — an unpolished, gut-level sense of mission. Russia had invaded Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24. A half dozen former U.S. servicemen…
The student loan forgiveness application should be the first step, not the last
The student loan forgiveness application is now live, and everyone should apply. This application is a result of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to help working and middle-class federal student loan borrowers transition back to regular payments as pandemic support ends….
The Kentucky youth group brainsaw massacre — a ghost story for All Hallows Eve and Reformation
“Can we go camping tonight, Brad? Pleeeeeease?” During seminary in Kentucky in the early 1990s, I served as youth minister at a small country church in the rolling pastureland 25 miles south of Louisville, Ky., in Elk Creek. Spencer County…
Report from Ukraine: ‘In the midst of the suffering, God is at work’
As the war in Ukraine has passed its seventh month, a shift has occurred. Ukrainian forces have reclaimed parts of occupied territories causing Russian state rhetoric to become even more extreme and desperate. Fighting has intensified in the east and…
Lessons in grieving the loss of a child: From ‘maybe so‘ to ‘it is so’
It was my last conversation with, let’s say, Tim, a close friend for six decades. Our stockpile of trust built a sturdy container strong enough to hold honest end-of-life conversations. Tim is dying and he knows it. Each telephone conversation…
Tooting your horn, missing the point, or telling the truth about church
“Thank you for the tour. Your church has such an interesting history. I was surprised that you didn’t mention God.” What? Really? That can’t be right. Telling a church’s story seems simple. You just tell what happened. Start to do…
Fantasy informs reality
What is one story that has shaped your life and view of the world? One bonus point if you say the Bible. There are so many wonderfully creative stories in book, movie, music and other art forms readily available to…