“You’ve come far, pilgrim,” actor Will Geer’s character, Bear Claw Chris Lapp, says to the younger mountain man who occupies the other side of their shared campfire. “Feels like far,” Jeremiah Johnson replies, the firelight dancing off Robert Redford’s tired…
Can these bones live? The pandemic as portal
This past Sunday of Pentecost, one of the texts was the vision of the valley of dry bones brought to life in Ezekiel 37. Before the fall of the nation of Israel to Babylon — the nation conquered, Jerusalem and…
Lessons in hate and hopelessness
One of the compelling parts of the story telling of the TV series “The Chosen” is the reverent sharing of back stories that could have tied these scriptural people together. One of the best has emerged in Season 2, episode…
A conversation with Ben Kirby, author of PreachersNSneakers
Having grown up in a traditional Baptist church, I still remember my Sunday school teacher telling me that as believers, we have been called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in carrying out the Great Commission to change…
Are you sure the Bible actually says that?
“The Bible says …” These may be the most dangerous words in the world, because people say this all the time — and sometimes have no idea what they are talking about. As a pastor (you know, I’m supposed to…
Regathering for worship, processing our pain and remembering our baptism
As a pastor who is trained in both social work and ministry, I have been thinking about how to offer collective pastoral care to my congregation as we process the pandemic together. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult season…
Ethics at the end of life: The ultimate ethical issue is whether we wait for death
This is the third in a four-part series on ethics at the end of life. The ultimate ethical issue at the end of life is whether we wait for death or instead hasten it. A massive and sometimes confusing vocabulary…
On praying for peace in Jerusalem
Over the last couple of weeks, my heart has been heavy over the turmoil erupting in Gaza between Palestinian and Israeli forces. As missiles and bombs dropped on buildings that serve as places of governmental power and countless lives were…
How to prepare for Pentecost
I’m lying on an ice pack early this morning, doing my back exercises and listening to Pray as You Go, a tool for meditation, with monastery bells, music and a Bible reading. It warms up my cranky body — and…
Pentecost and the (Un)Holy Land
On the evening of July 16, 2017, I boarded an 11-hour flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. It was my first trip to what has been known for years as the Holy Land, as part of a clergy contingent sponsored by…
How an upcoming Supreme Court decision on ‘religious freedom’ could undermine religious freedom
Baptists care deeply about religious freedom, so we should care when this cherished freedom is misused and undermined. That’s why we should all pay close attention to the United States Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which will…
Following Jesus, living in truth and love
Jerry Blackwell was one of the prosecuting attorneys in the Derek Chauvin murder trial in Minnesota in April. He started appearing on several cable network news shows one week after the trial. His basic testimony is that he felt led…