In the age of Trump, hometowns, Sunday dinners and even holiday celebrations are no longer safe spaces for families with opposing views. These familiar places become hostile zones of contrary views, charged with emotional fervor. But they don’t have to…
Bonhoeffer Moment No. 3: When conscience fails and hypocrisy prevails
In the first of this series, I noted that Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison begins with a 1943 essay titled “After Ten Years,” written the year before he was imprisoned by the Nazis. In it, the German theologian/preacher/teacher…
Seek to become a ‘trauma-informed congregation’ in November forward
In recent years, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has become a highly visible part of our culture, and generalized trauma has emerged as a consistent issue for clergy and churches. The majority of Americans have experienced a significant trauma in their…
My Dad witnessed the last ‘legal’ hanging in America
My dad, Tom Moody, was there. Aug, 14, 1936. Owensboro, Ky. The last legal public hanging in America. “My brother and I got up before dawn and hitchhiked into town,” he said many years later. “There were lots of cars going that…
On the struggle bus wondering about authenticity, performance and the pandemic
I was talking to someone I hadn’t touched base with in a while. They said something like, “It looks like you’re doing great,” based on what they saw on Facebook. I smiled and didn’t have the heart to tell them…
True confession: I’m addicted to being white
Hello, my name is Ben and I’m addicted to whiteness. I can’t pinpoint exactly when it started, but I know I wasn’t born this way. No one is born addicted, but I was nursed and raised by addicts who were…
When you go to the polls, remember me
If you haven’t voted yet, this column is for you. With the election less than two weeks away, I want to share with you the story of my family. I was raised in the heart of evangelical Christianity in Colorado…
A student’s plea to the Missouri Baptist Convention
I am an undergraduate nursing student at Southwest Baptist University, planning to graduate in May 2022 with a bachelor of science degree in nursing, a minor in gerontology, a minor in psychology and an emphasis in social work. I have…
Thoughts on Halloween, saints and souls
In my quiet suburban cul-de-sac in Atlanta, our neighbors are competing with one another to mark Halloween in the oddly incoherent American way that has become our “normal.” We have our Harvest Festival types — friendly looking scarecrows, straw hats,…
As a woman of faith and a pastor, I believe Barrett is the wrong choice for the Supreme Court
“Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue,” is a quote from the Torah. The phrase hung on the wall in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s chambers, and it inspired her judicial deliberations. To honor her legacy and all that she stood…
Five qualities of good evangelism and good evangelists
When Brian McLaren poses the question, “What if evangelism is one of the things that our world needs most?” he shows himself to be out of step with many Christians — especially those occupying the broad swath in the middle…
Will you join our church in declaring that this is a time to break silence?
On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. ascended to the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York City, one of the most historic churches in the country, and delivered a sermon titled, “A Time to Break Silence.” In this…