I wonder how many congregations have taken time during this pandemic to consider their aesthetic. As worship services and other educational or community programming have transitioned to online formats, how have our ideas of beauty changed or remained the same?…
Why I don’t believe #AllLivesMatter
Of course, every life is significant — uniquely created by God and irreplaceable — and while I do believe every life matters, I don’t believe in #AllLivesMatter. I don’t believe in it because it is a cop-out, an attempt to…
The revolution will be standardized
“It’s like I’m expected to have this internal PR department quickly craft ‘a statement’ every time something like this happens. I can’t tell you how long I spent staring at a blank box at the top of the news feed…
Southern white ‘heritage’ and hateful faith
Black people have heard Southern white people talk about Southern “heritage” for decades. Rarely have the messages been more serious than when they insist that devotion to the Confederate battle flag, statues and monuments erected in memory of fallen Confederate…
Amid a pandemic and a fractured nation, how do we live ‘in the meantime’?
What’s going on with your feelings these days? In an old comic strip, Shoe, the curmudgeonly newspaper editor, is sitting at his desk. He declares, “There are mood swings and there are mood bungee jumps!” Some days are like that…
What I’ve learned from race conversations with refugees and immigrants
“Racism.” The word evokes feelings, emotions, strong opinions, even questions. It should. Apart from the COVID-19 crisis, nothing else has so galvanized our nation in recent months and forced us to contend with a sin that is pushing our nation…
Now is the moment for radical moderation
I’m a “radical moderate.” I thought I was so clever when I came up with that apparent oxymoron while searching for a new political identity a few years ago. Even before the election of 2016, I had abandoned the festering…
On church buildings reopening: Let love be your guide
Mark Twain put it pithily: “It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races.” The novel coronavirus is not, however, a horse race. Opinions may differ, but we should not…
The Ethiopian Regiment and the work of redeeming America
“Liberty to Slaves.” Those were the words that were emblazoned on their uniforms as they went into battle as members of the Ethiopian Regiment. The regiment had gathered in response to the proclamation issued by Lord John, the Earl of…
5 steps to becoming an ally to marginalized communities
In a time when our nation is experiencing a rebellion of oppression, many people of faith are wondering what we can do to become better allies to marginalized communities. It was only recently that LGBTQ people were finally awarded the…
Five reasons it’s time to talk about opening our churches
Despite surging COVID-19 case numbers in many states, I believe it is time for progressive, mainline and Baptist churches to consider reopening for worship services. I make this suggestion quite tentatively and with full awareness that it might seem counterintuitive….
There’s a double standard on pastors and politics
Imagine a prominent white Baptist pastor taking to cable news to make a case for Joe Biden and then appearing at rallies to campaign for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. All hell would break loose. And that pastor would soon…