I believe in the power of the Gospel. I believe Jesus changes hearts, and that his calling is a daring summons to a truly social justice – to a salvation that changes our minds as well as our souls. But much of the preaching I hear these days makes me cringe.
The president is racist. He’s also ‘biblical’
The president is a racist who readily uses xenophobic and white nationalist rhetoric of biblical proportions. It is past time for the American church, Republican and Democrats alike, to speak out with a singular voice and tell the truth.
I’m in love with Christianity. I don’t need the government to be
No matter the misappropriated moral algebra that the Supreme Court used to come to its higgledy-piggledy majority opinion, the fact remains that the Christian cross is not fundamentally a secular monument any more than the American flag is a religious symbol.
In a world of words, who or what is the Word of God?
In examining how we discern the Word of God, I discovered Julia Foote, a 19th-century African American preacher and evangelist. She demonstrates that everything in our public life is touched by God’s Word(s).
Is it racist? Applying reason as well as biblical truth
How do we assess claims of “I am not a racist” widely used by those who engage in racist comments and behavior or defend others who do so? Applying different forms of reasoning can help.
‘Send her back!’ A racist call-and-response compels white Christians to ask hard questions
This isn’t just about the law or the president. It’s about us, the “white us,” engaged in actions with frightening implications for, with or about white Christianity, compelling us to ask hard questions of our churches and each other.
The legal skirmish over online ordinations offers a chance to reaffirm what ordination really means
Hundreds of thousands of people have gone online to get ordained – not because they had a calling, not because a congregation had affirmed their gifts for ministry, not because they had completed a theological education and preparation for ministry – but so they could certify marriages.
As a first generation Mexican-American woman and Baptist minister, I too struggle with how to respond to border atrocities
What I will take away from my five days in south Texas is this: Unless we are willing to let go of systems and theologies that target the vulnerable, unless we are willing to recognize our own Saul-like tendencies, I don’t think the scales will fall from our eyes.
Opening our imaginations to God’s inclusive way so that all women in all places may flourish
The challenges for Baptist women around the world continue to be immense, especially in churches where their gifts and callings are restricted and undervalued. We need to invite girls and women into God’s inclusive way.
Abriendo nuestra imaginación a la manera inclusiva de Dios para que todas las mujeres en todos los lugares puedan florecer
Los desafíos para las mujeres bautistas en todo el mundo siguen siendo inmensos, especialmente en las iglesias donde sus dones y llamamientos son restringidos y subvaluados. Necesitamos invitar a las niñas y a las mujeres a adentrarse en la manera más inclusiva de Dios.
Racists don’t get to determine who’s a racist
Those of us who have the most to learn are the ones who seldom have been victims of racism ourselves, who think we know what racism means but in reality do not know the definition. What scares me is the seemingly vast number of Christians who know the definition and simply don’t care.
I’m on a mission to rid the world of theological malarkey
I recently used the term “theological malarkey” in response to a question related to Trinitarian theology. That has inspired me to call out a few other forms of theological malarkey in American religion today.