The law raises difficult questions for legislators concerned that hamburgers are not ham, hot dogs are not dogs, circus peanuts are not peanuts, Buffalo wings are not buffalo and refried beans are not fried twice. Churches could divert attention by pointing out a host of problems bigger than lentil burgers that lawmakers might have addressed.
WWJDD: What Would James Dunn Do? America on July 4, 2019
Had James Dunn lived to witness this year’s Fourth of July event – hijacked by President Trump – he would have let his freedom of dissent ring loud and clear. At this moment in the history of American Christianity and American government, Dunn’s distinctive gospel dissent needs to be heard and heeded.
Racial justice: apology without restitution, lamentation without transformation
We must not only deal with the ongoing effects of atrocities, we must also change society itself. Lamentations may acknowledge sorrow over atrocities committed, but they do not repair the harm nor transform the world.
A question both ancient and modern: Whose side is God on?
It’s an over-reach to conscript God’s favor for our political calculations, as if God has a pre-determined plan for each discrete nation, political party or individual leader. Our prayers to God about present circumstances should prompt our own actions to mend the world. God is always on that side.
On July 4, I will not be celebrating. Here’s why
Political leaders’ amorality and immorality about justice has always been tolerated, if not actively enabled, by religious nationalists in congregations in all regions of the country and in every religious sect.
John the Baptist and religious liberty: getting right what many evangelical preachers get wrong
John the Baptist spoke truth to power, refused to pander to politicians and insisted that no earthly kingdom is coterminous with the Kingdom of God. In other words, John got right what many evangelical preachers get wrong.
Core Baptist convictions can offer a deep well of wisdom for today’s cultural challenges (part 2)
Our historic convictions as Baptists are not a liability in today’s environment. They are a deep well of wisdom and strength. When we lean into what makes us uniquely Baptist, we truly can make a difference in the world.
The Color of Compromise: American Christianity’s legacy of racism calls for ‘repentance and repair’
In his new book, The Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby documents the ways in which white Christians, churches and religious institutions inside and outside the South manifested, acquiesced to and facilitated racist responses to people of color in general and African Americans in particular.
The scattering yet unifying Spirit and the place of LGBTQ persons in the Church
How do we discern how the Spirit works in our particularities for the sake of the larger mission? Today I imagine the Spirit’s fire would fall down on LGBTQ folk, enabling them to speak to God’s testifying work in their lives and in their communities.
Why I don’t buy the gloomy forecasts about the church’s future
I believe there has never been a better day to be the church. Indeed, I believe the 21st century will find the church of Jesus Christ emerging from decades of slow decline to rediscover authentic community, witness and vibrancy.
To resist is not enough; as Christians we are called to do more
Korean minjung theologians speak of han, the deep and abiding suffering that persists as a result of unresolved injustice. Right now, I believe our faith communities are overwhelmed by han. In this in-between space of conflict and despair, let’s remember that doing right is its own reward.
CBF’s general assembly: less Baptist baloney, more Baptist babies
The nutritional makeup of these annual gatherings normally consists of 10 percent awkward side hugs, 20 percent irrelevant breakout sessions, 30 percent over-priced, low-value luncheons and 40 percent whitewashed worship services. However, at recent assemblies I’ve noticed a decrease of Baptist baloney and an increase of Baptist babies.