What draws us back to Merton 50 years after his death is his haunting ability to unite the transcendent and the worldly, the inner and outer life with wondrous prose, occasional poetry and enduring spiritual insight.
The decision to close BTSR was gut-wrenching. It was also necessary.
Despite the concerted and often sacrificial efforts of the president, the trustees and others in the seminary community, BTSR in the final analysis was simply unable to reach the critical mass of students necessary to be sustainable. Enrollment had been declining for years, and minimal upticks were not enough to justify the cost per student.
Most church ‘visioning’ efforts fail: how your church can succeed
When the visionary rhetoric of a vibrant future collides with the realities of established precedents, facilities, job titles or traditional methods, the result is conflict. This is where many congregational visioning processes get derailed.
Practicing gratitude
Gratitude is an essential practice that positions us to receive life’s blessings and burdens with openness and trust. Giving thanks with a grateful heart is transformative.
Preaching every week in a divided culture – and trying not to lose my voice
Pray regularly for your pastor, week in and week out, because discerning and speaking a word from the Lord is an ever-present challenge and sometimes a heavy burden.
Letters to the Editor for 11.20.18
The latest from our readers: • We ungraduated BTSR alums wonder: Won’t you be our neighbor? | Chris Crowley, Richmond, Virginia
Letter to the Editor – We ungraduated BTSR alums wonder: Won’t you be our neighbor?
As an ungraduated BTSR alum, at the moment, I am relating to the man in the ditch from the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Helping immigrants travel the long journey to citizenship
It amazes me to hear people talk about immigration reform when they have never met an immigrant. Until we stop seeing immigration as a problem and start seeing immigrant people, whether documented or undocumented, as persons created in the image of God, we will never do what is right.
Firearm violence: America’s pre-existing condition
Firearm violence is more than a national problem; it a national disgrace that increasingly defines our national identity, our common humanity and our ‘witness’ in the world. If history is any indication, little or nothing will change in the land of the free and the home of the targeted.
Could BTSR’s legacy be a recommitment to the centrality of theological education for Cooperative Baptists?
In these first days of grief following the announcement that BTSR will close, many of us are asking difficult questions. One of them is this: Are we willing to envision a new covenant between our churches, our current ministers, our theological schools and those whom God is calling into ministry now and in the future?
Coming to the table: interracial friendships as a path to justice
My participation with clergy colleagues and others in a racial reconciliation group has led to treasured friendships, deeper understanding and united action.
Letters to the Editor for 11.14.18
The latest from our readers: • Throwing in the Towel on BTSR | Melissa Fallen, Midlothian, Virginia