Joseph is a supporting role in the Christmas story. Luke hardly mentions him, and he doesn’t get a single line of dialogue in the entire New Testament. But he should be the patron saint of taking chances.
Letters to the Editor for 12.11.18
Article on Operation Christmas Child misses the mark | Mickie West, Galette Chambon, Ganthier – Haiti
Clergy sex abuse: why the SBC’s ‘studying it’ response isn’t enough
For far too long, officials of the country’s largest Protestant denomination have done nearly nothing to effectively address clergy sex abuse. The time for action is long overdue, and the SBC’s version of “studying it” does not suffice.
The dim hope of Advent
We do our best to illumine this time of year with both artificial and spiritual means. Thankfully, God provides the latter.
This Advent let’s reclaim the power of prophecy
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let us more fully imitate his life. That means reclaiming the power of prophecy. Doing so could make this Advent season more of an adventure than we ever imagined.
I disrupted a speech by Jeff Sessions on religious liberty. My Baptist faith compelled me.
As Christians, our free exercise of religion, set forth in the Constitution, means working to ensure that those to whom Jesus came to minister – the poor, the sick, the hungry, the incarcerated, the immigrant – are not trampled underfoot in our common life and public policy.
BTSR, a female president and the ‘glass cliff’
The decision to close Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, whatever the pros and cons, is a reminder of the glass cliff – a companion to the glass ceiling – that is often a reality for women in leadership.
50 years after his death, Thomas Merton’s words haunt us yet.
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.