From time to time, I like to revisit a sermon by Jeremiah Wright, pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, titled, “The Audacity to Hope.” I always find inspiration from Wright’s words and particularly I find solace…
Evangelical leaders challenge Christianity Today on coverage of Gaza War
Disagreement over the Gaza war among evangelicals is no surprise given the complicated history in Israel/Palestine and Christians’ deep engagement with the Holy Land. Christianity Today, a flagship evangelical publication, has covered the situation in the Holy Land since its…
Time to rethink ‘Crossing the Jordan’
Duane Thomas died Oct. 29. You likely never heard of him, but he was one of my treasured friends. Charlotte and I moved to Siloam Springs, Ark., when I became pastor of First Baptist Church there in March of 1968, at…
We’ve lost two trailblazing women in ministry in one week
I’m not sure if Esther Burroughs and Joy Fenner knew each other, but I suspect they must have. Both were trailblazing women in Southern Baptist life. Now they have died within four days of each other, causing an old-timer like…
This Christmas, let’s make Jesus more than our mascot
A statement recently has emerged on social media saying, “Jesus was a liberator of the oppressed, not a mascot for the powerful.” Certainly, Jesus was a defender and advocate for the poor, vulnerable and oppressed. He came to the aid…
Vertical and horizontal morality
There’s been a lot of talk recently about “vertical and horizontal morality.” Most of these recent posts and conversations are from people trying to make sense of the recent election, trying to understand the differences between “conservative” and “liberal” perspectives….
I’m an evangelical who believes mass deportations are not the answer
Inauguration Day is coming and if President-elect Trump’s actions match his pre-election rhetoric, one of his first actions will be clamping down on immigration and ramping up mass deportations. While his new border czar has declared the administration’s initial focus…
Circles of joy
There’s always a story behind designing a holiday card. For me, it’s a spiritual experience in itself, and I anticipate learning about Christmas and the beauty of the season with a fresh vision from God. Looking back, every year I’ve…
Mary the rosebud
Each time a new baby was born, a single red rosebud was placed on the altar in the sanctuary of my home church. My youngest child was born after I returned to serve there, and 12 years ago, her red…