I want my son to receive the gift that comes from being a part of a family and a community of people who practice the ancient art of (sometimes foolishly) depending upon a divine force rather than the invisible hand of the stock market for worth, direction, hope and stability.
50 years after ‘Beyond Vietnam’: What’s changed?
Every week as I stand in the pulpit of the Riverside Church where Dr. King called for an end to racism, poverty and militarism in America, I fight the temptation to despair. In 50 years, have we made no progress at all? In this place where the call to justice has gone out again and again it’s abundantly clear that our moral crisis is deeper than ever.
Teenaged girl’s ministry becomes Baptist woman’s call
Nothing in the program guide suggested I might slip through a time portal during worship. I’m sure of it; I would have noticed. Sure, the theme of the 34th annual convocation for Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina, “Storied…
Want to be a good mission partner? 5 things to consider
At QC Family Tree, we regularly get the question from congregations, “How can we be good partners for your mission?” The question often, but not always, comes to us from the same social locations that my wife and I, the…
The liberating practice of Sabbath
Regarding the discipline of practicing Sabbath (Jews prefer the Hebrew word, Shabbat), I have read and written many sermons and articles. But nothing brings this floating, vague theological notion down out of the clouds like spending time with real, living,…
Where to find unity in our fractured nation? Perhaps in a heightened culture of helping
We are living in a time in the United States when helping seems to be a zero sum game. If we tend to the well being of others, we are somehow diminished and our economic security is compromised. The erosion of compassion leads to a spiritual death, and the ability to inure ourselves to the needs of others threatens the common good.
Never belonging: Random reflections on my last visit to Cuba
I am held in contempt and suspicion on both sides of the Florida Straits. Here, I’m too Cuban to ever be American, and there, I’m too American to ever be a Cuban. The trauma of which I speak is never belonging.
American exceptionalism at a crossroads?
Americans agree that national identity is in trouble but clearly disagree on what that identity is or might be. Nowhere is that more evident than in faith communities.
How mean and lean must a budget be before it’s immoral?
The old preacher said if you want to know about someone’s spirituality, there’s no better measure than how they spend their money. The preacher wasn’t a money-grubbing televangelist; his comment reflected years wizened by experience as a careful student of…
A pastoral response to an ethical analysis: Why we said ‘yes’ to being a sanctuary church
We don’t very often read our Scriptures through the lens of the immigrant experience. We don’t talk about Father Abraham and Mother Sarai as immigrants or Ruth as a refugee, or Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as slaves of the empire. American Christians don’t talk about our holy book this way because we don’t have to.
It’s time to end the hands-off attitude to substitionary atonement
The nonviolent God of Jesus is incompatible with a God who makes a horrendous act of violence a divinely required act of atonement. Jesus didn’t die because God needed a sacrifice. Jesus died because the powers that be had him killed. He bore the suffering, hate and evil of the world. We are called to do the same.
Walking in someone else’s shoes
La versión en español está disponible aquí. This year has been an interesting one for me. Due to diverse speaking engagements or personal encounters with friends, I have learned about people’s passions and commitments to particular social issues. These interactions…