Memories are vital for human beings. They assist us in developing a sense of identity and belonging. They protect us by helping us to remember previous hurts and dangers. But they also give us a sense of hope as they move us to consider our lives, and to remember how certain experiences and events have propelled us to a better future.
El poder de los recuerdos
Los recuerdos son vitales para los seres humanos. Nos ayudan a desarrollar un sentido de identidad y pertenencia. Nos protegen al ayudarnos a recordar heridas y peligros previos. Pero también nos dan un sentido de esperanza, ya que nos permiten reflexionar en nuestras vidas, y recordar cómo ciertas experiencias y eventos nos han llevado a un futuro mejor.
Retaining the courage to speak from the pulpit
I recently mentioned from the pulpit that we’d been invited to participate in a conversation with other pastors called “The Church in the Age of Donald Trump.” The next day I got a very nice, but concerned email: “Did you…
It’s all about love
Matthew’s Gospel offers a simple sentence summary of Jesus’ message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (or “is at hand”). Some Jesus scholars think of him as a Jewish apocalyptic prophet announcing the imminent arrival of God’s…
Why my faith propelled me to the Women’s March
I ran into someone the other day who had just returned from the Women’s March in Washington and she had with her a poster from the march. As she unrolled it to show me she said, “I’m so glad I…
Atlas didn’t shrug: An inauguration reminder of the things we must always lift high
This week, I was moved to read two very different books. First, inspired by the MLK holiday weekend, I read a collection of Dr. King’s prayers. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I felt a personal need to…
A thing that money could buy: How corporate evangelicalism elected a president
If religion were a thing that money could buy the rich would live, and the poor would die (Bahamian folk song) Darren Grem wrote The Business of Blessing before Donald Trump’s stunning electoral triumph, but the book helps explain the…
When the Church wears the emperor’s clothes
“We must change the method but not the message.” This has been the aim of recent generations of Christian leaders. Desiring to “reach the lost for Christ,” we developed radio, television and now social media ministries. We wear skinny jeans…
Finding balanced resolve: Our common reactions to current events and why they don’t work
Bruce D. Perry is a renowned psychiatrist who published a book in 2007 called The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog. The book is horrifying yet fascinating. Perry relates stories of children he has worked with who suffered neglect,…
Creatively outrageous congregations
I recently heard an interview with George Lois, a leader in the advertising world in the 1950s who helped revolutionize the industry. His innovations transformed advertising and made several of his clients into household names. I found his comments about…
The promise of figures hidden in the dominant narrative
During the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend I went to see the fine movie Hidden Figures. Already nominated for various awards, this remarkable film recounts the story of the contribution three black women made to Project Mercury at NASA…
We need each other
I need you, you need me — we’re all a part of God’s body. Stand with me; agree with me — we’re all a part of God’s body. It is His will that every need be supplied. You are important…