I doubt I’m telling you something you don’t know, but just in case you’re wondering, let me say from the start: leading a church is hard work. It’s just perpetually difficult to bring a group of people together, united or…
Are the poor really blessed?
In the Gospel of Luke Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” I don’t believe for one minute that Jesus is saying it’s a good thing to be poor. Nor do I…
Why white America silences Jesus
“So what’s your religion?” the young man wanted to know. “My ancestors were Anabaptists,” I said, “and I find myself identifying with that tradition.” “So, what’s an Anabaptist?” “Well, they are sometimes called the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation,”…
In a divided society, maybe we should shut up and listen
Years ago my oldest child, who was in kindergarten or first grade at the time, came home from school and told me that he heard one of his classmates use the “S” word. I was like, “Ah, ‘S’ word! Not…
As seen on TV: Reclaiming our belief in miracles
Something very strange happens when I visit Walgreens. I feel it as I cross the threshold: a subtle pull like undertow, a siren call from the rocky shores of aisle three. I try to fight it by heading for the…
God: Some assembly required?
When I was introduced to God some 20 years ago, God had it together. God was in control. God was sovereign. God had a plan. I needed only to believe. My, how times have changed. Today, I am viewed primarily…
Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony and Adam Sandler: Signs of a church that is more than a museum
Years ago when attendance was pretty low, Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., brought in a consultant who said, “You can either be a museum or a church.” The consultant had been going to the wrong museums. A good church is…
A story of new neighbors: What will Muslim students in the U.S. find?
A large charter bus sat in the parking lot, exhaust brakes hissing. Several rooms in the conference center were full of large suitcases, most of them looking brand new. I knew they couldn’t have belonged to the small group of…
Speaking from the edge of inside: Where is evangelism in CBF life?
A question I have been asking myself lately is, “Does evangelism have a place in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship life?” I couldn’t help but feel the passion around so many issues at this year’s CBF General Assembly. LGBTQ, women in ministry,…
How can a person find contentment in this age of cynicism?
As a child, one of my pastor’s favorite songs was “Happiness Is.” The tune echoes the upbeat refrain, “Happiness is to know the Savior. … Happiness is the Lord.” Instead of virtue, faith and encouragement, 21st-century U.S. culture violates innocence…
Finding Christian leaders in a shifting religious terrain
It’s that time of year again. New books, backpacks, technology, schedules, classes and teachers conspire with learners to develop their lives. At every level of education, including graduate study in seminaries, the goal is to engage students in the practices…
Is your church a movement or a program?
For the last half of the 20th century in America, local churches functioned as programmatic centers of activity. Embedded in a supportive churched and Christian culture, their role was to provide offerings that inspired, entertained and educated those who chose…