“Has anyone seen Jesus? I know that he is around here somewhere. He is always with us.” Jesus’ parents were traveling home after the festival of the Passover (Luke 2.41-51). It was two days before they noticed that he was…
Joining the team: In politics, it’s time to become diehard fans again
In the United States, we love our sports. There’s something both weird and fascinating about it. I’ve never been what you would call a diehard fan (although the 10 years I lived in the Midwest was enough to turn my…
Rethinking short-term missions
When I returned to Haiti for my seventh short-term mission trip, I wondered how I can do good and not harm. The question of doing good is inherent in short-term mission trips. In other words, how can Christians engage in…
Is your church a cut flower or a perennial?
A friend recently had surgery and we wanted to send flowers as she recuperated. Kathy asked, “What do you think — a bouquet of flowers or a plant?” Knowing this friend has a new house and could later use the…
Will gender equality prevail?
Many of us are still sleep-deprived after two weeks of political conventions. Part pageantry, part spectacle, and part the inevitable chaos of democracy, these quadrennial gatherings summon our collective hopes and fears and urge us to take the long view….
Confessions of a white preacher
Two stories. Two young men. One white. One black. It was a number of years ago now. I was a pastor in the suburbs of Washington, in a multi-ethnic congregation of people from the very poor to the quite wealthy….
Who’s filling your grocery shelves? Vulnerable workers with few protections.
Their fingerprints are on the food we consume, these men leave wives, children, parents, extended family and their communities to spend a minimum of seven months a year working in the U.S. guest worker program.
How are the children? Not well.
Amidst the injustice that surrounds and overwhelms, with all of the wrenching questions and heartbreaking prayers and pressing violence, is there anything any more important for a church to do than to ensure that the children are well and welcome?
Looking for what is good in a challenging world
Who we choose to be informs how we will live and move and have our being in this world. After all, we are people commanded to be known by the way we love one another. If that is our starting point in all things, we will see the good and hope and promise in the challenges before us.
What would it take to improve police interactions with people with disabilities?
We must stop using our law enforcement system as a substitute for a failing disability service system. The rates of justice involvement among people with disabilities reflect in large part the failure to offer people services such as supportive housing, employment services and mobile crisis services.
Christian, Baptist, Evangelical — two out of three ain’t bad
Recently, someone who presents himself as “religiously unaffiliated” asked: “Aren’t you evangelicals really just the Republican Party at prayer?” We are good friends, so I responded: “Who’s ‘you evangelicals,’ you none?” For those readers who don’t have cable TV or…
Hillary Clinton interviews with a pastor search committee
First off, let me say how honored I am to finally be your candidate. Truthfully, I’ve been eyeing this position for years. In fact, my lifelong goal has been to become your pastor. As Paul says, “I’ve kept my eye…