To have fun in the face of evil and turmoil and ugliness is almost revolutionary. Is your stole draped over your shoulders or tied around your neck? That’s a pseudo-serious question for all the pastor types in our Baptist world…
A lasting Christmas spirit
So, it is late on a Friday evening in January and following a weeklong conference here I sit in the San Antonio International Airport. My flight home has been delayed for over two hours, so I’ve had time to nap,…
The aging of grief
Death doesn’t just rob us of a sibling, spouse or child right now; the loss is permanent. Last week marked the 46th anniversary of the death of my 16-year-old brother, Dennis, in a car accident. Forty-six years. If you think…
Bumper sticker theology
By Aileen Lawrimore “Prayer Works!” and its bossier sibling, “Pray. It Works!” are sayings I’ve seen on everything from tote bags to T-shirts, bumper stickers to Bible studies. You can get a “Prayer Works” apron for the saintly cook in…
Freeing people stuck in your church
By George Bullard How do you help people who are stuck in your congregation become unstuck? How do you free them to continue their life journey with joy? In a previous post entitled, “When sticky church becomes stuck church,” I…
Safe space?
By John Chandler I split time living between two very different communities — very rural Fluvanna County in central Virginia and in the heart of Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina. Splitting time between very red and very…
Them and us?
By Bill Leonard Sometimes I think I’d love a good mystical vision, when God told me exactly what is right and wrong; how to believe and behave. Surely then I could sort out all the theological and ethical dilemmas of…
How weighty are stories in congregational faith formation?
By Kenneth J. Meyers The culture generally addresses human dignity and justice issues before the church can get into gear. Such is the matter when in recent years Americans faced the LGBTQ life concerns with resolve. The cultural consideration recognized…
Unremarkable, but lovely
Scott Dickison A rabbi, an imam and a Baptist minister walk into a university auditorium. No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. It’s just what happened this past Thursday evening on the campus of Mercer University in Macon,…
When church really isn’t what we think it is
By Amy Butler One of the best things about being a pastor is that over the course of experiencing the pastorate you can collect really great stories. Only some of those stories can be repeated in polite company, but that’s…
Addicted to fear
By Mark Wingfield Americans these days are addicted to fear. Fear, of course, is a natural emotional response that God has given us for good reason. It is fear that helps us not put a hand in the fire or…
Congregational vision is not about successful growing programs
By George Bullard Their name is Legend because there are many congregations who believe the best way to make progress is to have excellent programs, ministries and activities. They measure the success of their congregation by the quantitative and qualitative…