By Bill Wilson It was early in my pastoral ministry. I still thought my primary job was to please people and make them happy, ensure their comfort and leave them liking me. Thus, when someone disagreed with me or criticized…
Focus on Commandment, not Constitution
By Paula Dempsey The best lack all conviction While the worst are full of passionate intensity. —William Butler Yeats The conversation I overheard in the bread aisle of the grocery store about owning handguns had the same demeanor and tone…
3 things David Bowie can teach churches
As the death of David Bowie, the provocative entertainer, artist, actor and singer, continues to shock fans and the general public, his mark upon culture is undeniable. Bowie’s work spanned decades and touched millions of people. As musicians rise and…
Among the not-yet-housed
By Bill Leonard Each January for several years, I’ve joined a group of theology students for a Wednesday visit to the Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville, N.C. I can’t help but write about it, since the experience is always “transforming,”…
5 ways to respond when your pastor actually turns out to be human
By Amy Butler Before you begin reading this column, I want you to know that I’m assuming we’re all clear on the fact that the pastor is a human being. This might sound like a strange way to start off….
The myth of redemptive violence and ‘The Hateful Eight’
By Michael Parnell I step onto some shaky ground here, but I will admit it: I love Quentin Tarantino. Yes, I know his movies are filled with violence and terrible language. But there are few directors working today that fill…
Praying the Psalms in time of grief
By Joe LaGuardia Like many who grieve the loss of a loved one over the holidays, this past Christmas was particularly difficult for me. I lost my father over two years ago as a result of a mass shooting in…
Congregational vision is about expanding and deepening disciplemaking
By George Bullard Vision is not about promoting programs and using an attractional approach to engage in a spiritual and strategic journey. It is not about a focus on operational planning, and a primary focus on the management of the…
52 questions Jesus is still asking
By Jayne Hugo Davis “How would you dispose of a dead body?” Our staff team was playing a board game called Loaded Questions last week. We had gotten together for a meal and some forced family fun and that was…
A lover’s quarrel with my country
By Russ Dean I only saw one of those year-in-reviews that the news shows always put together for the week after Christmas. One was enough. I was raised like most American kids to be proud of this great land I…
Thoughts on welcoming the stranger
By LeDayne McLeese Polaski I’ve been thinking a lot lately about strangers. I suppose we all have. Strangers — immigrants from Central America, refugees from Syria, Muslims crossing international borders, even people on the other side of town — are…
The charism of creativity
By Molly T. Marshall One of the first Hebrew words I learned in seminary was bara, the word used of God’s creative activity as recounted in Genesis. My Hebrew teacher carefully instructed the nascent scholars that this word could only…