By Mark Wingfield Some people talk incessantly about their children; others never mention their children. I’m increasingly interested in the latter group. Particularly when the silence concerns older teenagers or young adults, it’s a clue that something is amiss. Or…
A parting gift: Rejection from the church
It was my fifth visit to St. George Cathedral at the Alaverdi Monastery. Positioned on the picturesque Alazani River valley of Kakheti, surrounded by vineyards against the backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, the cathedral beckoned me to return. Along…
Vacation currency
By John Chandler Virgin Airline’s Richard Branson did not get filthy rich by making stupid business decisions. This makes his recent announcement that all Virgin employees will receive unlimited vacation really interesting. You read that right: if you work for…
‘Fantastic Four’ delivers a plateful of stink
I wasted over an hour and half of my life. How did I do it? Sadly, I did it watching an attempt to bring one of my favorite comic book series to life on the movie screen. Fantastic Four is…
Preaching like a girl
By Starlette McNeill “You hit like a girl. “ “You throw like a girl.” Once upon a time, someone decided that being a girl meant lacking strength and ability. Sure, there are implied and direct references to the gullibility and…
How do preachers end a sermon?
Several weeks ago, I wrote that it takes nothing short of a miracle for a pastor to write a sermon every week. It is true that sermons are the stuff of miracles, and I stand by my premise. Yet, for…
What’s the matter with Florida?
To channel Thomas Frank who famously asked “What’s the matter with Kansas?” — I have the same question for the Sunshine State. What’s the matter with Florida? Or, more specifically, what’s the matter with the (almost) entire Florida Congressional Delegation…
Whining, dissenting and knowing the difference
By Bill Leonard Do you ever whine? Chiding turns to complaining, and morphs into whining before you know it. I feel completely qualified to talk about whining since this month marks my 40th year of teaching students in American higher…
Letter from a Birmingham intersection
**The author has been participating with QC Family Tree in tracing the steps of the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more about the trip here and here. Remembering that it happened once, We cannot turn away the thought,…
Thinking beyond stereotypes about bivocational ministry
Because of many unwarranted stereotypes about bivocational* ministry in some denominations, congregations, and Christian cultures or tribes, it is unfortunately seen as second-class ministry. This is overwhelmingly not true. Such a perspective limits the possibilities of innovative congregational staffing patterns…
Choosing adaptive change
By Amy Butler Church leadership experts offer plenty of recommendations for those of us crazy enough to take on the challenge of trying to help churches move into the future. I sit in these conference meetings and listen. I read…
What ‘Other Baptists’ can teach other Christians about patriotism
It’s not often that you hear Baptists talking about catholicity. We Baptists have more-often-than-not contented ourselves with a dissenting, sectarian existence and a spotty ecclesial memory that does more time-traveling than Marty McFly in Back to the Future—launching from Jesus,…