This past Monday, I went to a Memorial Day concert at Pisgah Brewery in Black Mountain. Old Crow Medicine Show, an old time bluegrass band was playing, and I accompanied my friend Natalie who happens to be one of their…
One millennial’s response to the recent Pew Research findings
My name is Seth Vopat, I am a husband and father of two boys, who happens to work in ministry as well. At age 33, I belong to the millennial generation which continues to make headline news. I continue to…
Where’s Barnabas?
By Doyle Sager One of my favorite scenes from the movie Christmas Vacation has Clark Griswold standing in his front yard with wife, children, parents and in-laws. They are shivering in the December cold, admiring the gaudy but brilliant Christmas…
On reading Malcolm X’s autobiography
Marking the 50th anniversary of its publication Malcolm X’s Autobiography was the first book that scared me. Here I was, in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, secretly abandoning my pietist-revivalist rearing in favor of the more verdant fields…
Guns and suicide — how ministers can make a difference
As part of my engagement with LGBT-related issues over the last year, I have learned that this particular population is especially at risk for suicide, especially when they face strong rejection from families and faith communities. This has led me…
The uncomfortable discipline of remembering
As a pastor serving in an active military community, I am privileged to serve alongside those who serve or have valiantly served our country. In recent days I have enjoyed conversations with two retired Army chaplains, I have dialogued with…
An airman reflects: don’t thank me this Memorial Day
I was talking to one of our Air Force senior leaders the other day who said, “Everyone who has served on the front lines of this war has been forever changed.” That was cool, because “Forever Changed” is the name…
A modest proposal for future patriotic celebrations
Memorial Day is approaching. Students are looking forward to “warming-up” for summer vacation, and families are anticipating weekend festivities around beaches, swimming pools, and backyard grills. American flags will be prominently displayed, and most U.S. citizens at least intend to…
The happiness U-curve
By John Chandler I am 54 years old and have wonderful news for people who are roughly my age: all things equal, life gets a lot better, and you are about to get happier. This, according to Brookings Institute senior…
A birthday party on our deathbed: Pentecost and the Pew study
Last week, the Pew Research Center reported that between 2007 and 2014, “the Christian share of the population (in the U.S.) fell from 78.4 percent to 70.6 percent, driven mainly by declines among mainline Protestants and Catholics.” Evangelicals are in…
The busybody of Christ
By Starlette McNeill So, it appears that I have slipped into a series and that this is now one of three parts on the body of Christ. I assure you that this reality was not planned. Maybe I should call…
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ resonates with desire for hope and redemption
Mad Max: Fury Road is like much summer fare and looks to be a reboot of an old franchise. The first “Mad Max” movie was made in 1979. Many summer movies are just that: an old movie, an old story,…