Did you get a chance to read my post on having a minister to young adult households trumps having a minister to children? For those of you who thought that was an interesting approach worth considering, how would you feel…
Religion’s week from hell
By Molly T. Marshall This past Monday, CNN religion writer Daniel Burke called the prior week “Religion’s week from hell”: “Whether you believe that religious violence is fueled by faith or is a symptom of larger factors — political instability,…
What made Jesus angry?
In the healing of the leper in Mark 1:40-45 the text reads in the NRSV, “Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.” There is a footnote that says, “Other ancient authorities read anger.” There are some…
How hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
I’m not a Christian because it makes my life easier; to the contrary, it makes my life harder. It’s easier to fear than it is to love It’s easier to hold grudges than it is to forgive It’s easier to…
Ash Wednesday gets us dirty — for good reason
Ash Wednesday is special day for many Christians. I grew up in a Baptist church and never got to experience it as a child. I wish I had because it is a beautiful display of the gospel and now one…
Why I struggle with Ash Wednesday
By Nora O. Lozano As I prepared to write my column for this month, I checked my assigned publication date as well as the liturgical calendar. To my dismay, I discovered that the day for this publication is Ash Wednesday….
Ashy Baptists
Ash Wednesday is an occasion to mark the beginning of Lent and be marked by ashes. To receive ashes on our forehead and hear the words, ‘You are dust and to dust you shall return’ can be a powerful reminder…
The alternative to a senior pastor
I never wanted to be a senior pastor. Well, that’s not the whole truth. When senior pastors would introduce me by saying, “this is my education man,” it crossed my mind to be senior pastor – in an alternative way!…
The forgotten art of living together
By Corey Fields When two women who had spent years serving the community decided to start a new venture in Topeka’s poorest neighborhood, they knew they were going into a place plagued by crime, dysfunction and poverty. There was one…