I was early to Fred Craddock’s funeral. Cherry Log Christian Church is less than two hours from Atlanta, but a trip to Appalachia seems farther so I gave myself way too much time. I had been told to eat at…
The ‘next America’ demands change from churches
The headline for this column is misleading. The “next America” actually is the “now America.” To paraphrase the late cartoon character Pogo, “We have seen the future, and it is here.” And it means most Baptist congregations and their denomination…
Secularism rising: How should Christians respond?
By Bill Leonard “Secularization is the historical process whereby religious faith, religious involvement, religious identification, and religious institutions weaken, fade or become less significant in society. And while secularization is in no way inevitable or irreversible … when we look…
Eyes wide open
After Sunday’s service, a friend emailed me a confession: He kept his eyes open during Prayers of the People, which I led this week. It was a Lenten prayer about finding beauty in dry places, the hand of God in…
Churches on the chamber of commerce list
Economic development. Networking. Community engagement. These phrases may come to mind when someone thinks about chambers of commerce. Varying in size and capacity, they mobilize businesses and organizations in order to promote economic growth. And, yes, they’re known to engage…
Making grace, not punishment, the default setting
By Amy Butler I think Michelle Alexander is a theologian. I mean, she’s a reluctant theologian for sure, but a theologian nonetheless. This is a designation to which, if you think about it, we should all aspire — both the…
Spring forward! Are churches talking chronos or kairos?
We did it again. In almost all locations throughout North America we performed our annual spring ritual. We set our clocks forward one hour over this past weekend. We know to spring forward — and eight months from now to fall…
Hospitality: I’ll worship like a dog
Do you know Andrew Hozier-Byrne (aka Hozier)? Rapidly growing in popularity, this Irish musician and singer-songwriter is responsible for the song, “Take Me to the Church.” Here is the refrain: Take me to the church I’ll worship like a dog…
Freezing temps create First World problems
By Aileen Mitchell Lawrimore Have you heard about the record low temperatures we’ve had in North Carolina recently? Well, let me tell you: this weather has caused me some serious (First World) problems. For one thing, I couldn’t just go…
10 ways to increase value of and engagement in church participation, part 2
It seems so sad that church has become a place to go rather than an experience to have each day of life. Too often the routines of our church participation fuels disengagement more than deepening our engagement in the faith…
The day that Alice Cooper came to church
On President’s Day weekend, one of those long weekends when “School’s Out,” Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Damon Furnier, better known as Alice Cooper and his wife Sheryl, joined us for worship at First Baptist Pensacola, unannounced. In fact, there was…
The spiritual practice of taking the next step
By Jayne Davis “The road emerged only as I walked it.” — Jurgen Moltmann One of the most exciting things for me in a coaching conversation is listening for the next question. Rather than coming in with the expert hat…