It is rare that a phone call at 8 am on a Sunday morning is a good one. This past Sunday was no exception. We got the word that Tracy’s grandmother, Marie Berklich, passed away in the night at the…
Have no fear
By Starlette McNeill “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” This seems to be the instant message received every day in our world. Yes, fear is a common experience but now it is a shared automatic response as bad things just keep…
Analog bravery
Recently, I had my internet bona-fides as an internet Christian professional called into internet question. Meaning: folks started blowin’ up my Facebook wall with paragraph length responses heavy on Biblical citations and light on punctuation BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TO TAKE…
Epiphanies, Martin Luther King, and Roe v. Wade
January has concluded a significant month. On the Church’s ancient calendar, we’ve celebrated Epiphany and on the modern calendar, we’ve celebrated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. And in the world at large, we’ve observed the 42nd anniversary of Roe…
Mars and beyond—expanding our theology of God’s universe
We now have definitive evidence for organic molecules, both in the atmosphere and in the rocks of Mars. On Earth, organic molecules are the stuff of life. This could mean life—microbial life, that is—exists now on Mars, or it could…
Critiquing Islam — and ourselves
By Bill Leonard In a syndicated column written after the Charlie Hebdo assassinations in Paris, commentator Cal Thomas wrote: “This is the difference between radical Islam and other faiths. Jews and Christians have been targets of persecution, but with rare…
Can you survive the invasion of a mega church?
If you are like many pastors, some Monday mornings can be very blue. Your sermon did not go as well as you had imagined. A widow complained to you after the worship service that you did not visit her in…
Rethink this church thing
Does your congregation exhibit kingdom of God characteristics? An oft-repeated television commercial captured my attention the other day. I watched people use a ribbon to see how far their money would stretch into retirement. Finally, one lady, surprised by how…
You can’t beat an enemy you don’t understand
The recent massacre by Islamic extremists at the Charlie Hebdo office in France has shocked the world. I have my own theories why this particular act of terrorism brought such a show of anti-Islamic extremism solidarity whereas other, much more…