Last year I realized that Christmas had become the crux of my faith. I was leading worship wondering if all this faith stuff was all it’s cracked up to be, and I found myself in a puddle of tears. I…
Why not a ‘pray-in?’
By Molly T. Marshall Follow Molly on Twitter @cbtskansas On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, members of different faith communities gathered early at an urban church to pray and converse about the strained…
Of lament, brutality, torture and Advent
I am almost overwhelmed with sorrow today. I do not wish to discuss how different groups on either side of the spectrum may, or may not, have made use of, or sought to make use of the events in Cleveland,…
Biblical backdrop to grand jury injustice
The grand jury decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the “choke-hold” death of Eric Garner has produced some interesting critics. According to the Washington Times website (12/1/14), Glenn Beck said that Garner’s treatment by the NYPD was “inexcusable,…
Thank God for music
By Doyle Sager I absolutely love Christmas music. As early as possible each year, I begin listening to it. In fact, I’ve decided that if merchants can begin airing holiday commercials on TV right after Halloween, I can start listening…
A failure of imagination on reading Scripture, part 1
God sure seems to get a bad rap sometimes, even from his followers. Well, that may go just a bit far. God’s word gets a bad rap much more frequently than he does. How should we handle this? How about…
Pastors, stop signing those marriage licenses
By Kyle Henderson Pastors should stop signing state-issued marriage licenses. They should stop immediately. Individuals and organizations whose agenda is murky at best are hijacking the marriage debate. We have stopped asking the right questions and started reacting to the…
A Blue Christmas Service to grieve together
Life. Death. Birth. Two years ago I went on a forestry tour. I hated it. It was cold, damp, and painfully forgettable – until the end. The forester came out of his professorial role and said, “The reason why forests…
How a Mountain Hike is Like a Congregation’s Transformation Journey
How is taking a mountain hike like a congregation’s transformation journey? Not much unless . . . Before you read too far let me admit this article took shape during a mountain hike with my family was in North Carolina…
Chaos or community: Which way?
By Ken Sehested – Chaos or community: Which way?
Jesus is Dead and So Are We: Eric Garner is Our Only Hope for Resurrection
By Jeff Hood – Jesus is Dead and So Are We: Eric Garner is Our Only Hope for Resurrection
Reinhold Niebuhr, Eric Garner and white privilege
By David Gushee follow David on Twitter @dpgushee One of the most bracing books I read for doctoral work was Reinhold Niebuhr’s 1932 classic, Moral Man and Immoral Society. I pulled it off the shelf this week while thinking about…