The New England Puritan Isaac Backus was born in 1724 and died 208 years ago today, on November 20, 1806. As an outstanding advocate of religious freedom and the separation of church and state, he is well worth remembering, and…
Evangelism implosion
By Bill Wilson It’s time to talk about the obvious: We have a problem with evangelism. Let me explain what I mean. • “We”: All of us, regardless of theology, denomination, setting or worship style are struggling with this issue….
Humblebragging — a double technical foul
By John Chandler False modesty is as old as humanity itself — see the fate of Haman in the biblical story of Esther. But give credit to comedian Harris Wittels, writer for the NBC series Parks and Recreation, whose Twitter…
Has church become a fairytale?
By Seth Vopat “My dog,” one replied. Another said, “Beauty and the Beast.” Agreeing with the first response, another responded, “My dog.” “I think the couple in the movie The Fault in Our Stars,” someone else said. The question: Does…
My writing life
(I need to get this off my computer or I will never get any writing done.) Write Write Delete Write Edit Google
Balancing a congregation’s spiritual diet
By Doyle Sager Is your congregation receiving all its spiritual vitamins and minerals? We all know how crucial a balanced physical diet is; our spirits also need a healthy mixture of “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). But before…
We really do love you, honey, but …
By Jonathan Waits While some parents like the surprise element, my wife and I wanted to know. I remember the moment with each of our boys. We headed to the doctor for a regular checkup with a bonus: an ultrasound….
Soar past tithing on your way to becoming wildly generous
Should we forget tithing? Is it passé? Does it set up an artificial target on which too few people actually agree? Tithing seems like an obvious principle–10 percent of your income–yet too often it becomes a negative point for confusion,…
No longer singing alone
By Amy Butler Last Sunday I stood at the front of the church, as I do most weeks, to welcome the community to worship. After I finished my remarks, I made my way to my seat on the side of…
Connection between parents, children is at heart of ‘Interstellar’
By Michael Parnell Movies are often greater than the sum of their parts. We watch the story unfold and, as we do, there is something more there than just the pictures and the actors’ words. The auteur theory of filmmaking…
We really do love you, honey, but…
While some parents like the surprise element, my wife and I wanted to know. I remember the moment with each of our boys. We headed to the doctor for a regular checkup with a bonus: an ultrasound. But, at 20…
Respecting the lived religion of others
By Molly T. Marshall Religious pluralism is the reality of our time; indeed, the world has always contained persons of widely varied religious experience. Because of differing historical and geographical circumstances, people have found different pathways to express their deepest…