Two giants in North American Christian ministry died this week. One was well known across various Christian traditions. The other was not, but was no less a giant. Gordon Cosby of The Church of the Saviour fame died this week….
Being Easter people in the interfaith environment
I sometimes preach a sermon entitled “The Four Little Candles.” The author of the original story is unknown. In it I tell the story of four little candles that were burning softly and quietly. Listening closely you can hear them…
Communicating Christ in Burma
By Molly T. Marshall Christianity has been a part of the land of Myanmar (Burma) since the early work of Catholic missionaries in the 16th century. Because of many difficulties, they had to withdraw from their mission. Baptists date our…
Pope Francis and the Baptists
I don’t think a day has passed since March 13 without a student, colleague, fellow church member, family member, or friend asking what my perspective is on the election of Pope Francis, especially since they know that I was a…
The care and feeding of pastors
Our church recently went through a pastoral transition. Thanks to good staff and lay leadership, we weathered that transition well. We added some members and even completed a building program, but the trip was not an easy one. I think…
Keep the flame of liberty burning bright
The Founding Fathers gave us a bigger challenge than they realized. To work for the common good of all keeps the torch of freedom burning brightly. Nobody has expressed the essence of America more than the artist Norman Rockwell. His…
An ethical God
By Roger Olson Recently, I was graciously granted one of the highest honors a university can bestow on a professor — an endowed, named “chair.” In my case, it is the Foy Valentine Chair of Christian Ethics — named after…
Aging out of church
One of the things that gnaws at a pastor is wondering why people stop coming to church. Yes, there always are people who hop from one church to another for this reason or that; and we grieve those losses. And…
Best part of ‘The Bible’ was on social media
I really was not expecting much from The History Channel’s “The Bible” but it made for some interesting discussion on social media. Folks on Facebook and Twitter really had fun with the ‘epic’ story. Many hailed “The Bible” as on par with “The Lord…
Standing for principles in all situations
By Brent Walker Defending religious liberty by standing up for the separation of church and state sometimes results in unpopular outcomes. Saying no to a state-sponsored Ten Commandments monument in the middle of an Alabama courthouse will sometimes raise eyebrows….
They shoot preachers, don’t they?
In his book Don’t Shoot, criminologist David Kennedy identifies a disconnect between a criminal justice system built on the notion of personal responsibility and the fact that gang bangers think and behave as members of a group. You can’t reduce…
What kind of Baptist are you?
Do you know the story that periodically makes the rounds about the guy standing on the edge of a bridge ready to jump off to commit suicide? Along comes another person who engages him in conversation trying to get him…