Huh? A Baptist who celebrates Ash Wednesday and Lent? That’s like an American celebrating Boxing Day. The two just don’t go together. Despite the misnomer, Baptists do celebrate Ash Wednesday and Lent, especially this Baptist. Two of the classic Baptist…
Vicar of Christ
By Bill Leonard In the year 376, St. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate), wrote to Pope Damasus: “As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none save your Beatitude, that is, with the chair…
Vicar of Christ
The tyranny of Sunday
The Sunday sermon is a beast that is difficult to handle. It comes every week and it comes fast. Each week we are expected to be our best and to preach a sermon that will leave folks moved and challenged. …
Let’s drop the kids at church and go get some coffee
In a recent conversation with leaders in a congregation they wondered about people who drop children off at church–particularly on Sunday mornings–and then go to a coffee shop to have some “alone time”. They indicated this was an increasing challenge in…
‘Collective intelligence’ in ministry
By Mark Tidworth Management researchers and social scientists are confirming what many of us intuitively know (and chafe against it at times): people make better decisions together than they do apart. A new phrase describes this experience of “putting our…
Bill and Ted’s excellent Lenten journey
Our church partners with a rehabilitation organization in town with whom I occasionally have the opportunity to worship. At the beginning of all of their worship experiences, they sing a song that repeats this same opening line – “I woke…
Why the Pope’s resignation matters to Protestants
Surprise and shock are an understatement when it comes to Pope Benedict XVI‘s resignation. Only a handful of Popes have called it quits. The Pope’s decision continues to spark speculation about who the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church will…
By way of ashes
I was 24 and living in Mill Valley, Calif., when I first encountered Ash Wednesday. The Christian liturgical calendar had figured not much at all in my Southern Baptist experience to that point. But one February morning in 1983, spurred…
‘Biblical’ marriage unmasked
By Miguel De La Torre Many Christians today speak about the traditional biblical marriage, but if truth be known, the traditional marriage is not a biblical concept. In fact, it would be hard to find a modern-day Christian who would…
The sin of conspicuous consumption
Is it appropriate for a Christian to buy a $200,000 motor home in a world where children in Haiti and other places are dying due to lack of clean water, life saving medicines and even food? The other evening my…
Perspectives on immigration: safety and security concerns
The issue of immigration is a subject of discussion and debate within the Christian community. Followers of Jesus have diverse perspectives on how to address economic, security, and cultural concerns. Having shared in previous posts the primary points of diversity…