Former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, gave a one-liner to an audience at the National Rifle Association that likened baptism to waterboarding torture. Palin said in her speech: They obviously have information on plots to carry out Jihad… Oh, but you can’t offend…
The pressure cooker
By Amy Butler There are seasons of intensity in any line of work, and in the world of ministry Holy Week and Christmas run neck and neck. I personally think Holy Week is harder, not in small part due to…
Deepening the Spirit
By Molly T. Marshall Eastertide is the season in the life of the church when we struggle to make sense of the Easter appearances, the dialectic of presence and absence, and the new awareness of the Spirit of God. The…
A Plastic Feast, Part 3
In the first two parts of this series I shared some reflections on the Fox-National Geographic Channel’s reboot of Carl Sagan’s classic science series, Cosmos. While the show is a feast for the eyes with its stunning cinematography and computer…
Re-thinking mission for a global church
Editors Note: Steven Porter, announced today as CBF’s new global missions coordinator, unpacked his missiological views in this piece submitted to ABPnews/Herald. We welcome the opportunity to publish it. By D. Steven Porter In September 1931, a 15-member Commission on Appraisal…
LEGO theology
LEGO building blocks are a wonderful toy. My grandchildren love them. Each kit comes with detailed illustrations to show the builder how to create a particular item. The real fun comes, however, when the builder departs from the instructions to…
Churches and gardeners
By Bill Wilson Most of our nation has endured an extremely harsh winter. As a result, this spring has been met with a sigh of relief and a sense of welcome that seems stronger than in some years. Facebook is…
Learning to listen
By Greg and Helms Jarrell I am afraid of well-meaning Christians. This is probably because I am one myself, but it is also because I encounter well-intentioned Christians all the time. They have a vision for all the good they…
In search of more Acts 10 moments
One of my favorite Bible verses appears in the story of Peter visiting Cornelius’ house in Acts 10. In verses 34-35, Peter says, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every…