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…
Getting marriage wrong
By Miguel De La Torre The Hebrew Bible’s interpretation of marriage was that women were akin to property, while men were biblically provided with the opportunity to have multiple sex partners. The New Testament interpretation privileged singleness, while women were…