I’m kind of a sucker for New Year’s. I love the idea that there is, built into our calendar, an annual “reset.” Even if I’ve had a pretty good year the year before, I always enjoy the idea of setting…
Finding a place to ask the tough questions
By Amy Butler Early in my pastoral work I found myself in the middle of an intense season of transformation and conflict at my church. I wasn’t prepared for the dynamics I faced then; really, nobody at church knew quite…
The niche word
Current wisdom for many professions is to find a niche market and focus. You can’t just write about travel. You have to write about gay travel or traveling as a handicapped person or travel in the Florida Keys or travel…
Igniting spirited witness
By Molly T. Marshall Witness is a word that has fallen out of favor in many Christian circles. Maybe it was never as popular as our memory assumes since, after all, the word means “martyr.” It still works in the…
Forever Changed #17: How to pray during mortar attacks
As of Monday I took over Patriot Details for the next week. No sooner did I take over responsibility than I was called. After I got back from that Patriot Detail, I was told there will be more coming up…
Birth control and the Bill of Rights
By Miguel De La Torre Is requiring corporations to cover birth control medication an attack on religious liberty? Or is claiming the protection of religious liberty an excuse to force one’s religious convictions on others? Should religious affiliated organizations —…
A pioneering spirit
The church in America was built by men (and some women) who were itinerant preachers. Some followed the example of John Wesley and were circuit riders, traveling from church to church or gathering to gathering on horseback or foot to…
Ergun Caner and the integrity of Baptist institutions
By John Carpenter In December 2013, Brewton-Parker College, a Southern Baptist institution in Georgia, hired Ergun Caner as president. They said they called Caner “because of the attacks” on him. That should be the siren signal awakening us all to…
Where’s the passion?
Recently, Brett Younger wrote an article challenging seminaries to do more for their students: Seminaries should not focus on ministers being efficient, effective and successful. The church needs fervor, anger and desire. Seminaries should not produce ministers who want to…