By Bill Wilson Let’s start with a disclaimer. Congregations and restaurants are not in the same business. Thinking like a restaurant can lead to embracing the consumer culture of the day. Catering to expectations has been the death knell of…
What’s your spiritual practice?
Is our faith something we are or something we practice? Last week, one of the first questions I was asked at the Chaplaincy Institute for the Arts and Interfaith Ministries while attending a training in the art of spiritual direction was: “What…
Practice Christian humility
Which Christian discipline comes hardest to you? Some answers spring to mind: prayer, generosity, worship, silence, benevolence, fasting, Sabbath keeping, reflection on the scriptures and the like. My vote goes to Christian humility. Jesus’ life defines the nature of Christian…
The sin of conspicuous consumption
By Roger Olson The other evening my wife and I were watching HGTV and saw part of a show about RVs — recreational vehicles. They were showing off the latest and best motor homes. One had a price tag of…
It is finished
I love my planner. I particularly love the sheet where I get to list my weekly tasks – ideally so I don’t forget to do them. Often they stare back at me from the page like a puppy certain it…
‘Rock of Ages,’ draft for me
By Amy Butler When I was little my mom would occasionally leave us for an evening in the sole care of my father, who was tasked with the dinnertime routine for five kids. To keep things interesting, Dad would try…
A lever and a place to stand
Third century mathematician, Archimedes, coined the phrase, “Give me a lever and a place to stand and I’ll move the world.” At the time he was talking about the power of a tool that uses force and a fulcrum to…
Accompany them … with food
By Molly T. Marshall I had opportunity to see the Body of Christ at its best these past weeks. A faithful member of my Sunday school class has been concluding his nearly three-year struggle with cancer. With grace and dignity,…
Accompany them … with food
By Molly T. Marshall I had opportunity to see the Body of Christ at its best these past weeks. A faithful member of my Sunday school class has been concluding his nearly three-year struggle with cancer. With grace and dignity,…
Conversation and hiring policies: This is not about that.
“A [Baptist] Conversation on Sexuality” did many things for CBF Baptists, including creating an open forum for people of differing theological beliefs to sit across from one another and talk. It welcomed more people from differing perspectives on issues of…
Late season spring cleaning
Hidden away in USA Today on July 5 was a little article announcing that Google was doing a little “spring cleaning in the summer.” The article stated that Google is retiring its iGoogle personalized home page. I will say that this news…
Talk about sexuality isn’t enough
By Chris Hughes A [Baptist] Conversation on Sexuality did many things for CBF Baptists, including creating an open forum for people of differing theological beliefs to sit across from one another and talk. It welcomed more people from differing perspectives…