I am more convinced than ever that showing up is one of the most important things we can do. As a minister serving a new faith community, I have been faced with many opportunities to be present for a variety…
Forgetting the Bible
By Amy Butler Lately I have been thinking a lot about the Bible. This is not surprising given my line of work, I know, but the truth of the matter is that the Bible sometimes gets lost in the busyness…
The soul of mental health
Hope, despair, joy, sorrow, happiness, sadness, peace, anxiety, detached, attached… all these words in some way describe mental health. For years the term mental illness has been used. Mental illness is a term used to describe other people, but not…
Practicing theology
By Molly T. Marshall I probably should have done this before my third column, but I am delighted that Associated Baptist Press has invited me to write regularly, especially since they want me to engage the craft of thinking theologically…
Better versus perfect
Recently, I heard a radio sportscaster comment on the possibility of a college football playoff system. He said a four-team playoff might be in place in the near future. His broadcast partner immediately complained such an arrangement fell far short…
One-eared Mickey
By Felicia Fox I have been in youth ministry for over 12 years. In college I was introduced to the One-Eared Mickey Mouse Model of youth ministry. I ran into it again while earning my master’s of divinity with a…
Walking spoils of war
Veterans Affairs needs an overhaul, and churches can lead the way in veteran care reform—only if they work together. I’ve wondered how the church would respond to wounded veterans’ needs. In communities across the country veterans return attempting to fight…
Jesus on strategic planning
By Bill Wilson Building a congregation’s life around a clear vision and purpose is an easy thing to believe in. Aligning that purpose with biblical teaching and witness is an agreeable notion. I seldom encounter a leader or leadership group…
Jesus on strategic planning
By Bill Wilson Building a congregation’s life around a clear vision and purpose is an easy thing to believe in. Aligning that purpose with biblical teaching and witness is an agreeable notion. I seldom encounter a leader or leadership group…
Jesus on strategic planning
By Bill Wilson Building a congregation’s life around a clear vision and purpose is an easy thing to believe in. Aligning that purpose with biblical teaching and witness is an agreeable notion. I seldom encounter a leader or leadership group…
Bringing the love back
“I love you.” It takes a relationship to a deeper level like no other three words can. Where were we when we first said the “L word?” Often couples remember this moment in their dating time together more than any…
The parable of the vineyard from the margins
By Miguel De La Torre One early morning, a certain vineyard owner sets out to hire laborers. He goes to the local bodega where laborers usually wait to be hired, negotiates a fair day’s wage and sends them to his…