By David Wilkinson It was Wilkinson versus the Wiper (as in windshield wiper). Don’t laugh. This duel was a battle to the death, my own no-holds-barred version of Wrestle Mania, waged on a Saturday afternoon in the driveway. In…
Glass houses, privacy fences and tulips
By Amy Butler A church member picked me up at the airport when I returned from a last-minute trip to an unexpected family funeral. She was holding an armful of tulips for me. “Wow! I love tulips,” I told her,…
Let the children come. Now, what are we going to do with them?
By Stacey Buford Welcoming children is a mission and a call. Jesus modeled it for us when he threw his arms open wide and gathered up an armload of precious children. As a young and inexperienced college student (who felt…
Awakening in the Middle East
By Jim Denison Who would have imagined a month ago that Hosni Mubarak would be displaced by a pro-democracy movement fueled by social media? Or that activists would oust the dictator of Tunisia, force the leader of Jordan to replace…
Another interpreter of dreams saves Egypt
By Bob Setzer Long centuries ago, God used an obscure Hebrew ex-con to save Egypt. After serving time for most of his 20s, this young man interpreted Pharaoh’s troubled dreams and was catapulted to Egypt’s second-in-command. From that exalted position,…
Where have all the revivals gone?
By Bill Leonard Recent articles in Baptist periodicals cite “professional evangelists” who confess that their preaching schedules have been reduced considerably since “churches are just not holding revival meetings” as they once did. For many congregations the tradition of one-to-two-week…
Ordinary and extraordinary
By R. Kevin Johnson This series so far has addressed the first three seasons of the structure of devotion known as the Christian or liturgical year. It follows the life of Jesus beginning with the words of the prophets during…
Faith and science, complementarity rather than conflict
By Donald Schmeltekopf How can the church, especially ministers and others in leadership positions, pursue seriously both biblical theology and scientific truth? This question remains as relevant today as ever. The stakes are high. One Christianity Today interview quoted a…
Staffing for survival
By Bill Wilson What is the most important staff position at your church? Of course, as a former pastor, I must declare that we cannot function without a pastor. What would we do without a music/worship leader? We cannot live…
American values in Egypt
By David Gushee Imagine the United States as seen in the Declaration of Independence. Here is a feisty new nation declaring independence on the basis of the belief that under God all people are created equal, that they are “endowed…
No traffic lights
By Patrick Anderson Carolyn and I split our residence between Cedar Key, Fla., and Beech Mountain, N.C. Both communities are at the end of the road. No one can knock on our door at either place and say, “We were…
Falling in love with the church
By David Wilkinson Valentine’s Day is a reminder that what the church needs today is a lot more love affairs. Both the church universal and your church — the local body of baptized believers where you belong — need your…