Saturday “Maaa-maaaaah!” The wail comes over my phone. It’s late in the afternoon following a beautiful day with friends at the park. My six year old is now in full meltdown, transmitting her frustration from Dad’s phone. We are driving…
Preaching when you have nothing to say
By Amy Butler One mark of a healthy church is a community in which people regularly and intentionally listen to each other. In Baptist polity, we might even say this quality of hearing each other is critical for us to…
When all else fails, you gotta support your kids
Two giants in North American Christian ministry died this week. One was well known across various Christian traditions. The other was not, but was no less a giant. Gordon Cosby of The Church of the Saviour fame died this week….
Being Easter people in the interfaith environment
I sometimes preach a sermon entitled “The Four Little Candles.” The author of the original story is unknown. In it I tell the story of four little candles that were burning softly and quietly. Listening closely you can hear them…
Communicating Christ in Burma
By Molly T. Marshall Christianity has been a part of the land of Myanmar (Burma) since the early work of Catholic missionaries in the 16th century. Because of many difficulties, they had to withdraw from their mission. Baptists date our…
Pope Francis and the Baptists
I don’t think a day has passed since March 13 without a student, colleague, fellow church member, family member, or friend asking what my perspective is on the election of Pope Francis, especially since they know that I was a…
The care and feeding of pastors
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…