By David Gushee And so Tucson joins Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, the Pennsylvania Amish schoolchildren, the Long Island Railroad killings, the Wisconsin church shooting and others. They come upon us one after another. Who can even remember them all?…
A year of ‘gracious uncertainty’
By Bill Wilson On the threshold of a new decade in our new millennium, there is a pervasive mood among God’s people: uncertainty. We hear it weekly from clergy and laity alike, usually around a specific concern regarding employment or…
Lord, have mercy
By Amy Butler I’ve been thinking a lot this week about the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. That day I was working in the office at my previous church, in New Orleans, when the news first broke about the bombing…
Playing church in high heels
By Tammy Abee Blom My daughters, ages 4 and 7, were playing quietly — too quietly. As I peeked around the corner, I saw Audrey, my youngest, wearing her sparkly high heels while standing on her step stool. From a…
The year of microterrorism
By Jim Denison How do we cope with a “war on terror” that seems to have no end? Time magazine called 2010 “the year of microterrorism.” The Department of Homeland Security stated last May that “the number and pace of…
Lessons from a cough
By David Wilkinson I have rediscovered in the past month an affinity for coughing. I don’t much like it, but I have learned a few things from it. I’ve been coughing since acquiring a nasty upper respiratory infection a few…
Getting to know the ‘nones’
By Bill Leonard As noted earlier in this space, recent polls give evidence of a dramatic increase in the number of Americans who self-identify as having no religious affiliation — with their share of the population up from 7 to…
The will to truly change
By Bob Setzer One week into the New Year, much Jan. 1 resolve is flagging fast. What seemed so easy when greeting the New Year has now turned into the daily grind of fighting temptation. The reservoirs of willpower are…
The seductive, subversive way of Jesus
By Christopher Robertson A recent holiday experience reminded me how I’m starting to pay enough heed to my calling that it’s getting me in trouble. This year, on Christmas day, a bunch of us packed in the car with family…
Teaching virtue at the movies in 2011
By David Gushee It’s 2011, and the real problems of our real world will impinge soon enough. But for this one column I want to linger over four great movies that I experienced in the waning days of 2010 —…
Resolve to read the Bible daily in 2011
By Barry Howard Often I am asked: “What can I do to grow as a Christian?” There are several things that may help you grow in your faith, but one of the most important things is to read the Bible…
Here come the ‘nones’
(Editor’s note: This is a special edition of Bill Leonard’s biweekly column. It will return to its regular publication schedule with another edition next Thursday, Jan. 6.) By Bill Leonard In a new book called American Grace: How Religion Divides…