We need Advent particularly badly this year. And not simply because it's a prelude to Christmas. Advent marks the beginning of the church year and starts four Sundays before Christmas. Advent takes its name from the Latin word adventus, which…
Confession from a consultant
By Bill Wilson Time for a confession. Let me tell you a consultant’s dirty little secret: congregational strategic planning is frequently a waste of time and can be counterproductive. There, it’s out. Now, it’s time to explain. Many congregations, for…
Always reforming
By Bill Leonard Ecclesia Semper Reformanda, so the saying goes, “the church is always reforming.” Those words came to mind last week when I heard sociologist-prophet-iconoclast Tony Campolo preach at the New Baptist Covenant II meeting, that multiracial effort at…
How could something so good have been such a bust?
By Jim White How could the New Baptist Covenant II — supported philosophically and theologically by so many Baptists — draw such meager attendance? Some NBC II optimists initially placed the combined attendance potential for the Nov. 17-20 meeting in…
Responding to child abuse
By Jim Denison On Nov. 14 the Associated Baptist Press published an essay I wrote on Herman Cain and Joe Paterno. Here’s the background behind my article. I write a cultural commentary for our ministry each weekday morning based on…
Tebow apologetics
Football and politics have something in common these days besides combat. Each wrestles with the role religion plays in its game.
Giving thanks
By David Gushee In this Thanksgiving week, your curmudgeonly controversialist has chosen to give thanks rather than — this one time — make any more trouble. I am grateful to God for: — Reaching out to me and saving me…
Christ the King
By R. Kevin Johnson During Advent, we revisited the message of the prophets who told of the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of humankind. During the Christmas season, we joined with Christians around the world to celebrate the birth…
Finding the holy in Amish country
By Amy Butler In the middle of everyday life, how do we experience the holy? This was a question I’ve been pondering since a recent road trip to the quaint little town of Lancaster, Pa. I set out to…