By David Gushee Months ago I agreed to a heavy travel schedule that would take me away from the television during the climax of our endless presidential campaign. I caught glimpses of the VP debate at a diner in New…
This Baptist loves Halloween
I am a Baptist pastor and I love Halloween. Many Baptists would find that statement to be heretical. Halloween is the Devil’s holiday- right? Some believe that Halloween represents evil and darkness and good Christians either ignore this day or…
Why the “nones” are leaving church, but not God
It should make any established American denomination panic: the dramatic increase in number of Americans leaving organized religion. In 2007, the percentage of the religious unaffiliated was around 15% and now that number is around 20% according to a new…
Billy Graham and politics: Woe to us
By Mark Wingfield My maternal grandmother thought Billy Graham was a saint above all others. You simply could not say anything negative about the evangelist in her presence. She held the same regard for Jimmy Carter, because she considered him…
Religious litmus tests
American Christianity deeply troubles me. It’s not because some sociologists are saying that the influence and prominence of religion in American public life is declining. It’s not because more and more clergy leaders are leaving the ministry for less stressful…
Caring for the caregivers
Caregiving is a ministry. A caregiver is usually defined as an unpaid friend or family member who provides caring assistance for someone who suffers a long term physical or emotional illness. As my wife and I have journeyed alongside members…
When callings and choir robes collide
By Amy Butler The other day I was remembering my first involvement in a church as an independent adult. My first grown-up church was a big, suburban congregation with a fancy building and lots of fun programming for college students….
Guilty of guilting
Over the years I’ve learned that guilt can be an effective tool. I’ve been on both ends of it too; being guilted into certain things and guilting others. Sadly, most of my experiences with guilt were in the context of…
Practicing hospitality
There was a time when churches were excited when a young married couple with 1.5 kids walked through the doors of the church building. The conventional wisdom was, “These are the kind of people we need to grow a church.”…