By Theresa Christian I have been asked to leave church more than once because my son is autistic and can be disruptive. It is painful for our family to miss church, but we have spent more years outside of the…
Responding to ‘The Response’
By Bill Leonard On Aug. 6, thousands of Christians will join in a day of prayer and fasting at “The Response,” a “solemn assembly” at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Its purpose, leaders say, is “to pray for a historic breakthrough…
Debt-ceiling compromise doesn’t fix economic injustice
By Zachary Bailes Well, the ceiling has been raised. While compromise has been reached in Washington D.C., the debate is not over. For months the debates will rage, and pundits will continue to put on their boxing gloves for the…
How Israel remembers the Holocaust
By David Gushee As a scholar, I have long recognized the Holocaust for the grotesque and epochal evil that it was. Before I went to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories this summer, however, I had little idea how much…
Is your church making you healthy or sick?
By Bill Wilson In talking with the doctors and nurses during his procedure, I learned that one dose of immunoglobulin is derived from the donated blood of more than 1,000 blood donors. This collection of antibodies from the donated blood…
Rural ministry, the land of the forgotten
By Dwight Duhon Next Sunday morning the sun will rise; the smell of coffee, toast and bacon will fill the kitchens of many. And some 56 million Americans will get ready to attend one of 300,000 churches dotting the landscape…
Harry Potter holds lesson on facing fear
By Amy Butler I finally went to see a Harry Potter movie. I liked the books, just like everyone else, but may be a function of my age that I just can’t keep the story straight. Or maybe it’s the…
Religion should build up, not destroy
By Zachary Bailes No words, no labels and no blame can provide solace for the lives lost and families tragically affected by the bombing and shooting in Norway. For Norway there remain only prayers to be sent up and hopes…
Living through grief online
By Natalie Aho Theories, both good and bad, abound about what this online community means for our society. I chart through these waters as a representative of churches and organizations like ABP. Recently, I learned how this online life enriches…