Three weeks into Trump 2.0, and I’m still haunted by JD Vance’s condescending smirk at the National Prayer Service. He wasn’t he only one. The entire Trump team was smirking and squirming. But since, once upon a time, I also…
Manipulating Christian worship for political gain
The inauguration of Donald Trump to a second term as president of the United States was another example of how religion and politics are being blended in America today. This merger challenges the idea that the government should not interfere…
‘Think of your entire financial picture as a giant love letter to God’
The church is bursting at the seams with a fresh vigor for aligning our faith with how we use money — especially how we invest money. New organizations are springing up and thriving, many books are being written, podcasts are…
Super Bowl halftime DEI show: The Greatest Protest on Turf
No matter how far we’ve come, the needle on social progress and race relations often feels stuck. The Super Bowl, America’s biggest stage, only amplifies this reality. Despite the grand spectacle, the message is clear: Black Americans are largely showcased…
What happened to Saddleback’s PEACE Plan?
Rick and Kay Warren gave an excellent interview to Krista Tippett, on the On Being radio show almost 20 years ago, on Dec. 6, 2007. In it, Pastor Rick says this: The reason there are hungry people in the world,…
Does God obsess about gender?
A few hours ago, I received a text from a friend who is concerned about their transgender child. It’s been easy to miss the exacting details of the barrage of executive orders flying across our new president’s desk these last…
Pastors, now what?
If you are like me, the pastor of a small church in a small town, you might be thinking to yourself, “Now what?” I mean, we have a big year ahead. If your church still does vacation Bible school, it’s…
This is not Christianity
“How can people who claim to be Christians do these things?” That’s among a set of recurring questions people the world over keep asking about the Trump administration and its MAGA mafia in America. While too many have danced around…
Please, no more hollow words on sexual abuse reform
Dear Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee: Please stop with all the talk-talk-talk about abuse reform. All the promises. All the posturing. All the platitudes. Just stop. Until you have at least 1,000 names of clergy sex abusers in a database…
Vouchers damage religion
I am opposed to school vouchers for a number of reasons. First, I am opposed for financial reasons. The Texas Legislative Board reports that the cost of vouchers as currently being considered in the Texas Legislature will increase from $1…
ICE raids in churches violate conservative principles
The recent lawsuit filed by Quaker groups against the federal government highlights an issue on which conservatives seem increasingly prone to waffle: the sanctity of religious freedom and the protection of churches from government overreach. Conservatives often advocate for robust…
Five ways the Texas school voucher bill is cruel
Here’s some basic arithmetic for you: The proposed school voucher bill approved tonight in the Texas Senate is cruel in at least five fundamental ways. First, it stacks the deck against public education, the bedrock of our democratic society. This…