My wife, Clary, and I were talking after church. During the worship service that morning, the church where I serve as senior pastor ordained a woman to gospel ministry — the second woman the church has ordained to ministry in…
What should stand in the way of transgender inclusion?
Christians are the least likely group of people to be accepting of transgender individuals. The most recent Pew Research Religious Landscape Study asked participants how they viewed greater social acceptance of people who are transgender. Of those who broadly identified…
‘Are you hungry?’
In a day when the president of the United States cancels the commemoration of Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day — while his DOGE canceling of USAID has led to many more AIDS deaths in Africa — and we see…
I’m relearning how to take Pride
I grew up in a small town of about 25,000 people. Our high school mascot was a lion, so it was natural for us to speak in terms of having “pride.” The big block letters in the band hall read…
This is my body
The traumas and burdens inflicted by COVID-19 are borne in our bodies, brains, hearts and communities. Physician Bessle van der Kolk explores the connection between trauma, the brain and the body in his fascinating book The Body Keeps the Score….
How God used Jay Bakker to teach me about race and loving all people
I remember it almost like yesterday when the new kid walked into the large youth group I attended at First Baptist Church of Orlando. As the new kid walked in, he stood out not just to me but to others…
The church is losing its way
Statistics for 2021 from across multiple Christian denominations reveal a decrease in church membership and active participation, according to the parachurch organization Exponential and the Pew Research Center. This decline can be attributed, in large part, to the increasing number…
Do all the birds on Jaybird Street really want to hear all that tweet, tweet, tweet?
Some of us can still remember song lyrics from our teen years. We may forget what we were seeking when we opened the refrigerator door, the exact dates of our children’s birthdays, or why we went into the garage, but…
Why am I so afraid of my son’s tutu?
Sitting across from us was our now adult son with so much pain on his face. “How could you not have known? And if you did, why did you leave me to figure it all out on my own?” Six…
Is the church only for ‘good Christians’?
I recently read an article about an organization that provides background checks for churches. If a church wants to feel safe about those who volunteer to work with children or serve in a leadership position, it might be a good…
Time to prepare for “No Shave November”
Does having a beard make a person more or less effective as a minister? I feel kind of silly even posing the question, because it’s not the kind of question that typically crosses one’s mind—except that I’m in ministry, and…
In search of more Acts 10 moments
One of my favorite Bible verses appears in the story of Peter visiting Cornelius’ house in Acts 10. In verses 34-35, Peter says, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every…