Flawed heroes are the only ones available. This should not surprise us. Take biblical heroes for example. A friend and I have been discussing the Noah story lately. My friend is not taken with Noah. As he notes, Noah tells…
Reading Scripture is like rock climbing
Settling for the “clearest reading” of a Bible passage is not enough if doing so causes the Bible to contradict itself. In a recent interview with the New Voice Media Group (which includes Associated Baptist Press), I used rock climbing…
The tyranny of Sunday
The Sunday sermon is a beast that is difficult to handle. It comes every week and it comes fast. Each week we are expected to be our best and to preach a sermon that will leave folks moved and challenged. …
Humility: A key to postmodern faith?
I never expected to land on humility as an emphasis of study in postgraduate work, but it makes sense. Ever since God called me to vocational ministry, I’ve been interested in the intersection of faith, academics and postmodern culture. Reflecting…
Thoughts on election year conduct
This summer while visiting various sites in the ancient Roman Empire, I tried to brush up on my knowledge of the history of Western Civilization. Just to make a full disclosure, the only “D” I made in college was in…
50 years of confusion about school prayer
Fifty years after the Supreme Court case that excluded required prayers from public schools in the USA, confusion reigns around this issue. One of the easiest ways to rally some conservative Christians emotionally is to proclaim that prayer must be…
Beware of fact checkers
My uncle James is one of the greatest storytellers I have ever known. He just loves sharing a good story. I remember an early morning phone call (5 am) while I was a student in England when he just had…
‘Love Your Neighbor with Your Vote’
We don’t put out political yard signs at our house. For 21 years as a journalist, I could not take a publicly partisan stand on political matters. And now as a pastor, I should not take a public partisan stand….
Find meaning
Not all stories have happy endings, but by the grace of God all stories may acquire meaning. Face it. Told one way, our lives become tales of loss. Lost youth, loves, jobs, opportunities, integrity, health, family, friends, energy, vision, hope—there…