One of my long-term church friends and I have friendly banter about my use of words and phrases that are probably more complicated than they need to be. Regularly, Lane and I have friendly conversations about the use of complex…
Are Immigrants a fiscal drain on public resources?
The goal of this series is to heighten one’s awareness to the diversity of perspective within the Body of Christ on the issue of immigration, and to provide a synopsis of the differing views of Christians in a way that…
A common peace community
Author’s note: this sermon was preached at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, on January 31st as part of a God’s Heart Toward Immigrants worship service.
Are Baptists still nonconformists?
Not long after our move to work at Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity my wife Kheresa read Monique Truong’s Bitter in the Mouth (Random House, 2010), a novel rooted in Truong’s childhood experiences as an “outsider” Vietnamese-American in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where…
Gun control isn’t enough; we need a revival
America has a gun problem, but gun control legislation isn’t enough; we need a 12-step program. Since the tragic shootings in Newtown CT, we have been buried in a welter of statistics. Support for gun control is rising, we are…
Jesus, Buddy the elf, and the reindeer that ran over grandma
I enjoy hot cocoa, chocolate covered peanut butter snacks, sausage balls, and homemade Christmas cookies. I enjoy the lights and I also enjoy looking for the tackiest as well as the most beautiful. I love sneak Santa games and real…
The Bible, the ballot box and same-sex marriage
May 8, 2012 was a disappointing day. Amendment One – the constitutional amendment banning all legal recognition of same-sex relationships – passed in North Carolina. And passed by a healthy margin. I had recently been involved – albeit in a…