Sometimes theology walks through the front door before we are ready for it. Before we have read the book. Before we called our seminary professor. Before the deacons have formed a committee, the pastor has prepared a sermon series or…
What mean these shells?
You know the Saturday I mean. Maybe yours comes every week. Maybe you keep putting it off until the laundry basket makes the decision for you. But eventually the weekend has to wait because there are clothes to wash, a…
I am tired of begging the church to remember Jesus
I am tired. And I need the church to hear me when I say that. I am tired in a way that a good night’s sleep will not fix. Tired of waking up wondering what this administration will say or…
What kind of church exists when the sermon is done?
Seven years ago, I sat in Noel Schoonmaker’s office at Second Baptist Church in Richmond and told him I was struggling to worship with white people. This is not hyperbole. I was struggling. There already had been moments at Second…
Guess who hasn’t said anything about the Cornell Seven
While most Americans have opinions on the Cornell Seven — the frat boys accused of rape and sexual assault at Cornell University — you know who hasn’t said a darned word publicly about any of this? Russell Moore, Beth Moore,…
As you read about the Cornell Seven, remember Tamar
Seven men. One woman. And allegations so horrifying there is a temptation to look away. Don’t. Look closely, not only at the men accused, but at what this case reveals about the rest of us. A former Cornell University student…
What hath justice to do with righteousness?
There are Christians in America who can tell you exactly what righteousness looks like in somebody else’s bedroom but cannot recognize injustice in their own neighborhood. They know which sins keep a person out of the pulpit. They know which…
One year later, Charlie Kirk still isn’t a martyr
One year after Charlie Kirk’s death, I am increasingly concerned that parts of the American church have forgotten the difference between mourning and canonization. We have a word for remembering those who have died: Mourning. We have a word for…
In conversation with Kendall Mariah
I’m wearing Jordan sneakers. Kendall Mariah is wearing Lilly Pulitzer. That probably tells you almost everything you think you need to know about us. It also tells you almost nothing. I met Kendall while interviewing to become her pastor. She…
Here’s the secret I’ve been afraid to share
I am divorced. There, I said it. It has taken me five years to write those three words publicly. Five years of learning how to tell my story without telling “that” part of my story. Five years of talking about…
Another Black man was found hanging Friday
Another Black man was found hanging Friday. His name was Demetrius Fleming. He was 38 years old. Fleming was found Aug. 21 in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., connected to a ligature. His death remains under investigation. Police Chief Lawrence Wiggins has…
Could Jesus preach in our churches today?
“Will our congregations even allow us to preach sermons that change people?” It was a passing comment in the middle of a conversation with a friend over coffee. He didn’t ask whether pastors were capable. He didn’t ask whether seminaries…