The Monterey Park shooting was the 36th mass shooting in the USA in this young year. Reporters have trouble covering all the violence in our culture. Some of the violence stands out in graphic and horrifying detail. A 6-year-old child…
Do I Stay Christian? and other questions to think twice about before asking
I like to think of myself as an innovative, avant-garde and cutting-edge minister, so I am always on the lookout for books that will make me look more radical than I actually am. Brian McLaren titled his latest book to…
It will take more than marketing to redeem the reputation of the church
In case you missed it, the Washington Post recently published an article stating that a $100 million marketing campaign has been launched in an attempt to “redeem Jesus’ brand from the damage done by some of his followers.” The marketing…
How the church becomes a grooming place for domestic violence
Churches and Christian groups often instill in young women character traits that, unfortunately, open the gateway to dating violence and domestic abuse. By gendering character traits, the church has increased the power of men and the marginalization of women. Patriarchal…
The unsolvable political problem facing those who lead purple churches
The United States is bitterly divided along what we now call red/blue, conservative/liberal, Republican/Democrat lines. Of course, not everyone fits into those boxes, but enough do for the statement to be accurate. The mutual suspicion and social separation between the…
Defender of the Faith or Defender of Faith — a distinction informed by Baptist history
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, her heir, Charles, became King Charles III. Accompanied by grief and grateful tributes from around the world, Elizabeth II’s death marks the end of a lengthy era of British history…
What the church can learn from Chad Powers
Recently, Eli Manning did a segment on his ESPN show, “Eli’s Places,” where he wanted to see what it’s like to be a walk-on for a college football powerhouse. He chose Penn State, the home of the Nittany Lions. However,…
The church in America needs to recover its balance
Have you ever been walking along and lost your balance, one part of the body out of sync with the other parts, and you weren’t sure where you might land? The church in America is there. The lack of balance…
What absurdism and a parody conspiracy theory tell us about why Gen Z is sleeping in on Sundays
Gen Z has the lowest church attendance of any generation and is frequently dubbed as the least religious generation. In a time when churches are struggling to fill their pews, Gen Z is sleeping in on Sunday mornings. Many are…