By Heather Mustain As I prepared myself for a recent family trip to the Holy Land, I made sure to do all the things which, as a missions minister, I preach to others preparing for any short-term experience: Study the…
Geeking out at a new hymnal
By Jerrod Hugenot Years ago, I remember watching Star Trek: The Next Generation where the Starfleet crew moved about the USS Enterprise with hand-held data pads (technically spelled “padds” on the show). From these pads, one could access the ship’s…
Latest ‘X-Men’ film sparks discussion of sin and human nature
By Michael Parnell The X-Men are unique in the superhero genre. They are hated and hunted, yet they do acts of heroism to save humanity. X-Men have powers because of genetic mutation. Some powers are concealed and the hero looks…
What Christians can learn during Ramadan
By Nell Green Ramadan begins on June 28th. Ramadan is the month when people who follow Islam fast from the time the sun comes up until it goes down. They do this for 30 days. Sometimes my Muslim friends laugh…
Ministers are not exempt
By Barry Howard Self-care includes developing and maintaining good physical, spiritual and mental health, a uniquely challenging but crucial discipline for a pastor. While these three areas of wellness are intertwined and inseparable, in my own life and the experience…
Why should you care about Southern Baptists’ drop in baptisms?
By George Bullard The first response of many people may be “I don’t care.” That’s fine. You have that right. But you ought to care. First, take note of the report that came out recently and was distributed by Baptist…
When ideology trumps theology
By Marv Knox Sometimes, life is so upside-down you couldn’t make it up. For example, Paige Patterson has emerged as an ecumenical leader among Baptists. You may remember Patterson. He’s the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the past…
Hearing God’s voice through the clamor
By Jayne Davis I hate to admit it. My hearing is not what it used to be. Voices in the room sound a bit more muffled. Reading lips is an emerging skill. Some days I truly believe my kids are…
‘Godzilla’ remains true to tradition but offers new details
By Michael Parnell Back in the 1960s, I loved to stay up on Saturday nights to watch Shock Theater, the late night airings of classic monster/horror movies. There were the Hammer Films productions, which usually centered on Dracula. But my…