Isn’t it funny how the best comedy and the most intriguing fiction usually write themselves? The more I visit the old general store, the more fascinating I find the people-watching there to be. That’s because I’m getting to know the…
Churches that took COVID seriously built trust outside the church, survey says
Religious groups came through the COVID-19 pandemic with relatively higher levels of trust than most other institutions yet also fostered suspicion with a majority of Americans for spreading misinformation about vaccines and putting profits ahead of the well-being of local…
Three words of hope for the church in transition
The words came out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying: “This is the only conversation that matters right now in the church.” I was teaching my adult Bible class Sunday morning, continuing a slow verse-by-verse exposition…
Going to church in Schmigadoon!
My gal loves corn puddin’ She eats it constantly Sometimes I get to wondering Does she love it more than me? My guy loves corn puddin’ I got the recipe So if he wants my puddin’ He’ll have to marry…
‘I don’t think I care about anything anymore’: How to be anxious and depressed during the end of the world
My son is 6 years old and in the first grade. He loves Lego, Harry Potter, outer space and finishing books as soon as he gets them. Inexplicably, my son maintains this stubborn inquisitiveness about the world around him even…
BYKOTA people and COVID vaccines
Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler was a Baptist icon of her generation. For 15 years, she served as executive director of Woman’s Missionary Union, an auxiliary organization to the male-dominated Southern Baptist Convention. When she retired in 1989, she was tired of…
How our family is celebrating Christmas in July
Christmas is a mere six months away. Many churches, like my first church in West Jefferson, N.C., where I was an associate pastor, have Christmas in July celebrations and festivities that often coincide with the community’s own festival to prepare…
Remembering Christ’s death with chicken soup and Goldfish
It’s probably wrong to think this, but it feels good to hear that groups other than Baptists are fighting about stuff. Catholics are all in a snit about allowing the president to share Communion since he is a supporter of…
Rock the boat, don’t tip the boat over
There is a lot of time to think while sitting in the hospital — at least intermittently between all the doctor’s visits and texting the grandparents and friends about what is going on with the kiddo. The body is amazing…