Listening to clergy, church staff, lay leaders, they describe being caught in the classic double bind. On the one hand, they want their churches to flourish in this emerging new environment. The pandemic is largely over, presenting wonderful opportunities for…
The pandemic is not over for those with long COVID
“The pandemic is over.” President Biden’s words a few weeks ago are dangerously false. They are also short sighted. Since we first heard the phrase “novel coronavirus,” our focus has been on deaths. Yes, deaths are an important metric with…
Next month, Arkansans will vote on a controversial ‘religious freedom’ amendment sparked by COVID closures
Proponents of Issue 3 on Arkansas’ Nov. 8 ballot claim it will protect individual religious freedom from violation by local and state government. Opponents say it clears the way for faith-based racial and sexual discrimination. “This is not about a…
What happened at Southwestern and why does it matter?
There is no joy in reporting that Southwestern Seminary has forced out its fourth president in 28 years. But there is a need to give some interpretation to what this means and why it likely happened. Even though I haven’t…
‘Reverend, they ain’t ever coming back’: Confronting churchly realities 2022
Early on in the COVID crisis, I had a long conversation with a close pastor friend about changes in American church life occurring before our eyes. We talked about what I call “the changing sociology of Sunday,” a demographic-cultural reality…
Faith communities are undergoing upheaval, awakening and maybe transformation
Something is happening in the religious and spiritual universe. Many people, if they care about religion at all, have noticed the changing face of religion and spirituality in the United States and throughout the world. Most Americans consider themselves spiritual,…
A school administrator reflects on rebuilding relationships between schools and homes
What do the following human interactions have in common? A simple disagreement between two individuals, an intellectual property lawsuit, road rage, marital strife, military conflict. In some context, each is typically an outgrowth of misunderstanding. Some may argue that the…
Preaching on racial justice was much more difficult without in-person worship, pastors say
Addressing racial justice issues from the pulpit in 2020 would have been challenging without the pandemic’s restrictions, but the task became daunting when it was coupled with the suspension of in-person worship. That was an observation of some of the…
Americans must ‘change the narrative’ on public schools, panelists urge
Concerned Americans — including people of faith — must “change the narrative of how things are going” in the debate over public education, according to a veteran educator who recently resigned as superintendent of a top-rated Texas school district. “Let’s…
Letter to the Editor: Responses to the livestream worship debate
Letter to the Editor: February 17, 2022 Dear Editor: I am grateful to the many people who responded to my opinion piece, “A Cautious Case Against Livestreaming Worship.” The readership for this less than 800-word piece far exceeds any of…
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…
After COVID: Where do we go from here?
After 14 months of strict isolation and quarantine, vaccines are finally rolling out across the country with snowballing momentum. As of April 19, every American age 16 and older is eligible to receive a vaccine to protect against the COVID-19…