By Jeff Brumley Nowadays, comedian Michael Joiner is billed as “God’s Smart Aleck” to gently remind audiences that his clean humor comes from a Christian perspective. But there was a time when the Indiana native, raised a Baptist, was anything…
1 in 5 undecided about Easter worship
By Bob Allen One fifth of Americans haven’t decided if they will attend church on Easter Sunday, according to newly reported numbers by LifeWay Research. The rest of the population is roughly half and half. Four in 10 — 41…
Jesus faces mock trial in Texas
By Jeff Brumley Mark Osler will leave First Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, Thursday evening spiritually drained. Seeking the death penalty for Jesus Christ, he said, always does that to him. “It is very dark,” said Osler, a former federal…
Suzii Paynter on life, Lent and CBF
By Jeff Brumley Since her nomination as executive coordinator in January, Suzii Paynter has been traveling at a breathless pace helping guide the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship into a new organizational and missional era. The pace only increased with her election…
They shoot preachers, don’t they?
In his book Don’t Shoot, criminologist David Kennedy identifies a disconnect between a criminal justice system built on the notion of personal responsibility and the fact that gang bangers think and behave as members of a group. You can’t reduce…
How to be a child again
By Darrell Gwaltney It is that time of year again. The pitchers and catchers have reported. The Spring Training games have begun. Baseball is back. Rogers Hornsby, the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer, once said: “People ask me what…
‘Leveling up’ religion
By Susan Sparks Many probably think I’m on a slippery slope to hell. I drink beer, I dance, and God help me, I’m a Baptist minister. However, it’s not the Stella Artois or tango lessons that are greasing my downward…
Perspectives on Immigration: cultural concerns
Immigration reform is an issue making headlines in our nation. Both sides of the political aisle discuss and debate the best way forward for the nation, while seeking to preserve both the laws of our land and the dignity of…
A gift to be simple
By Robert Dilday Whether inspired by religious devotion or just frustration with modernity, some people feel drawn to simple living. Since at least the middle of the 19th century, when Henry Thoreau described his solitary two years in a hut on…