By Jeff Brumley One standard the World Anti-Doping Agency uses to ban a substance is whether it enhances, or has the potential to enhance, athletic performance. Drugs aren’t alone in such scrutiny. The use of high-tech prosthetic limbs has caused…
Are Bible apps sapping the life from our faith?
By Jeff Brumley The Bible at your fingertips. A worship service in the palm of your hand and prayers and devotions streaming into your ears. The advent of the app has made all of that possible for any Christian with…
Opting for non-church weddings crosses age, religious categories
By Jeff Brumley Marriage isn’t what it used to be. That’s no surprise. But ministers and researchers are reporting getting married is rapidly changing, too, with Millennials getting much — though not all — of the credit. And the most noticeable difference…
Pope invokes MLK, a Baptist, as a Christian life to emulate
By Jeff Brumley Baptist scholar Steven Harmon was struck by something in Pope Francis’ address to Congress today that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention: its ecumenical message. The pontiff cited Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Martin Luther King Jr….
Many young people shun cellphone use in church — even to read Scripture
By Jeff Brumley Young adults, known for using cellphones in just about every public setting imaginable, frown on the practice during worship services, a recent survey has found. The Aug. 25 Pew Research Center study found that only 9 percent…
Adult coloring books emerging as popular spiritual practice
By Jeff Brumley Coloring as a spiritual practice has made the news recently. Yes, that’s “coloring” as in coloring books, crayons, colored pens and pencils, etc. Ditto for drawing, sketching and doodling as religious activities. In fact, one person told…
Fewer Americans believe suicide guarantees damnation
By Jeff Brumley A new survey shows that most Americans, including large numbers of Christians, hold compassionate views about people who kill themselves. But some Baptist ministers remember times, not all that distant, when that wasn’t the case. Barry Howard,…
Brace yourself: It’s the ‘post-everything’ age, say church leaders
By Jeff Brumley Churches already overwhelmed by the postmodern, post-denominational and post-Christian eras should brace themselves, experts say, for another layer of change: the “post-everything” age. That’s the term Baptist pastor and congregational coach Mark Tidsworth uses to roll together…
Baptists reflect on fellowship as ‘nones’ seek their own brand of community
By Jeff Brumley They may be leaving or avoiding organized religion in droves, but the nation’s “nones” are still craving community — otherwise known as fellowship — recent reports suggest. Known also as the religiously unaffiliated, this growing segment of the U.S….