Take a few hundred Nazis and Klansmen marching openly in Charlottesville, add three fatalities and a wink from the White House, and many people are apt to wonder if God is really out there.
Embracing doubt for the sake of the Great Commission
I was at a denominational conference this week and heard a speaker say plainly, and at times quite forcefully, that there is no room for doubt in the Christian faith, that serious Christians should have pre-packaged and ready-made answers for…
Relaxing in the mystery: when answers are always necessary
In his spiritual memoir, O Me of Little Faith, Jason Boyett writes about a forbidden topic: the doubt that so often accompanies faith. He recalls his upbringing in a Southern Baptist church in Texas where he learned Romans 3:23 and…
Incredulous me: The postmodern dilemma
Several weeks ago I was reading through the Doubting Thomas passage from the Gospel of John when I stumbled upon an image from the 17th century. In 1601-1602, the famous Michelangelo Caravaggio painted the scene where Jesus is guiding Thomas’s…
Got questions? You’re not alone.
By Amy Butler Listening to a friend share devastating medical news this week, I sat listening and found myself unable to come up with any helpful or even appropriate response. Thoughts flashed through my mind as if on repeat film…
The sacredness of doubt
It is unfortunate that the Johannine Thomas has come to be known by many Christians as “doubting Thomas.” Thomas, however, is no different than the rest of the disciples or for that matter, you or me. In the broader narrative…
Beyond belief
on mega-churches, millennials and modernism.
In my hometown there is a church. This church has a sanctuary. A steeple. A large staff of religious professionals. A jet. A hashtag campaign for each sermon series. A fleet of boats. A “membership” of over 8,000. And at…
the jar is always smaller than the sky.
As a kid growing up in East Tennessee, there were few better ways to enjoy an oppressively sticky late summer evening, than attempting to catch lightnin’ bugs*. (*NOTE: I realize some of you may not be familiar with the colloquialism “lightnin’ bugs,” as…