Walking along a well-beaten path, my daughter and I make our way through the canopy of trees toward the small lake’s shoreline. Already, I can see the congregating group of other parents with their children, staking claims with chairs and…
The stampede out of the church and the people of God and Christ outside its walls
“Stampede” may be an exaggerated word for the exodus out of the church in America, but no one can escape the reality. A date has been attached: 2070, the projected date when there will be more non-Christians than Christians in…
A toolbox for evangelism
I am notoriously bad at do-it-yourself projects. Indeed, it is something of a longstanding joke in our household. Among my litany of DIY failures are the sloping shelf my kids’ LEGO figures use as an indoor ski run, the time…
Please be kind when you invite us to church on Easter
This is the week when church members eagerly invite family, friends and neighbors who rarely, if ever, attend church to attend Easter services. What may seem like an invitation to hope could be perceived as something else, though. Many non-churchgoers…
Secular students feel isolated by Christian rhetoric, study shows
“And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” But do they? Well, it depends on who “they” are. With the hymn “They’ll Know We Are Christians by…
We’ve been sold a sampled gospel
Sean P.Diddy Combs is held by many today as a talented if not iconic hip-hop producer. He rose to fame and prominence however through sampling — the practice of taking an old song (one that is typically already very popular)…
Jesus scares or Jesus cares?
After the violent attack on her husband Paul, Nancy Pelosi released a statement saying she and her family are heartbroken and traumatized but are grateful for the prayers and warm wishes they have received. Her husband is improving. Then she…
This is Halloween: Seven ways to do something good this Halloween
“This Is Halloween” is the opening song to Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. The movie is set in Halloween Town, a city where the community focuses on Halloween, under the leadership of the Pumpkin King,…
Heaven and hell: Trick or treat?
Mallory Challis’ recent analysis — “Most Americans believe in heaven or hell, but their ideas aren’t always biblical”— of what people believe about the afterlife begs a question: Which works better to incentivize behavior, heaven or hell? It’s a variation…