“Tell me,” she asked, “what is the essence of your religion?” “Loving God and loving one another, “ I replied. “And we demonstrate our love for God and neighbor by working to assure dignity, equality, freedom and justice for all,”…
Jimmy Carter: Faith as verb
By Bill Leonard Jimmy Carter was president of the United States. Jimmy Carter has built Habitat for Humanity dwellings for 33 years. Jimmy Carter led the Carter Center in eradicating much of the Guinea worm plague in West Africa. Jimmy…
A few words against faith
By Brett Younger I have about had it with faith. When Paul says, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three” (1 Cor. 13:13), I hope the order is alphabetical. I am fine with hope — Shawshank Redemption kind…
Bible: The Pope and Jeb Bush
[This is the fifth of a nine-part series on empowering a faith community to impact the world. Already hospitality, evangelism, missions, and ethics have been explored.] Did you hear Pope Francis? “Jeb!” was all over it. Immediately following the released…
Congregations on the edge of Christian faith
We need more congregations on the edge of Christianity who avoid becoming a churched culture congregation, but rather focus on the edge where the “gones”, dones, and nones dwell. In a previous post entitled Are You Really as Progressive a…
Recover the balance between service and evangelism, urge theologians
By Vicki Brown Before the government offered social services, the church — Christians who ministered to the whole person, meeting physical needs and sharing the good news of God’s grace and mercy — did so. Tension sometimes still arises between…
Don’t plan any funerals for religion just yet, Baylor scholars say
By Ken Camp Reports about the imminent death of religion, the rise of secularization and the growth of atheism largely ignore facts or rely on faulty research, scholars from Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion said during a recent conference. Reports…
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…
Baptist pastors: power up, don’t water down, Easter message for Millennials
By Jeff Brumley Easter, it turns out, may be just what the church needs most in luring Millennial and other young Christians into their sanctuaries, some Baptist pastors say. “If there is a Sunday that should resonate with people who…