By Jayne Hugo Davis When two of my sisters asked me what I wanted as a gift for my 50th birthday, I told them a collection of family stories — their personal recollections of family history, anecdotes or folly that,…
The grief of baptism
As a hospital chaplain, a colleague of mine recently shared the story of her experience administering the rite of baptism for a baby on the NICU, per the request of the family, prior to a planned terminal extubation. She discussed…
Civility in the midst of election season?
Now that another presidential election season is upon us, we need to remember the importance of civility in the public square. No matter where we stand on a political, social, or cultural issue, God calls us to be kind and…
The rise of shadow work
By John Chandler Other than sleep, humans spend more time on work than any other activity. In the United States, a Protestant work ethic land where work is something akin to religion, we are even willing to get less sleep…
Missing children
By Mark Wingfield Some people talk incessantly about their children; others never mention their children. I’m increasingly interested in the latter group. Particularly when the silence concerns older teenagers or young adults, it’s a clue that something is amiss. Or…
A parting gift: Rejection from the church
It was my fifth visit to St. George Cathedral at the Alaverdi Monastery. Positioned on the picturesque Alazani River valley of Kakheti, surrounded by vineyards against the backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, the cathedral beckoned me to return. Along…
Loving God with our minds
By Scott Dickison It would be difficult to grow up in our church and not learn the verse from Scripture that Christians around the world know simply as the “Greatest Commandment:” You shall love the Lord your God with all…
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…
matter, that is.
When you’ve spent your entire life asking the world for permission to exist, it can be rather unnerving when it repeatedly answers back with a resounding “no.” Growing up, I enjoyed a rather typical existence for a middle class white…
It takes a village . . . to sing us to heaven
If it takes a village to raise a child, the same is true when life draws to a close and death ushers a loved one into the greater presence of God. Loss, particularly death, is difficult to face apart from the…
Taking it all in – the pain and the joy
Joseph Andrew Haynie’s eyes were blue. Reading his Army discharge papers fifty-eight years after his death, I learned this simple fact. Joe Haynie married Katie Louise Clyde in the tumultuous year of 1941 – and left not long afterwards for…
The problem of calling someone a liar
By Mark Wingfield As a Texan, I am not enamored with Ted Cruz as my senator. However, right now I have a bit of sympathy for him. Last week, he called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a “liar” on the…