As anticipated the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals last week. These 17 goals will help set a global agenda for the next 15 years (also called around the U.N. “Agenda 2030”). The SDGs are…
Congregational vision is about seeing Jesus with your heart, soul, mind, and strength
My mother, Mozelle Bridgers Bullard, was a person of great Christian vision and insight. She could see Jesus with her heart, soul, mind, and strength even when she could not see him with her eyes. Among the many ministries she…
I abuse my church
I have a confession: I abuse my church. When I write abuse, I don’t mean it in the contemporary sense of the word. I mean it in the traditional sense, like when your grandfather abused those old work boots by wearing them in…
Christian stuff the world needs, part 2: Lose your life
By Corey Fields We hear a lot about the declining influence of the church. Christians today, however, have a very urgent opportunity to provide what I believe can be the most powerful prophetic witness to some serious moral issues. This…
Is the pursuit of personal greatness an acceptable pursuit in the kingdom of God?
According to the Synoptic Gospels the disciples apparently had a preoccupation with the pursuit of greatness. Such an interest would be applauded by any business executive or sports coach in our comparative and competitive society. But not by Jesus.
The Pope who caught us unawares
By Amy Butler My whole city is abuzz with energy around the arrival of a special guest this week. Whether devout Catholic desperate for a once in a lifetime glimpse of the Holy Father or annoyed commuter already well aware…
Diana Garland: Force of nature, role model, friend
When Diana Garland arrived at Baylor University in 1997, a Texas Baptist asked me to describe her. Three words jumped to mind. Force. Of. Nature. Across her lifetime, particularly during her tenure at two splendid schools of social work, Diana…
How do we balance religious liberty and rule of law?
If you could collect a dime every time U.S. media mention “religious liberty” between now and Election Day 2016, you could fund your own Super-PAC — or maybe even bankroll your own run for the White House. We’re going to…
Love already won
My grandmother, Eva Mae Thomas, was my first catechizer and theologian. At the age of 12, she put a pen and notepad in my hand and asked me to “write down all the Scriptures that the preacher says.” There were…