Six weeks ago I planted a whole bed of collard green seeds and not a single one came up. For a Southern boy, this is the sort of thing that raises existential questions. I’m not interested in the why, which…
Scissors, faith see barber through challenges
Antonio Galeno swivels the chair and picks up the scissors. He gracefully yet deftly cuts his client’s hair — all while greeting new customers walking through the door. The grin never disappears from his face. He’s worked hard to start…
Your commute as a spiritual discipline
My morning commute reminds me that I am not the Christian I should be. I drive nine miles to my job — two miles of neighborhood, three miles of suburban commerce, and four miles of houses close enough to Atlanta…
Distracted discipleship: redefining what it means to be present and involved
In order to keep in touch with parishioners, many pastors make phone calls, send greeting cards, emails, text and direct messages. This is the result of multi-generational ministry and the influence of social media. In an effort to reach our…
Works — the fitting response to God’s lavish grace
Have you considered what you want on your tombstone? The husband of a close friend said she would have these words, “I am fine, really!” Mine will probably be inscribed with a limerick: Here lies the theologian named Molly T.,…
It’s easy to pretend we’ve forgiven, when the hurt is merely buried
During this past Lenten season, our congregation journeyed together around the theme of forgiveness — God’s forgiveness of us, as well as our forgiveness of ourselves and others. Here are some takeaways. 1. Believe it or not, a lack of…
A ragged wall that looks a lot like the Church
The rocks were far from perfect. Our 30-year-old retaining wall had come tumbling down, and the stone masons were tasked with rebuilding it. They would reuse the rocks, but they’d have to shape them to fit the new design. The…
Churches need to be less concerned about labels, more about being faithful
When we announced to the first church we served, in South Carolina, that we were moving to Alabama, someone came up right after church and said, “Here’s the question if you’re moving to Birmingham: Are you gonna say, ‘Roll Tide’…
Survival mode
Survival mode generally does not bring out the best in people. When nearly all of the luxuries of life have been stripped away and all you have left is the choice to survive, those choices are brutal. I’m not a…