By Jeff Brumley International students who have endured war and disease in their homelands are nothing new at Mercer University. But Abraham Deng can claim that and more: as a child, he survived lion, hyena and crocodile attacks along with…
A conversion we all need
We had just left the Omar ben Abdul Aziz mosque in suburban Atlanta when he leaned his large frame up toward me in the van and, with tears in his eyes, said, “Dr. Nash, why don’t we get down on…
“The Blind Side” gets blindsided
Baptist news wires carried the story recently about a successful protest by a Baptist preacher to remove a movie from LifeWay stores. The movie is “The Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock. It was based on the book by the same…
Margin for error
As I pulled up to the middle school for my child’s sixth grade awards ceremony recently, I couldn’t help but think back to a similar day just a few years ago. It was a Friday, my day off, and I’d…
The formation and reception of believer-theologians
But on the other hand…. My college philosophy professor Wallace Roark taught me that cultivating the capacity to “think on the other hand”—to Think Like an Octopus—is the key to becoming a good thinker. “But on the other hand” is…
Just showing up
I am more convinced than ever that showing up is one of the most important things we can do. As a minister serving a new faith community, I have been faced with many opportunities to be present for a variety…
Dads, sons share call to ministry
By Jeff Brumley The reaction never varies when someone realizes Alan Sherouse is the son of well-known Baptist preacher Craig Sherouse. “They always say, ‘Oh, you’re Craig’s son,’” said Sherouse, pastor of Metro Baptist Church in Manhattan. “I call it…
Forgetting the Bible
By Amy Butler Lately I have been thinking a lot about the Bible. This is not surprising given my line of work, I know, but the truth of the matter is that the Bible sometimes gets lost in the busyness…
Better versus perfect
Recently, I heard a radio sportscaster comment on the possibility of a college football playoff system. He said a four-team playoff might be in place in the near future. His broadcast partner immediately complained such an arrangement fell far short…
Bringing the love back
“I love you.” It takes a relationship to a deeper level like no other three words can. Where were we when we first said the “L word?” Often couples remember this moment in their dating time together more than any…
Sustainable friendship a gift from God
Throughout the seasons of life, most human beings are going to be engaged in dynamic human relationships. Home, the classroom, the workplace, recreation, and church all present diverse opportunities for acquaintance and interaction. Among the thousands of people we encounter,…
The theologian-hood of all believers
Karl Barth (1886-1968), the most significant theologian of the twentieth century, wasn’t a Baptist (he was Swiss Reformed). Yet over the past 60 years Barth has arguably had at least as much influence on theologically-educated Baptists as any Baptist theologian…