Earlier this week, Amy and I spent a very memorable day back in South Carolina. Over the course of those 24 hours, we experienced joy and celebration; uncertainty and apprehension; followed by relief and profound gratitude. It was the kind…
Santa, Elmo and Jesus
By R. Kevin Johnson Over Thanksgiving dinner this year, our friends asked my wife and me about striking a balance between secular and sacred influences during the holidays. They wanted to know about the “magical” part of this season and…
Pastor cites ‘feminist rebellion’ in moral decline
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor said in a televised sermon Dec. 6 that today’s controversy over transgender rights has its roots in “feminist rebellion” against the Bible’s teaching on hierarchy within marriage. “The mayor of Houston says that…
Things forgotten: The unexpected experience of ‘coming home’
Written by Deborah Foulkes, Ph.D. During the summer of 2015, I had the opportunity to travel to Africa for the first time as part of Biblical Seminary’s Global Trauma Recovery Institute program. As the plane touched the Tarmac, I was…
I pray with my eyes open
When I began professional ministry as a young single minister, on Sunday mornings all I needed were my keys, my wallet, and my Bible. Flash-forward six years, and I was packing a bag with diapers, wipes, bottles, a change of…
Incidental contact
Packing up a house is an archaeological expedition through the layers of a life in one place, not only because of the collections of things that have to be sorted and assigned a destination, but also because of the stories…
Being married to the preacher isn’t easy
When it comes to marriage, I chose wisely. I can readily identify with Churchill’s assessment: “My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” This week Amanda and I are celebrating our…
SBC leader to speak at controversial family congress
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention seminary president has joined the lineup of speakers for the first U.S. gathering of an international congress to affirm, celebrate and encourage the “natural family,” defined as marriage between a man and woman….
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…