The first time I went skinny-dipping was at a church picnic. If I’m lying, I’m dying. As of this writing, brothers Ron and Steve Wilson are still alive — by some miracle — and can verify the bare facts of…
As Trump stokes more fear, immigration advocates plead with Biden administration not to succumb
Human rights advocates are pleading with the Biden administration to take legal action to block new Texas laws designed to counter illegal border crossings and to give state law enforcement officers the right to arrest undocumented immigrants. Gov. Greg Abbott…
How you connect apocalypse to Advent affects how you interact with the news
Few activities fuel a connection with Advent like reading the news. Stories about weather catastrophes, wars and rumors of wars have many Christians across the theological and political spectrum wondering if the apocalypse is near and perhaps finding themselves praying…
Is it weird that Mike Johnson’s underage son is his porn accountability partner?
The latest theater of conservative evangelicalism’s multiple-front spiritual warfare cosplay is being dubbed the “War on Technology” by Cypress Baptist Church of Benton, La. It began as a gathering in October 2022 that promised to “help families win the technology…
Why ‘ressentiment’ defines our age
The political scientists tell us we are living in the age of resentment. This is the story of searching for a word that defines our age because “resentment” doesn’t really fit the bill. In an alliterative journey through the “Rs”…
Letter to the Editor: ‘The unforced rhythms of grace’
July 26, 2023 Dear Editor: In yesterday’s BNG, Mark Wingfield and Amber Wylde wrote: “The church needs a better story than living in fear” and one of them uses the phrase “the unforced rhythms of living in grace.” “Church” is…
The church needs a better story than living in fear
The following opinion piece is a dialogue between Mark Wingfield and Amber Wylde. Mark I just returned from a dinner conversation with some other minister friends where we talked about how the fear of God’s judgment sneaks up on those…
The right’s zero-tolerance policy on Pride
In case you have any remaining doubt that the Religious Right wants to obliterate all appearance of LGBTQ people — to make them invisible once again — consider the dustup over a single photograph showing a small Pride flag atop…
The other epidemic: Fear
The more I read the news, the more I become convinced there’s another epidemic currently facing the nation. It seems to be particularly acute in churches right now, too. And while it’s an epidemic largely of our own making, it…