“You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman, “for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” I always have found the story in…
My journey from fear to a whole new way of seeing grace
Grace is amazing — or can be. It depends on the God giving it. The grace that is truly amazing flows from a vulnerable God of love, expressing that love by showering grace freely toward all in an ever-widening flood….
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…
Resisting grace: Why is something so amazing so hard to accept?
If you’ve ever been the recipient of a grace — an undeserved second chance, an unexpected kind word, an unanticipated new beginning — you know the joy and sense of release these experiences bring. Experiencing a true grace restores, empowers…
A Southwesterner’s appreciation for Russell Dilday
The president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1978 to 1994, Russell Hooper Dilday, died June 21, at the age of 92. Under his leadership, Southwestern reached heights of enrollment and impact seen neither before nor after by a Southern…
What if we sang our prayers of thanks before meals?
In her recent opinion piece, Mallory Challis reminded us of the importance of saying grace over a meal. Singing grace is another fulfilling way to express our gratitude for food and other blessings. The ritual and spiritual discipline of singing…
What if grace is more amazing than we thought?
I once thought grace was pretty amazing — Jesus dying on the cross, all my sins forgiven, a guaranteed place in heaven after I died. But what if grace is even more amazing? As a child I learned about “Amazing…
Four reasons saying grace is important
As we enter October, the holiday season is coming up quickly. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Most of these holidays entail some sort of celebration that involves food. Even if you are not celebrating a specific holiday, this is the time of…
‘Listen before you preach,’ Godsey says at McAfee Founders Day
The power of preaching lies not in how well one speaks but in how well one listens, Kirby Godsey told students, faculty and staff at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology Aug. 23. Godsey, former Mercer president, delivered the annual…