Let’s talk about corporate prayer. Houston, we’ve got a problem. Yes, I know it is dangerous to hold oneself out as an expert on anything related to prayer. My true confession is that I’m a whole lot better at praying…
The Supreme Court’s politicized decision on abortion will do nothing to help churches thrive
As if the American church isn’t divided enough, it appears we’re about to roll back the clock 50 years on abortion rights and throw more jet fuel on the culture war bonfires consuming our congregations. For some churches and pastors,…
What Christians singing on an airplane and a coach praying on the 50-yard line have in common
There’s a common thread in two seemingly unrelated cases in the news right now: The Christians singing worship songs on a commercial airline flight and the former high school football coach in Washington State who insisted on holding public prayers…
It’s time to stop the insanity that is killing public education
I am the child of a public schoolteacher. I am the parent of a son who has been a public schoolteacher and who remains a private instructor in a public high school. Many dear friends are public schoolteachers. As a…
Next BNG webinar will feature conversation with David Gushee on his new primer on Christian ethics
BNG columnist David Gushee will join BNG Executive Director Mark Wingfield for a Jan. 14 webinar discussing Gushee’s new book, Introducing Christian Ethics. The webinar — beginning at 9 a.m. Central/10 a.m. Eastern — is free but advance registration is…
Grace and peace to you — at the tip of a sword
For weeks now, I’ve been teaching verse by verse through the book of 1 Thessalonians on Sunday mornings. Last week and this week, we hit the hinge between the last verse of 1 Thessalonians and the opening lines of 2…
The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial encapsulates the two Americas today, but there’s a silent third group
One of the things that’s easy to forget about the conviction of three white men for the cold-blooded murder of Ahmaud Arbery is that there almost wasn’t a trial. There were no arrests for two months after the murder. Two…
Dear white people like me, this is what it means to accuse Black people of causing the very crimes committed against them
If you want to understand what our Black brothers and sisters have been saying for years about always getting the blame for the sins white people commit against them, look no further than a courtroom in Brunswick, Ga., today for…
In Wisconsin, the NRA won
While its business operations lie in bankrupt shambles, the National Rifle Association won the day in a Wisconsin courtroom this week. The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges related to the murder of two men and injury of a…