“She quit on her team.” If we were playing a popular social media game called “Poorly Describe What You Do Using Five Words,” that might be how someone would answer for the young Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles. If we were…
The kingdom of heaven is like the opening ceremony of the Olympics
One of Jesus’ most common didactic formulas was the phrase “the kingdom of God is like … .” Jesus told stories or parables of common illustrations that related to the experiences of his hearers and have served as timeless word…
Japanese Christians seek global help for 1 million hours of prayer during Olympics
An international prayer movement has been launched in support of the Tokyo Olympic Games, with Japanese Christians inviting the global church to unite for one million hours of prayer. Japan1Million is an international prayer movement led by the Japan international Sports…
What judgmental Christians and playboy Olympic swimmers have in common
When we allow judgmental individuals to set the ministry agenda in our churches, or dominate the air-time of our congregational energy, we surrender the church’s ability to be a conduit of God’s grace in the world. We put grace on the backburner.
WJSHTOT? (Would Jesus spend his time on this?)
I’m afraid, my friends, that I have shocking news: it’s time to turn in your plastic WWJD bracelet. Yes, it was cool to own them in the ’90s. Yes, the plaque version paired nicely with Precious Moments figurines. But when…
‘Unbroken’ is expansive and timely as the nation debates torture
Laura Hillenbrand published the life story of Louie Zamperini in November of 2010. It has remained on the best sellers list since its publication. People have fallen in love with the story of resilience and redemption of a juvenile delinquent…
SBC leader says Russia isn’t pro-family, despite anti-gay laws
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for moral and public policy concerns says Russian President Vladimir Putin lacks moral authority to criticize Western countries for abandoning Christian values. “It really kind of makes my blood boil when…
What churches can learn from the Olympics
As the Olympics got underway, the whole world seemed abuzz with excitement. Much of that excitement, though, quickly turned to complaints on the internet. Almost immediately the hashtag #NBCFail had cropped up on Twitter and became a trending topic. The source of…