There are some movies that you will only watch once. They are so intense and deal with subject matter that makes you not want to repeat the experience. Yet, when you finish viewing it you are grateful for the experience….
OPINION: Unwrapping the church
(ABP) — Let’s be honest: at the start of my pastorate I had no idea what I was doing. Combined with my glaring inexperience, that first year of pastoral ministry also carried a heavy weight of congregational expectation: “Finally our…
VITAL SIGNS: The conversation we do not want to have
Our current economy, coupled with the ongoing transitions in congregational life and ministry focus, have combined to create intense pressure on church staffing models. With finances tight, congregations are being forced to take stock of the number of professional staff…
WINN RECOMMENDS: Books that matter
Pastrix, by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Jericho Books) I once heard Nadia Bolz-Weber on a radio interview, walking the show’s host through a tour of her (very) many tattoos, the ones covering her from her shoulders to her wrists. “Even the ill-advised…
LETTER: An important omission
I was disappointed to note that your article on Poplar Springs Baptist Church in the Sept. 23 issue made no mention of the Shereda family who have been such an important part of that church’s history as well as of…
TRENDING: Fetishizing failure?
Twenty-five years ago, Lyle Schaller told a group of ministers in North Carolina that if we wanted to stay conversant with what was happening in the country and also peek around the corner at what might be trending next, simply…
REVIEW: ‘Gravity’ opens doors to discuss the spiritual nature of grief
The story in Gravity appears to be about a space flight gone wrong. But there is much more going on here than just a movie with some exquisite special effects. The space flight becomes the stage for a much more…
OPINION: The glorious weight of gravity
Gravity is being hailed as a must-see movie. The IMAX experience is one of incredible beauty and thrilling danger. Most of us who see this movie will go for all of the tail-end-of-summer action adventure that it promises, but I…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Wanted: Adaptable leaders
We’ve had a failure to adapt. That’s the view of America’s military leadership from World War II to the present, in Tom Ricks’ detailed study, The Generals. The nature and tactics of war changed after World War II and Korea,…
LETTER: Those who embrace ‘wrong’ theology don’t support violence
Concerning the article about the conference in Washington to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinian Christians, I am one of those who embraces the “wrong” theology, that Israel belongs to the Jews. In Genesis 17:8, God said to Abraham,…
VIEWPOINT: Biblical sites abound in nation whose people embrace visitors from abroad
The most common question I got from people when they learned that I was traveling to Jordan was, “Do you think it is safe?” My response was, “I don’t think the Jordanian government would invite us unless they thought it…
FIRSTHAND: Preaching camp’s success leads to follow up this month
Several months ago, I was having a casual lunch with a minister colleague. Enjoying and appreciating this time of friendship and mutual support, we covered an array of topics. The one topic that began to dominate our conversation, and probably…