By Doyle Sager Once upon a time the citizens of a small town decided to merge churches, Methodists and Baptists combining their sparse attendance and modest offerings in order to provide one vital congregation. All the negotiations regarding membership, polity…
Self-centered prayers no surprise to American pastors
By Jeff Brumley A new poll has revealed something religious leaders have known for years: Americans are pretty self-centered when they pray. And even when not praying for themselves, they are praying for family, friends and favorite teams — which, pastors…
Worried about ISIS and Ebola? Pray the news, experts say
By Jeff Brumley These days, the news is full of disease, violence and death. It’s hardly possible to go a day, or even an hour, without exposure to images of beheadings, airstrikes, nations invading nations, downed or missing airliners and…
HIPPA and church prayer requests
By Mike Greer Sometimes church members mistakenly claim that HIPAA (the American Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) applies to church communications about the medical status of those listed or mentioned in church prayer meetings. HIPPA applies only to…
Figuring out a life of prayer
By Amy Butler Looking back over my life I realize I’ve traveled a winding road as it relates to the spiritual practice of prayer. Lately I’ve turned another corner, and this week I’ve been thinking a lot about that journey….
Monks and mediation: what some Benedictines taught me about conflict
Seventy-five miles north of Santa Fe there’s a high desert canyon so ancient, so primordial, I half-expected to see pterodactyls in the sky instead of hawks as I steered my rental car along thirteen miles of single-lane dirt road. The…
Sociologist: Concept of God impacts power of prayer, anxiety-related disorders
By Terry Goodrich Prayer seems to be more effective at combating psychological challenges for some than for others, a Baylor University sociologist has found. The type of attachment a praying individual feels toward God seems to matter most in easing…
The death of Mrs. Doubtfire
By Bob Setzer The death of Robin Williams hit me hard. While on sabbatical, Bambi and I have sought to insulate ourselves from the bad news that is a staple of the modern diet. Given spotty Internet connections and unfamiliar…
Vital Christianity: As I see it
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Here on the eve of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly meeting in Atlanta, and with other national religious conventions recently in the news (for better or for worse), I choose to articulate what…