In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down government-mandated prayer in public schools. This ruling led many to believe it was forbidden to pray in school. Not so. As one bumper sticker stated, “As long as there are students and…
Praying with our eyes open
I recently gave a tour of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn to a high school youth choir from Georgia. I ask, “What do Southerners think the South is better at than New York?” They give the answers we would expect. “The…
What It Looks Like When Your Whole Life Becomes A Prayer
My buddy Gary is retired now, but for a number of years, he ran a drive-thru coffee kiosk in the town where I live.
William Barber arrested for praying in Capitol Rotunda
Just days after President Donald Trump’s task force to fight anti-Christian bias held its first meeting, a prominent pastor was arrested for praying in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Pastor William Barber and two other people were arrested by…
Remembering the ‘People’s Pope’
My reflections on the papacy of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 in Rome on Monday, April 21 — less than a day after delivering brief Easter Sunday greetings to worshippers in St. Peter’s Basilica — are…
Jeffress, Wolfe, Strachan among evangelical leaders praying over Trump
In a reprise of a famous photo op from his first term in the White House, Donald Trump welcomed 17 evangelical pastors to the Oval Office March 19 to pray over him. The next day, a different group of religious…
A benediction gone bad
As sociologist Orrin Klapp observed in his 1962 book Heroes, Villains, and Fools: The Changing American Character, “The celebrity cult celebrates the triumph of ordinariness — charm without character, showmanship without ability, bodies without minds, information without wisdom.” The critique…
Praying over the president: Risks and rewards
While much attention on cable news and internet chatter has focused on the conclusion to the sermon delivered by Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during a post-inaugural prayer service held at Washington National Cathedral, relatively little has been said or…
A prayer for President-elect Donald John Trump
Gracious God and Father of Jesus Christ our Lord: Today — Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 — the inauguration of our president-elect will take place. We pause to give thanks for the freedoms bestowed upon us in this nation called the…
Jill Biden’s renewed faith could light the way
A few years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing First Lady Jill Biden’s prayer partner, Robin Jackson. You can read about that here. From the moment Jackson said hello, I knew we would be lifelong friends. In fact, I…
Childhood memories of Christmas in Nigeria
Some of the most enduring lessons of life emanate from our parents. As a child who was born and grew up in Jos, in the northern part of Nigeria, one of my childhood memories was the annual visit with my…
Franklin Graham prays aloud for Trump to win the election
In one of his most explicit endorsements of Donald Trump’s campaign to date, Franklin Graham spoke at a Trump rally in Concord, N.C., Oct. 21 and prayed aloud to God to cause Trump to win the election. The head of…