While in the 19th and 20th centuries, America was seen as an exporter of Christianity to the rest of the world — in particular Africa — the 21st century is bringing a change some have called “reverse missions.” The United…
Impeaching ‘the deeply held faith values’ that brought us a President Trump
In these moments of impeachment, the court prophets have lined up to defend the president, led by a few prominent, white evangelical leaders – none more outspoken than Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress.
Responding to gun violence in America: the Church cannot give up
Because we follow the Prince of Peace, the seemingly endless gun violence in our nation affects us in a deep place. Our hearts and spirits feel this violence as a literal assault on our humanity and our faith. So what do we do now?
I’m a pastor who refuses to offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ for these people
I’m praying that God will comfort suffering victims and afflict their political and religious victimizers. That’s not a “God bless the USA” prayer. It’s a “Thy will be done” prayer.
The president is racist. He’s also ‘biblical’
The president is a racist who readily uses xenophobic and white nationalist rhetoric of biblical proportions. It is past time for the American church, Republican and Democrats alike, to speak out with a singular voice and tell the truth.
Seeing a new thing: the prophet must prophesy for the institution
I am weary of “prophetic” preachments about justice that are divorced from the creation of justice, which requires both the remaking of existing institutions and the birth of new ones.
If Trump came to your church, what sermon would you want him to hear?
Many of President Trump’s actions are antithetical to the Gospel. But anger cannot be everything that Trump’s backers hear from us. Ministers would be better off, at times, asking the Spirit to help the president and his defenders understand that God loves all people.
Declaring America’s real ‘national emergency’ – and hearing and heeding the prophets among us
America’s real ‘national emergency’ is a call to action among people of faith. We must hear and heed those prophets among us whose insights lean toward justice and offer us a way forward.
The power of negative thinking
In some ways it has been the curse of my life, a genuine burden and even bane of my existence. For as long as I can remember I’ve tended to see problems everywhere I look. To my way of thinking,…