By Jayne Hugo Davis “In whatever place you find yourself, do not easily leave it.” — Abba Antony I love finding tiny volunteer maple saplings around my yard. They spring up between the bushes in the landscaping bed or behind…
Larger than the Church
By Starlette McNeill “If you are without a church home, then we invite you to come forward at this time.” This is the invitation that is extended in most, if not all, congregations after the delivery of the sermon. Having…
The spiritual practice of listening
By Jayne Hugo Davis When two of my sisters asked me what I wanted as a gift for my 50th birthday, I told them a collection of family stories — their personal recollections of family history, anecdotes or folly that,…
Loving God with our minds
By Scott Dickison It would be difficult to grow up in our church and not learn the verse from Scripture that Christians around the world know simply as the “Greatest Commandment:” You shall love the Lord your God with all…
The spiritual practice of load shedding
By Jayne Hugo Davis Does it ever feel like the demands upon you require more than the resources you have to give? Maybe it’s time or energy that’s in short supply. Maybe it’s money or creativity or answers. Or compassion…
Hinson-Merton friendship continues impact on Baptist spirituality
By Carrie McGuffin and Jeff Brumley The late Catholic monk, author and interfaith pioneer Thomas Merton is far more than a distant historical figure because the body of his work can actually improve the spirituality of Baptists even today, Baptist…
Freezing temps create First World problems
By Aileen Mitchell Lawrimore Have you heard about the record low temperatures we’ve had in North Carolina recently? Well, let me tell you: this weather has caused me some serious (First World) problems. For one thing, I couldn’t just go…
What do Jimmy Fallon, Ernie Banks and Pope Francis have in common?
By Doyle Sager OK, so maybe we can’t draw straight lines connecting TV celebrity Jimmy Fallon, the late baseball great Ernie Banks and Pope Francis. Perhaps the task will require more looping circles than straight lines. But it occurred to…
Tasting the Kingdom
By Bill Leonard Each January for the last three years I’ve joined a group of students in visiting the Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville, N.C., and each time we’ve gotten a taste of God’s New Community (aka the Kingdom of…