By Molly T. Marshall Contrary to the many who speak about the church dying, I think it is actually a time of rebirth. We are actually in the process of tossing out some old stuff that wasn’t necessary and finding…
A museum of the Bible is the wrong kind of monument
The founder of the Hobby Lobby chain is building a Bible museum in Washington, D.C. That’s nice. But building a monument to the Bible runs the risk of compounding the serious problem of Bible worship that has plagued evangelical Christianity…
The Christian university is a home, however imperfect, for pilgrims of the Way
As nations require a constitution to establish jurisdiction, so religions depend upon a canon to provide jurisprudence. A nation which nullifies its constitution will descend into chaos, as will a religion which annuls its authoritative verse. Sadly, in some quarters…
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…
Don’t just tell me what you believe: Evangelical worship, part 2
A biblical perspective of lex orandi, lex credendi can be found in Isaiah 6. The first eight verses are referred to as Isaiah’s call and are commonly used as a biblical structure for planning worship.
10 ways to increase value of and engagement in church participation, part 1
A noticeable and disturbing trend that is beginning to catch the attention of church consultants, coaches and denominational leaders is that believers are losing interest in church. Not only is there an avoidance of church by many unbelievers, there is…
This Lent, try using the ‘F’ word more
I don’t always use the “F” word, but when I do, it frequently happens to be Lent. What I like most about using the “F” word is that it has so many different meanings, connotations and contexts to it. It…
There’s no danger in raising questions
By Starlette McNeill This week, I presented on the topic “The Double-Minded Church: Spiritual Formation and the Impractical Theology of Race” at ChurchWorks, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship conference for ministers of education and spiritual formation. I know. The title is…
Confusing race with faith sent Christians down painful path
By George Henson Christianity in the West has been infiltrated by values and attitudes of race, challenging efforts to heal racial and social divisions and for Christians to experience authentic connections with Christ, an expert on faith and religion said…