By Barry Howard My love for reading was slow to develop. During my teenage years, I perceived reading to be a nuisance and necessary evil. At some point during my college years, however, I learned to enjoy reading, not just…
Don’t let the darkness eclipse the light of Christmas
By Barry Howard It’s dark outside, and today seems even darker than usual. And it should. Today is the darkest day of the year. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year,…
Sore afraid: the impediment to transformation
By Greg Jarrell And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. — Luke 2:9 A hand reaches into the gut. It squeezes the…
Will the new ‘Star Wars’ tap into spiritual longing or merely entertain?
By Joe LaGuardia There is a tidal wave of excitement over the seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be released this week. Tickets for opening day are nearly sold out, people will camp…
Santa, Elmo and Jesus
By R. Kevin Johnson Over Thanksgiving dinner this year, our friends asked my wife and me about striking a balance between secular and sacred influences during the holidays. They wanted to know about the “magical” part of this season and…
Which cross is being embraced in Advent?
By Seth Vopat Advent is a season of tension for me. Not because I struggle to proclaim “Immanuel” — God with us — in a season marred by tragedy and violence. The tension is not the result of Christmas consumerism…
Can prayer be abusive?
By Laura Rector A conservative Christian man “prayerfully” spanks his spouse as Christian “discipline.” A Christian institution “prays” for those who lose their jobs in a restructuring. A Christian employer uses prayer to promote going along with an agenda, rather…
Seminaries, spiritual formation and personal story
By Ron Crawford I am indebted to the thoughtful response of Scott Hudgins to my response to Brett Younger’s original article about seminary education. I will not review these two fine offerings but will extend the conversation. A key point…
Brain trends, part 2: Designer brain
By John Chandler You have to love the evolution of the online dating scene. We’ve quickly evolved from a generic Match.com or e-Harmony into a world where customization rules. (Farmers Only, anyone?) My favorites are those that promise you will…