By Michael Parnell One of the backbones of Baptist doctrine is the concept of the separation of church and state. Historically Baptists have held that there needed to be a clear wall between the interests of the church and the…
The light shines in the darkness
By Alan Bean This sermon was recently preached at a memorial service for those who have lost loved ones in the past calendar year. Before preaching, I sang an old country gospel song by Merle Travis, I am a Pilgrim…
Looking, straining, yearning, waiting
By Adam McDuffie We find ourselves in the midst of Advent, waiting once again. Every year, we go through every day and every month, but come December, we find ourselves in the same place: waiting once again. O come, O…
Are social media “thoughts and prayers” helpful anymore?
By Alan Rudnick In the wake of tragedy it has become an automatic response for many Christians: “Our thoughts and prayers are with…” I know, I said it on Facebook and Twitter after the shootings in San Bernardino, Sandy Hook, and…
When prayer is not enough
By Thomas J. Whitley It was “just another day in the United States of America. Another day of gunfire, panic and fear.”
Looking for signs of the future
By Bill Prather This article is based on a Nov. 15 sermon from Mark 13:1-8, the Revised Common Lectionary text following the terrorist attacks in Paris. I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of disaster movies. I…
Who will save your soul?
You know what they say: “Be careful what you wish for!” Truer words were perhaps never spoken when it comes to today’s Hebrew text from the book of Job. Today is week three of a four week series called, “Losing…
The art of the collapse
When I make a work, I often take it to the very edge of its collapse. — Andy Goldsworthy Churches are fragile things. Not the buildings, of course. We build those out of sturdy material. Heavy stone and thick timber…
Got questions? You’re not alone.
By Amy Butler Listening to a friend share devastating medical news this week, I sat listening and found myself unable to come up with any helpful or even appropriate response. Thoughts flashed through my mind as if on repeat film…
Praying angry
So much death. So much hurt. We look around now, and it’s all we see. State-sponsored executions, with more to come. Mass shootings. A plane crash in Afghanistan. It’s hard to come away from this with any feelings of hope….
I’m tired of saying “I’m Sorry!”
I’m sorry. It may be the most common phrase in my work. I am sorry about the death; I am sorry about the diagnosis; I am sorry you didn’t like the music, the sermon, the temperature. It seems that I…
Bruises that forever hurt: The death of a reporter and friend
But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. -Isaiah 53:5 (NRSV) Just one week ago, I wrote about…