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…
Becoming inclusive
LKS * Born in Grant City, Mo., on 8/15/1938 * Graduated from Southwest Baptist College (Bolivar, Mo.) in 1957 (A.A.) * Graduated from William Jewell College (Liberty, Mo.) in 1959 (A.B.) * Graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville,…
The quotable Thomas Merton
My favorite definition of God is Thomas Merton’s: God is “mercy within mercy within mercy.” -Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB A special issue of ” Signs of the Times ” devoted to Thomas Merton (31 January 1915 – 10 December 1968)…
Conference confronts transgender ‘confusion’
By Bob Allen The transgender movement offers people “a secular and physically initiated conversion experience” that promises transformation without relying on Jesus Christ as savior, the opening speaker at a Monday morning event billed as the first-ever conference by evangelicals…
Egalitarian advocate preaches at Campbellsville
By Bob Allen A leading advocate of the view that the Bible calls women and men to share authority equally in service and leadership in the home and church recently urged students at Campbellsville University to push past assumptions about…
‘Francis effect’ boosting Catholic Church’s image for U.S. Protestants
By Bob Allen The “Francis effect” is real for U.S. Protestant pastors, according to LifeWay Research. Half of Protestant pastors polled by the research firm housed within the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm said Pope Francis has affected their opinions…
Theology: A focus for thinking
This is the seventh article of a nine-part series on empowering a faith community to impact the world. Already hospitality, evangelism, missions, ethics, Bible, and spirituality have been explored. In his book Becoming a Thinking Christian, John Cobb promotes the…
Religion and irreligion: Friends or foes?
Atheists, agnostics, and other people who profess no religious faith have often been criticized, ostracized, ridiculed, discriminated against, and belittled. Especially in recent years such people have begun to fight back. Some of that fight has been rather hostile towards…
Evangelism devoid of the Gospel
I returned home mid-afternoon to a rubber-band wrapped around my front door knob. A small booklet was attached to the rubber-band. The words – “THIS WAS YOUR LIFE!” – were printed across the black-and-white cover, all in caps, bolded, inked…