By Bob Allen A Bible commentary by women and for women is now out in Old and New Testament volumes that seek to counter a prevailing view of women’s equality in the church and home. The two-volume Women’s Evangelical Commentary,…
The Christmas miracle — by the numbers
By Michael Ruffin Last summer Dr. Ali Binazir wrote a blog post in which he posed the question, “What are your chances of coming into being?” He considered such questions as (1) the odds of your parents meeting, which he…
Seeking the sun, similarities
By Angela Yarber When the media proclaims a supposed “war on Christmas” and chain stores debate the legitimacy of wishing shoppers “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” it is important to remember that all of us — liberals and conservatives,…
Advent hope
By David Gushee Reading Advent scriptures this year, I am struck more powerfully than ever at the unfulfilled or only very partially fulfilled nature of the expectations, promises and statements made about the Child soon to be born: Luke 1:17:…
When Jesus had a pacifier
By Bill Leonard For more years than anyone remembers First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue, in Winston-Salem, N.C., has marked Advent with “The Nativity,” a living reenactment of the birth of Jesus presented in worship on the second Sunday of the…
This Advent season, just you wait
By Marv Knox We need Advent particularly badly this year, and not simply because it’s a prelude to Christmas. Advent marks the beginning of the church year and starts four Sundays before Christmas. Advent takes its name from the Latin…
Do dogs go to heaven?
While we were away for Thanksgiving with our two daughters who live in New York, our middle daughter, Erin, called with the drastic news that her 13-and-a-half-year-old white lab named Hannah Marie Furr-Yeager (her husband just called her “Good Girl”)…
Responding to child abuse
By Jim Denison On Nov. 14 the Associated Baptist Press published an essay I wrote on Herman Cain and Joe Paterno. Here’s the background behind my article. I write a cultural commentary for our ministry each weekday morning based on…
Christ the King
By R. Kevin Johnson During Advent, we revisited the message of the prophets who told of the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of humankind. During the Christmas season, we joined with Christians around the world to celebrate the birth…