Does Your Church Turn Off First-Time Visitors?

by | Nov 25, 2016 | Opinion

Paul is obviously a troubled man when he writes to his Christian friends in Corinth. “So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who don’t understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are...

Who Are the Lonely People in Your Church?

by | May 27, 2016 | Opinion

I can think of only two times when I’ve felt seriously lonely. One was my first week as a student – in a completely strange city, in which I knew not a single soul. The other was the first time I went abroad – far from home, traveling alone, I felt...

What Does the Bible Say About Laughter?

by | May 10, 2016 | Opinion

I read something recently that reduced me to a state of helpless laughter. It was an article in the Church of England newspaper, “The Church Times,” and it was about a bishop of a bygone generation who had a wonderful if sometimes waspish sense of humor. I...

Praying and Doing: Getting the Balance Right

by | Apr 13, 2016 | Opinion

Oliver Cromwell, during the English Civil War (1642-51), is supposed to have told his soldiers, “Put your trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” A perfect blend of the “spiritual” and the “practical.” And that blend, that same...