Recent Articles
July 29, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: White Evangelicals Resist COVID-19 Vaccine Most Among Religious Groups; Religious Americans, Led by White Evangelicals, Less Likely to Believe Intelligent Life Exists on Other Planets; Hobby Lobby Ordered to Forfeit $1.6M Ancient Artifact; This Year’s Biggest Concert Belongs to a Christian Rapper; and more
Building Community – One Berry at a Time
A friend grows blueberries – lots of them. My friend won’t accept any payment for the best berries in town, but there is a condition: If you pick some for yourself, you have to give some away. It’s his ‘blueberry ministry.’
Mass Graves Reveal 966 Children Left Unnamed
At two residential schools for Indigenous children, 966 mass graves were found. Who ran these schools? What was their intent? While what happened can’t unhappen, what steps will we take so such terrible things can’t unhappen again?
‘Pig’
‘Pig,’ a new drama thriller starring Nicolas Cage, tells the story of those we pass by. Playing a disheveled woodsman on a quest to find his truffle-hunting pig, Cage’s pitch-perfect performance is a ride you’ll enjoy taking.
July 28, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A Pastor’s Take: Why Religion Won’t Fix Vaccine Hesitancy in Tennessee; Conservative Baptist Network Calls on New SBC President Ed Litton to Resign;
Ross Douthat: The Ungovernable Catholic Church; and more.
Getting ‘Under Conviction’ about Our Convictions
Many churchgoers don’t want their sinful convictions of comfort and ease challenged. Yet, only when convicted about convictions that don’t align with Jesus’ life and teachings can they move toward moral and spiritual renewal.
When Grief Unravels Your Life – Part 2
How do you handle grief upon grief stacking up in your life? Remember these losses are part of your history, interwoven into the fabric of who you are. If you weave the threads of loss into your life, you will be richer for it.
You’ve Run Out of Excuses to Avoid Vaccine
Out of more than 161 million fully vaccinated people in the US, the CDC is hard pressed to find more than 849 deaths related to COVID-19 among them. So any debate about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines is ridiculous.
July 27, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Pastor Greg Locke Vows to Ban Anyone Wearing a Mask from Church and Blasts the So-called ‘Godless Democrats’; NC Evangelical Minister, Grandson of the Rev. Billy Graham, Hospitalized in Critical Condition with COVID; Texas Man Accused of Setting Family Home Ablaze and Killing His Brother for Not Following the Bible; Mary, Mother of Jesus, Turns up as an Icon for Pop Stars and Social Justice Warriors; and more
White-Privileged Ignore Back-Crushing Stance
While we have a couple of space-happy billionaires shelling out their concentrated wealth to fly high, so many who are privileged are flying blind, unaware of the crushing weight they put on the backs of those they stand on.
When Grief Unravels Your Life – Part 1
Grief is like a river. The river has myriad moods with currents changing from spring’s rush to summer’s laze. However, if you’re caught off-guard, a current of grief can catch you in a windswept turbulence threatening your safety.
Faith Groups to Prez Biden: Protect Sacred Land
Fifty religious groups from numerous faiths signed a letter, urging President Biden to recognize a region near Phoenix that holds spiritual significance for local Indigenous tribes and shielding it from copper-hungry mining firms.
July 26, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience; Vaccines are a ‘Personal Decision,’ Hillsong Church Founder Says after Congregant Refuses Shot and Dies of COVID-19; Josh Mandel Bets Push for Judeo-Christian Revolution Will Win Him Ohio Senate Seat; New York Becomes Sixth State in U.S. to Ban Child Marriages; and more.
COVID-19, Inflation, Inept Gov’t Plague Cuban People
A series of complex crises devastate the Cuban people. Escalating numbers are dying of COVID-19, inflation continues to rage, and they are angry at the inept responses of a government worried much more about power than people.
Investing Financial, Moral Capital Beyond Stained-Glass Walls
To help bridge the gap between religious institutions and faith-based social entrepreneurs, one nonprofit created a fund in which grants are distributed. The first five recipients, seeking to improve the common good, were chosen.
Insurance Giant: No Coverage for Inapt ER Trips
A trip to the ER can cost 12 times more than a visit to your primary-care doctor. Yet one insurance giant claims many folks are wrongly visiting the ER for medical care. But it’s easier to be seen in the ER than by your family doc.
July 23, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The World’s Largest Muslim Organization Just Honored Evangelicals; US Churches Reckon with Traumatic Legacy of Native Schools; Missouri Church Leaders Implore Congregants: Get Vaccinated; Israeli Restaurants are Changing Their Kosher Certification – and Signaling a Religious Revolution; and more
Your Faith Can Make Us Well
The COVID-19 Delta variant is wreaking havoc on the unvaccinated. And as the virus mutates to stay alive and our kids are exposed to future mutations, we must set aside our divisions in order to protect our most precious commodity.
When Everyone in Your Church Needs You All at Once
When a pastor cares for just one family navigating a difficult time, it’s stressful enough. This pandemic-infused pastoral ministry meant caring for hundreds of families, all feeling the throes of the pandemic differently.
Gimme That Old-Time Religion? No Thanks, Say Many
After an uptick in 2020, public confidence in the church or organized religion slipped in 2021. The only institution that didn’t see a dip in Gallup’s annual survey was police, which also ranked third in terms of public confidence.
July 22, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: These Christian Lawmakers are on the Offensive Against Abortion; Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Banning Most Abortions; Bookstore’s Viral TikTok Calls Out Shoppers Who Turn Around LGBTQ+ Books to Hide Covers; Among Mormon Women, Frank Talk About Sacred Underclothes; and more
Folks on Earth Hunger as Mega-Rich Race to Space
While many don’t know where their next meal is coming from, should a couple of uber-rich guys spend millions of bucks to go into space for a rollercoaster ride for the wealthy? Do those of us in our cozy lifestyles give any better?
Gideon’s Jug? Hold Your Horses
Archaeologists in Israel recently published the discovery of an ancient inscription that may carry the name Jeruba‘al, a nickname the biblical account attributes to Gideon, one of Israel’s ‘judges.’ Should we get excited?
Blustering Opinionists Aren’t in Arena Doing Work
In the world today, you have opinionists – some armed with microphones – who point out how the people in the arena stumble or could have done better. Then you have folks in the arena, who fall but get up again to do the work.
July 21, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: What’s Next for Christian Zionists?; Bible Society’s New Philadelphia Museum Retells American History with a Religious Slant; Social Conservatives ‘Frustrated’ Over Trump Supreme Court Justices’ Rulings; and more
Making Claims Doesn’t Make One Right or Righteous
Those who wave the biggest flags and display the largest crosses often confuse the two allegiances of patriotism and Christianity and rarely represent the best of what either means. They’re the ones we need to watch closely.
Why COVID-19 Vaccines Won’t Stick You to Fridge
Beware the COVID-19 vaccine. It can turn you into a human magnet, so says one anti-vaxxer activist. This outlandish claim, like so many other anti-vax arguments, have been around for over a century. They fall into three categories.
Why It’s Never Too Late for Healing
Maybe you forgot what you had done. Maybe you weren’t paying attention. But something or someone reminds you that you have sinned. The spiritual bruise of the act has never healed, even if it has faded. Can you still make amends?
July 20, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Co-chair of Poor People’s Campaign Among Nearly 100 Women Arrested at March for Voting Rights in D.C.; Proud Boys Leader Pleads Guilty to Burning DC Church’s Black Lives Matter Banner; Promise Keepers Says it Has Changed. The Times Have Changed More.; and more.
Church Hurts: Bullies Must Be Called to Task
Church members pick fights, bully and destroy the faith and spiritual lives of others, all to maintain power, to dominate the narrative, to control sacred space. The church has bodywork to do. It’s time to hold them accountable.